History

Spectrum was founded in 2003 by two parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Lynne Thibodeau (M.Ed.) was already working in a clinical capacity with children with Autism, supervising programs, while Colleen Farrell McGuire, (B.Comm., CMA) provided the business and administrative skills. Spectrum was created to fill the void that existed in the Ottawa area for high quality, intensive, ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis), centre-based services.

Kids Playing In keeping with relevant provincial regulations, we also became a licensed day care in July 2003. This generally involves, at a minimum, adopting and adherence to provincially approved policies in all areas involving the children, from behavior management to water testing. There is also a yearly inspection from our designated program advisor in relation to licensing issues as well from the health department and on occasion from fire dept officials.

In terms of how this affects our operations and staff, we must ensure that all staff are aware of and in compliance with relevant policies and procedures before they begin working with children. This is accomplished through our usual comprehensive training period and by having staff sign that they have read and understood the policy documents initially and then it must be revisited periodically as determined by each different policy area.

In order to maintain the high quality of service and to ensure well-trained staff, Spectrum has grown and taken on more clients, at a moderate pace since 2003. We have worked with more than 80 children both in centre and in homes in Ottawa as well through our outreach services for Kingston, Brockville and surrounding areas.

Board of Directors

Spectrum's Board of Directors is a volunteer board, comprised significantly of parents of children with Autism, as well as other dedicated volunteers. Our contributions come from varied backgrounds as parents, clinical professionals as well as business professionals. The Board meets at least annually, usually in May, and invites all interested parents to meet the Board, attend meetings and other events in order to become informed and share ideas.