Adult Neurodevelopmental Services

Intended For

• Adults 16 years and older with a documented diagnosis of an intellectual disability and/or autism presenting with mental health concerns or behaviors that challenge such as severe aggression, self-injurious behaviours (SIB) or severe persistent repetitive behaviours 
• Adult 16 years and older with a diagnosis of an intellectual disability seeking diagnostic clarification for autism
• Adults 18 years and older seeking diagnostic clarification for autism. No co-occurring diagnosis is required 
  
   
Catchment area:
• Autism assessment and psychiatry serves all of Ontario
• All other disciplines (Behavioural Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Nursing, Developmental Service Work, Psychology) serve Toronto (postal codes starting with M)

Referral Requirements:

Physician referral required. Please download the form and call your doctor.

Additional Referral Details

Referrals can be made by Physicians or Nurse Practitioners. Please download the form and call your healthcare provider.

New referrals may be completed electronically or faxed to Access CAMH at 416 979-6815. Find both referral forms here.

Please review the list below for additional details on the information that should be included with the referral:

• Psychological assessment
• Psychiatric assessment
• School accommodation documents (IEP, IPRC)
• Medication summaries:  Medication history, recent blood work
• Hospital admission & discharge summaries
• Discharge summaries from residential, educational & vocational placements
• Specialized assessments & treatment summaries.  Including any MRI or CT results, EEG, Genetics, occupational therapy reports, behaviour therapy reports, SLP reports

Program Duration:

Our outpatient services offer consultations and short-term / time-limited interventions up to 6 months.

Waiting Period:

Varies depending on program and referral volumes. Due to an increase in referrals our wait times can vary from 1 to 3 years.

Location:

Queen Street site - 1025 Queen Street West

Additional Location Details:

3rd floor

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Contact Phone Number:

416 535-8501 ex. 37800

Contact Email:

ANSinfo@camh.ca

Types of Treatment and Services Offered

The ANS has an outpatient program, as well as a research department.

Program Overview

The outpatient program provides short-term, interprofessional goal-oriented assessment and treatment to adults diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and/or autism with mental health concerns and/or behaviours that challenge. ANS also offers autism diagnostic assessments. The goal is to support the individual to live in the community during and after treatment. The ANS team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, behaviour therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, a registered nurse, and developmental service workers. CAMH is a teaching hospital, so you may see students, residents or trainees accompanying clinicians and physicians during your appointments. You may also have the opportunity to participate in various ongoing research projects at CAMH. 

ANS Outpatient

ANS Outpatient offers the following services:

• Psychiatric consultation for mental health assessment and/or medication review for adults with a diagnosis of intellectual disability and/or autism.
• Interprofessional assessment and treatment for adults with a diagnosis of intellectual disability
• Autism diagnostic assessment - To make an autism diagnosis, there must be evidence of autism during the early developmental period (0-5 years old). Without any reliable information about early development, it is often not possible to complete the assessment or make a reliable diagnosis. Therefore, where possible we ask for the person to involve an informant. An informant is someone who knew you in early childhood. Such as a caregiver, parent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, etc. to provide the developmental history. Developmental history can include information about developmental milestones, play interactions, school experience, and social interactions.  If no informant is available then we ask for the person to bring documentary evidence such as past assessments, school reports, etc. If no informant or past records are available and still a person is interested to be seen, then we will offer an assessment, but we cannot guarantee a final autism diagnosis. 

Research

ANS works in partnership with the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, the first Canadian research and education centre dedicated to improving care for adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and mental health difficulties, and their families. 

Discipline Specific Treatments:

For an easy read version of this section, click here.

Psychiatry: Psychiatrists provide consultations for autism diagnostic assessments, mental health assessments, and/or medication review, and work with client’s family doctors or other psychiatrists in the community to provide treatment recommendations.

Psychology: Psychologists provide various psychological services such as mental health assessment and individual counselling for people with intellectual disability and/or autism.  ANS does not provide cognitive assessment for Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) eligibility. 

Social Work:ANS Social Workers provide support to address various issues such as stress and caregiver burnout. The Social Workers can also provide education to clients and families about diagnosis and assessment as well as provide information on treatment options. In addition, the Social Workers work with other supports (agencies, case managers, clinicians, family members, and friends) in advocating and addressing issues at both the personal and social level — for example, access to funding and providing information on available day program options. They also connect and refer clients to community resources, programs and supports.

Behaviour Therapy: ANS Behaviour Therapists assess what a person is trying to communicate through a behaviour that is challenging and that may be a barrier to participate and live in the community. ANS behaviour therapists may offer interventions to reduce or replace these behaviours. This is done through safety planning for use in crisis management, mediator training, behaviour change programs, skill building programs, transition planning, and environmental accommodations.

Occupational Therapy: ANS Occupational Therapists work with clients to promote their health, well-being and participation in meaningful activities at home and in the community. Occupational Therapists provide a holistic assessment of a person’s strengths and capabilities, their activity demands and their environmental supports and provide strategies to support participation in daily life activities. Areas of assessment may include (but are not limited to): daily living skills, sensory processing needs, self-regulation and community safety and engagement.

