The Galloway After School Program (GASP) is a socialization, life skills, and activity group for adolescents and young adults in East Toronto who have been diagnosed with Autism or a mild to moderate developmental challenge.
Attendees learn life skills such as cooking, street-safety, sexuality and relationship building. GASP helps meet individual needs and provides a safe, structured, and fun environment where they can learn and develop more independence skills. Activities and outings encourage a sense of cooperation, responsibility and achievement.
GASP uses Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to help develop goals for the youth. Assigned Primary Workers are responsible for the ongoing monitoring on the progress of goals. Functional Behaviour Assessments are completed a minimum of once a year and may be used as the basis for individual goal development. Family meetings and discussion with the youth are also essential components involved in the development of goal.
The program runs two afternoons a week during the school year – approximately seven hours per week. The staffing ratio is one staff member per four youth.