Bruce Awad Summer Program

Overview

Since 1984, Autism Services Incorporated has provided a Summer Program for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This unique program offers daily support in the months of July and August to children between 6 to 17 years who have a psychiatric diagnosis of autism. Qualified and specially trained staff consisting of directors, supervisors and support workers oversee the program.  As a show of appreciation to Bruce Awad, the creator of the program, the Board of Directors of ASI officially named the program “The Bruce Awad Summer Program” on June 14, 2010.

Most students are supported on a one-to-one basis which is critical to the success of the program. The number of persons accepted into the program each year depends on the amount of funding received from provincial and federal government grants, donations and proceeds from various fundraising events. Due to the tremendous need in the community, there is often a waiting list of families who wish to enroll their child into ASI’s Summer Program.

The high staff to student ratio is necessary and also very costly. The family’s fee for the Monday through Friday full day supports covers a small portion of the high costs and assists ASI in its efforts to serve as many families as possible.

Our Program is highly structured and takes place in a school setting. Some of the daily activities include fitness, arts and crafts, music, educational table tasks, food preparation, housekeeping duties, and other daily living skills.  Students participate in a variety of community outings including swimming, gymnastics, and visiting splash pads and parks. The high staff to student ratio is essential to ensure the safety of individuals who have more challenging behaviours associated with autism, such as aggression and/or self-abusive tendencies. Safety for the students we support, for staff and for others is our highest priority.

An Annual Open House is held in August and is open to the general public.

Admissions Criteria

• All students require a diagnosis of ASD in accordance with the American Psychiatric Association (APA). First time applicants must submit an assessment & diagnosis report.
• Students must be 6 years of age by June 30th and under 18 years of age by July 15th (UPDATED, February 6, 2025).
• Students MUST NOT live in a residential setting.
• Student’s behaviours must be manageable within the resources and supervision the summer program is able to provide.
• The program supports students with a maximum one student to one support worker ratio.  Students requiring more than 1:1 support on a continuous basis are not eligible.
• Students must be exempt from any extreme health care conditions or needs.
• All applications must be received by the deadline date. Returning students will be considered priority provided their application is received by the deadline date and their accounts are in good standing. Attendance, punctuality, and behaviour concerns will also be considered before admission is granted.
• A $250 deposit fee is required with the application. This deposit will be applied to the balance of the program fees and WILL NOT be refundable unless the student is not accepted into the program or you withdraw in writing by April 30th.
• Autism Services Inc. reserves the right to refuse to provide services to any student when the program staff determines that the student cannot be provided with adequate support by ASI. These decisions are made on an individual basis by the Executive/Summer Program Committee.

2025 Summer Program Particulars

• Dates: Monday to Friday starting July 7 until August 15, 2025
• Program runs daily from 9am until 3pm
• Locations: Windsor & Essex TO BE DETERMINED.   (The locations are decided by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board in April and are based on availability. Historically we have held the programs at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Catholic Elementary School in Windsor and Holy Name Catholic Elementary School in Essex and are our preferred locations if available.) *Please note we do not provide transportation to the program.
• Cost: $2,750 for 6 week session (Updated October 21, 2024)
• Students are provided one to one support in a structured setting. Morning activities take place in a school with off site activities most afternoons including public pools for swimming.
• We do not offer a clinical setting or therapy but arrangements can be made to accommodate some student’s OAP funded therapy sessions on site. Limited time slots are available.
• Please note: Program is subject to change due to changing Health and Safety Guidelines which may arise.
• Under current Ontario Autism Program rules, OAP funding cannot be applied to cover the cost of program fees.

How to Apply

The application window for 2025 is now closed. Application Packages for the 2026 Program will be emailed at the beginning of November 2025. If you would like to receive the 2026 registration package please download and fill out the new student form and return by email. (Please note: When filling out the new student form online, you may need to first save it to your computer and then fill it in using Acrobat Reader Once completed save the form again and attach it to your email.) Once we received the completed form we will add your email to the emailing list. Application packages are sent via Email in November with a deadline to apply by early December. Requests for an application package made after the December 2025 deadline will receive the application package the following November 2026 for the 2027 Summer Program. Applications will be sent by EMAIL ONLY.  Please email autism@mdirect.net or contact the ASI office at 519-966-7283 if you have questions or trouble completing the form.