Nursing: The ANS Registered Nurse can assess the physical health and medications of our clients. Physical conditions and side effects of medication may contribute to behaviours that challenge and may be barriers for participating and living in community. The ANS Nurse can provide education regarding medication and medical concerns such as diabetes.

Developmental Services Workers: ANS Developmental Services Workers assist the assessment and treatment delivered by other ANS clinicians. They can teach strategies that may help improve clients and their families’ quality of life. Developmental Service Workers also connect clients to community resources and engage them in activities.

Group Treatment

**Please note a referral is needed to access these groups. Groups run on a rotating basis. Please contact us for more information on which groups are currently being offered. ANSinfo@camh.ca

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Group: The CBT Group is a 13-week group provided to adults with autism (without an intellectual disability) who also experience symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. The purpose of the group is to help participants develop skills and strategies to decrease symptoms of anxiety and/or depression by learning about the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical sensations. Clients will be screened for suitability for this group.

Self-Regulation Group:The Self-Regulation Group is an 8-week group for adults with mild intellectual disability (with or without autism) and mental health concerns. This group is offered in collaboration with our community partner, Aptus Treatment Centre. The aim of this group is to support participants to identify their emotions and build confidence using coping strategies to help safely and independently manage their emotions. Clients will be screened for suitability for this group.

Meet-Ups: An ASD Social Skills Group: This is a group for adults diagnosed with autism (without an intellectual disability). The objective of the group is to provide participants with strategies to improve their social communication and navigate everyday relationships.

Fitness and Wellness Group: This group supports individuals with autism and/or intellectual disability with creating and practicing manageable daily fitness routines, which focus on keeping active and healthy, while not relying on any equipment. The group also looks at how a good diet and other factors of our daily living can lead to good health and well being in the long term.

Family Caregiver Group: Four weekly online group sessions, followed by an individual session with an Adult Neurodevelopmental Services Social Worker. Topics include managing stress with self-care, recognizing and addressing burn out, system navigating via the DSO, and connecting you with supportive resources.

Other resources

ANS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

ANS General Timeline of Events

Click here to find your local Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) office for social supports. Contact DSO to see if the services provided are right for you. If registered with DSO, supports can be available for housing (a place to live), community participation (day programming, job training), case management (a professional who helps you find help that you need) and other specialized services. 

Resources on mental health and intellectual disabilities, sometimes referred to as dual diagnosis. A comprehensive collection of tools and resources for individuals, caregivers, health care professionals, researchers, and policymakers seeking information and support related to the health and health care of individuals with developmental disabilities in Canada. 

Connectability: Various resources for people with disabilities and their families.  

Additional resources to help people with disabilities and families go to medical appointments.

Resources for People with Developmental Disabilities

• The About My Health form was developed by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program at Surrey Place. Fill it out so you can share important information about yourself and your health with new health care providers. Having this information ready can help appointments run more smoothly.
• The My Health Care Visit form was developed by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program at Surrey Place. This form can be filled out during a health care visit to help you understand what was discussed during the appointment and any information you will need to know for follow-up.

Resources for health care providers or staff supporting people with disabilities

Crisis Resources

9-8-8: https://988.ca
Free, 24/7. A suicide crisis helpline for people across Canada.
Call or text 9-8-8.

Distress Centres of Greater Toronto: https://www.dcogt.com/home-support
Free, 24/7, confidential helpline. If you are experiencing emotional distress or need help getting services in a crisis, call 416-408-4357. The website includes information about community services in Toronto and in Peel Region in an emergency, including clothing, drop-ins, housing and food.   

Kids Help Phone: https://kidshelpphone.ca/urgent-help  
Free, 24/7, confidential, for people across Canada (not just for kids).
Call 1-800-668-6868 to speak to a professional counsellor or  
Text CONNECT to 686868 to speak with a voluenteer crisis responder or  
Go the link posted above to chat online with a volunteer crisis responder.  

Warm Line - Progress Place: http://www.warmline.ca/
Free and confidential. Not a crisis line. Provides a peer support worker to talk to if you are feeling anxious, lonely, isolated, depressed and in need of a friendly ear. Available 6pm-Midnight, 7 days a week. Call 416-960-9276. Text 647-557-5882. Visit the website to chat online during the available hours.

Peel Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST): https://cmhapeeldufferin.ca/programs-services/24-7-crisis-support-peel
24/7 support for mental health crisis in Peel and Dufferin regions.  
Call 905-278-9036 or 1-888-811-2222

Distress Centre Halton: https://www.dchalton.ca   
Available 24/7  
Burlington: 905-681-1488 
Halton Hills/Milton: 905-877-1211 
Hamilton: 905-561-5800 
Oakville: 905-849-4541 

**If there is an emergency call 9-1-1 or go to the closest hospital emergency department. If safety is at risk for anyone, call 9-1-1. When you call for help you can share some information to help the first responders, such as sharing any support or soothing strategies that are known to be helpful to the person in crisis**