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Partnerships & Collaboration

Annual Report 2023/24

Message from our CEO and Board President

To our community:

Collaboration is a big part of how we work at Surrey Place. In fact, it’s one of the core values that guides our approach to everything – we collaborate to create possibilities. This 2023/2024 fiscal year, we have been fortunate to engage in a wide breadth of partnerships and collaborations, both within and outside Surrey Place’s doors. As we continue to adapt to the changing landscape, it’s more important than ever to bring different perspectives and strengths together to further the potential for our clients, community and industry.

As you will read in this Annual Report, we are working with internal teams, external partners, and our valued community to connect with more families and continually improve our services to meet their needs. This includes developing our Process Reform Working Group and Autism Change Champions to address the changes to the OAP funding model and ensure the sustainability of our services and programs. We’ve also partnered with like-minded individuals and organizations to bridge gaps in critical services and resources, such as our partnership to bring urgent and extensive support to children in the GTA through the Extensive Needs Services (ENS) at Holland Bloorview. We’ve also partnered with the Mid-Scarborough Hub to bring our services closer to the local community and make it more convenient for clients, families, and caregivers in the Scarborough area. We’re also continuously working within our own teams to listen and create improvements in our culture and operations, as well as in our work in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility to foster more inclusive and safe spaces for our staff and community.

Partnerships and collaboration happen all the time at Surrey Place. As we complete the first year of our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, we want to thank all our staff for their valued collaborative efforts. We’re grateful to work together with our community and partners to help people of all ages with autism, developmental, and sensory-related concerns push the boundaries of what’s possible to achieve new victories. We look forward to embarking on the second year of our Strategic Plan and building more partnerships and opportunities to come.

Sincerely,

Dr. Terri Hewitt, Ph.D., C. Psych.
Chief Executive Officer

Fern Goncalves, M.Ed., CHRL
Board President

Our Impact

14,297
 Unique Clients + Caregivers* per year, including DSO-Toronto Region clients
**does not include IHP numbers**

0-6 years old
33.11%

6-18 years old
31.75%

18+ years old
29.61%

30,000+
Infant Hearing Screenings

1,780
People served in Toronto through the Preschool Speech & Language Program

395
Online Wellness events

581
Staff employed at
Surrey Place

Client Story

Urgent Response Services

During a time of urgent needs for our son (and family), the Urgent Response Services team connected us with Dr. Alvin Loh and Jasmine Romero [Registered Nurse]. Their expertise and diligent care have been a lifeline for our family. Thanks to their compassionate care, I am so happy to report that today, our son has made so much progress. We continue to benefit from Dr. Loh’s support as we work towards a place of stability. We are so grateful for the kind and wonderful rapport Dr. Loh and Jasmine have with our son! Thank you to Surrey Place for all you do for families like ours.”

— K. & C., parents

Strategic Plan Achievements

Our Financials

Funding Sources

Provincial government 91.5%

Municipal government 0.6%

Fee for service & grant revenue 6.3%

Other revenue 1.5%

DOWNLOAD FINANCIAL REPORT

3 Year Expenditure Trend ($’000)

2021-22$70,547,332

2023-23$97,765,272

2023-24$99,686,710

Meet Our Donors & Funders

This section reflects donations and funders for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

Board of Directors 2023/24

President

FERN GONCALVES, M.ED., CHRL

Senior HR Advisor, Employee Engagement, Organizational Development, Strategic Advisor

Vice President

CAROLYN ACKER, C.M., R.N., M.A., D.SC. H.C.

Management Consultant Carolyn Acker & Associates

Treasurer

ANDREA ENGLERT-RYGUS, B.COMM., CSMP

Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President, Customer Relationship Management Plexxus

MICHAEL ROOKE, BBA, CPA, CA, LPA

Partner Tinkham LLP

Directors

ASHAN M. FERNANDO

Former City of Toronto Councillor Candidate, Hospitality/hotel management professional

BAABA FORSON, B.A. (HONS.), LL.B.

Crown Counsel, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Public Service

FRANK ANDERSON, FCPA,
CPA

Retired Accountant

KEMI ODUWOLE LL B, LL M, M. CIARB

Managing Partner Kindrivlaw Professional Corporation (practicing as Topmarké Attorneys, LLP)

MICHAEL RICHARDSON, HBA

CEO & Co-Owner Eclipsys Solutions Inc.

