Status: Vacancy
Casual | Until March 31, 2027
Sites: Waterloo, Kitchener, Guelph, and Cambridge
OPSEU salary 258 salary range for Autism Assistants is $20.18 - $23.74 per hour.
About KidsAbility:
Our mission at KidsAbility is to empower children and youth to realize their full potential. We are a not-for-profit, equal opportunity employer supporting over 17,000 children and youth to reach their communication, social, physical, and behavioural goals each year. Providing early and exceptional family-centred services in the Waterloo and Guelph-Wellington regions. We believe that by living our values, our impact can be profound, and together, we can build brighter futures.
We’re looking for the right people to join our team; supporting children, youth, and families to realize their potential, while realizing your own. At KidsAbility, we offer:
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Mentorship and ongoing development opportunities, empowering you to enhance your skills
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A supportive, collaborative, and inclusive work environment dedicated to family-centred care
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Organizational commitment to innovation and research; continually evolving our approaches so we may serve with purpose and value
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Initiatives to support your well-being including social events, opportunities to give back to your community and access to Employee and Family Assistance Program
About the Opportunity:
The role of Autism Assistant is to provide hands-on support to children in a group model within the Entry to School (ETS) Program. Under the direction of the Manager and/or Clinical Supervisor, the Autism Assistant is responsible for:
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Supporting clients to participate in daily routines such as washroom, snack, lunch, gym, play/ activity time etc.
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Preparing and creating materials to support classroom needs and programming needs for children with Autism or other needs
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Ordering, managing, and organizing of resources, toys, equipment, and supplies
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Participating in team meetings and case shares
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Producing a variety of resource materials, including song boards, storyboards, token systems, worksheets, crafts, group activities, and picture symbols (e.g., picture symbols used with: PECS, choice boards, visual schedules, number boards)
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Administrative tasks such as data collection when required
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This role supports the program within core hours by providing extra support, covering sick time, vacation time, and/or leave periods, and may be required to travel to different sites throughout the day.
More About You:
Candidates for this position should have completed a community college diploma program, with a background in Autism and Behavioural Sciences or equivalent, in addition to:
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Experience with children who have a variety of developmental, physical, and communicative disorders
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Experience in working with children with special needs for a minimum of one year; knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) an asset
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Excellent computer skills and the familiarity with or willingness to learn specialized computer programs used in the production of resource materials (i.e. Boardmaker, Canva)
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Effective oral and written communication skills with high level of attention to detail and adherence to confidentiality standards
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Good customer service skills to interact with staff, parents, and suppliers
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Proven ability and willingness to work as an integral member of a team, as well as work independently with little direction, demonstrating self-motivation and initiative
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Excellent organizational, time management, problem-solving and caseload management skills in a fast-paced environment
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Standard First Aid and CPR are an asset
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Travel is required; you must have a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle with public liability/property damage coverage
We invite applications from those interested in this position to submit through our KidsAbility Career Center.
IMPORTANT NOTE: KidsAbility sites will be closed as of July 24th at 4:30pm and will reopen on Monday, August 10th at 8:00am. This closure may affect the timeline of the recruitment process.
KidsAbility strives to create an accessible and inclusive application and selection process and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants who may require provisions to participate in the selection process. Should any applicant require accommodation please contact Human Resources in advance for assistance.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are the core values of KidsAbility. We are a diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas that benefit our clients and the community. It is the policy of KidsAbility to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment. We welcome applications from visible minority groups, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information or any other ground protected by applicable law.
Please note that all prospective KidsAbility employees are subject to mandatory immunization requirements, including the full and ongoing COVID-19 vaccination, as a condition of obtaining and maintaining employment. We will make accommodations as directed by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
