The Salvation Army London Village Supports Young People with Autism

The Autism Support Program at The Salvation Army London Village is a fun and welcoming environment for young people between the ages of 5 and 17 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis.

Programs for participants at London Village include teenage summer day camps, a weekend overnight program and mid-week activity night, with a focus on providing social and recreational leisure opportunities for children with autism.

In 2022-23, the ASD program at London Village assisted about 35 families and numbers are increasing post-COVID-19. Each London Village staff member has an educational background and training in developmental services.

“The way staff interact with program participants helps them be successful in the experience. Staff provide effective teaching and modeling to guide participants from one experience to another,” says London Village executive director Art Mathews.

Sherry Rowland, program director at The Salvation Army London Village, says activities are tailored to what participants most enjoy doing and provide an opportunity to have fun and develop friendships.

“All our programs are activity based and we try to do lots of community events. We have our own vehicle so we can visit apple orchards and pumpkin patches in the fall. In summer, we go to festivals, picnics and waterparks. In winter we go to drive through Christmas light displays,” Sherry says.

Hannah’s mom says the Autism Support Program allows her daughter to explore new opportunities and gives her a place where she excels.

“When I come here on Saturdays, I usually hang out and we usually go on a lot of trips and when I went on the field trip to the Children’s Museum with my ASD program team, we had so much fun there,” Hannah says.

Ethan regularly participates in the Saturday ASD program. As soon as he gets in the car with his dad to drive to London Village, he gets excited at knowing fun is just around the corner.

“He loves this place. This is his place, and he is definitely happy here. This program not only gives parents opportunities to spend time with their other children, but sometimes parents need a break, and this program facilitates that,” Ethan’s father says.

London Village actively celebrates and respects diversity, fosters strong community partnerships, provides safe and nurturing environments, supports personal choices, values and beliefs, respects individual faith and is constantly evaluating and improving its services.

To learn more about London Village and its programs and services, please visit www.salvationarmyvillage.ca.