MICHAEL ROOKE, BBA, CPA, CA, LPA

Partner Tinkham LLP

VICKI BALES, M.ED., PH.D.

Retired President, Vicki Bales Consulting Inc. Consulting in Community Health and Human Services

By 2 months

Has your baby had their hearing screened? YES NO

By 6 months

Does the child?

Startle in response to loud noises? YES NO
Turn to where a sound is coming from? YES NO
Make different cries for different needs (hungry, tired)? YES NO
Watch your face as you talk? YES NO
Smile/laugh in response to your smiles and laughs? YES NO
Imitate coughs or other sounds such as ah, eh, buh YES NO

By 9 months

Does the child?

Respond to their name? YES NO
Respond to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door? YES NO
Understand being told no? YES NO
Get what they want through using gestures (reaching to be picked up)? YES NO
Play social games with you (Peek-a-Boo)? YES NO
Enjoy being around people? YES NO
Babble and repeat sounds such as babababa or duhduhduh? YES NO

By 12 months

Does the child?

Follow simple one-step directions (sit down)? YES NO
Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? YES NO
Consistently use three to five words? YES NO
Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? YES NO
Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? YES NO
Bring you toys to show you? YES NO
Perform for social attention and praise? YES NO
Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? YES NO
Show an interest in simple picture books? YES NO

By 18 months

Does the child?

Understand the meaning of in and out, off and on? YES NO
Point to more than 2 body parts when asked? YES NO
Use at least 20 words consistently? YES NO
Respond with words or gestures to simple questions (Where's teddy? What's that?)? YES NO
Demonstrate some pretend play with toys (gives teddy bear a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)? YES NO
Make at least four different consonant sounds (p ,b, m, n, d, g, w, h)? YES NO
Enjoy being read to and sharing simple books with you? YES NO
Point to pictures using one finger? YES NO

By 2 years

Does the child?

Follow two-step directions (Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.)? YES NO
Use 100 to 150 words? YES NO
Use at least two pronouns (you, me, mine)? YES NO
Consistently combine two to four words in short phrases (Daddy hat. Truck go down.)? YES NO
Enjoy being around other children? YES NO
Begin to offer toys to other children and imitate other children's actions and words? YES NO
Use words that are understood by others 50 to 60 per cent of the time? YES NO
Form words or sounds easily and without effort? YES NO
Hold books the right way up and turn the pages? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 30 months

Does the child?

Understand the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)? YES NO
Use some adult grammar (two cookies, bird flying, I jumped)? YES NO
Use over 350 words? YES NO
Use action words such as run, spill, fall? YES NO
Participate in some turn-taking activities with peers, using both words and toys? YES NO
Demonstrate concern when another child is hurt or sad? YES NO
Combine several actions in play (puts blocks in the train and drives the train, drops the blocks off.)? YES NO
Put sounds at the beginning of most words? YES NO
Use words with two or more syllables or beats (ba-na-na, com-pu-ter, a-pple)? YES NO
Recognize familiar logos and signs involving print (Stop sign)? YES NO
Remember and understand familiar stories? YES NO

By 3 years

Does the child?

Understand who, what, where and why questions? YES NO
Create long sentences using five to eight words? YES NO
Talk about past events (trip to grandparents house, day at child care)? YES NO
Tell simple stories? YES NO
Show affection for favourite playmates? YES NO
Engage in multi-step pretend play (pretending to cook a meal, repair a car)? YES NO
Talk in a way that most people outside of the family understand what she/he is saying most of the time? YES NO
Have an understanding of the function of print (menus, lists, signs)? YES NO
Show interest in, and awareness of, rhyming words? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 4 years

Does the child?

Follow directions involving three or more steps (First get some paper, then draw a picture and give it to Mommy)? YES NO
Use adult type grammar? YES NO
Tell stories with a beginning, middle and end? YES NO
Talk to try and solve problems with adults and with other children? YES NO
Show increasingly complex imaginary play? YES NO
Talk in a way that is understood by strangers almost all the time? YES NO
Generate simple rhymes (cat-bat)? YES NO
Match some letters with their sounds (letter b says buh, letter t says tuh)? YES NO