Grandview Kids (OAP lead, Durham)
- OAP programs
- Core Clinical ABA incl. skill-building, CMEY, Entry to School, URS
- Locations
- Ajax (main); Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby, Oshawa satellites
Direct answer
Durham Region families access social skills programming mainly through the OAP-D partnership — Grandview Kids (Ajax, with satellites across Durham), Kinark, Lake Ridge, and Canopy — plus private clinician-led groups using curricula like Secret Agent Society and PEERS. Here is how the options compare, and what to ask before you enroll.
End The Wait Ontario provider directory · Verified 2026-08-10
- Grandview Kids
- OAP lead for Durham Region
- SAS & PEERS
- Evidence-based curricula
- OAP-eligible
- Clinician-led group funding
In brief
Quick summary
- Grandview Kids is the OAP lead for Durham Region (Ajax main campus; Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby, Oshawa satellites)
- Kinark, Lake Ridge (Whitby), and Canopy also deliver OAP programming reaching Durham families
- Manualized curricula — Secret Agent Society (ages 8–12) and PEERS — have moderate RCT evidence
- Schedules, fees, and current group offerings change: confirm with each provider before enrolling
Who delivers social skills programming in Durham Region?
Durham Region autism services are organized through the OAP-D partnership. According to this site's provider directory:
Grandview Kids — OAP lead, Durham Region
Grandview Kids delivers Core Clinical ABA (which can include skill-building groups), Caregiver-Mediated Early Years programs (Social ABCs, Project ImPACT, PLAY Project), Entry to School, and Urgent Response Services as part of the OAP-D Partnership. Its main campus is in Ajax, with satellite locations in Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby, and Oshawa.
Kinark Autism Services delivers the OAP suite across York Region, Durham Region, and Simcoe County; Lake Ridge Community Support Services (Whitby) partners with Grandview Kids and RFECY in the OAP-D network; Canopy Support Services reaches Durham alongside Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.
Fail-closed notice. This site does not publish current group schedules, fees, or start dates for any Durham provider — those change with each intake cycle. Everything below describes program structure and evidence; confirm current offerings directly with providers.
What does the evidence say about social skills groups?
Social skills group therapy gives autistic children and adolescents structured peer interaction where they practise conversation, cooperation, perspective-taking, and friendship skills with guided support. Programs like PEERS (UCLA) and Secret Agent Society have moderate evidence from randomized controlled trials. Evidence varies by goal, method, population, and outcome.
Secret Agent Society (SAS)
Secret Agent Society uses a spy-themed computer game and group activities to teach emotion recognition, regulation, and social problem-solving to autistic children aged 8–12. Beaumont and Sofronoff studied the separate Junior Detective Training Program in a 2008 randomized controlled study. They reported improvements in some social skills and emotional-understanding measures at five-month follow-up; not all outcome measures differed between groups. Read the study
PEERS
PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills), from UCLA, is a manualized parent-assisted social skills program, particularly for adolescents. It is one of the curricula this site lists among Ontario providers' social skills specialties (e.g. PEERS for Adolescents at Kerry's Place).
See our full Social Skills Groups evidence page for study detail, including the study citation. The Durham and York Region guide has regional service information.
How do Durham options compare?
Provider comparison table
| Option | OAP programs | Where | Social skills offer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandview Kids (OAP lead, Durham) | Core Clinical ABA incl. skill-building, CMEY, Entry to School, URS | Ajax (main); Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby, Oshawa satellites | Skill-building groups within OAP programs — ask about current curriculum | End The Wait Ontario provider directory |
| Kinark Autism Services | Core Clinical, Foundational Family Services, CMEY, Entry to School | York Region, Durham Region, Simcoe County | Foundational Family Services may include group formats — ask provider | End The Wait Ontario provider directory |
| Lake Ridge Community Support Services | Core Clinical ABA, Foundational Family Services, CMEY, URS support | Whitby (OAP-D partnership with Grandview Kids and RFECY) | OAP-D network programming — ask provider | End The Wait Ontario provider directory |
| Canopy Support Services | Core Clinical (incl. skill-building groups), CMEY, URS, social work | Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Durham, Haliburton | Lists skill-building groups among Core Clinical offerings — ask provider | End The Wait Ontario provider directory |
| Private / clinician-led groups | Psychologist-, behaviour analyst-, or social worker-led groups | Various, incl. Oshawa and GTA East | May use PEERS or Secret Agent Society — ask which curriculum and evidence base | End The Wait Ontario provider directory |
Kinark Autism Services
- OAP programs
- Core Clinical, Foundational Family Services, CMEY, Entry to School
- Locations
- York Region, Durham Region, Simcoe County
Lake Ridge Community Support Services
- OAP programs
- Core Clinical ABA, Foundational Family Services, CMEY, URS support
- Locations
- Whitby (OAP-D partnership with Grandview Kids and RFECY)
Canopy Support Services
- OAP programs
- Core Clinical (incl. skill-building groups), CMEY, URS, social work
- Locations
- Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Durham, Haliburton
Private / clinician-led groups
- OAP programs
- Psychologist-, behaviour analyst-, or social worker-led groups
- Locations
- Various, incl. Oshawa and GTA East
What should you ask before enrolling?
- Which manualized curriculum does the group use (PEERS, Secret Agent Society, or another) — and what is its evidence base?
- Who facilitates, and what are their credentials (psychologist, behaviour analyst registered with CPBAO, social worker)?
- How are participants matched by age and skill level, and what is the group size?
- Does the program include parent training and generalize skills to home and school?
- How is progress measured — are standardized tools used and shared with you?
- How is it funded — OAP Core Clinical funding, free Foundational Family Services, or private fee?
Explore Durham Region services
See the regional picture for Durham and York, the Oshawa service page, and the full social skills evidence guide.
Data Sources
- Durham providers: End The Wait Ontario provider directory (Grandview Kids, Kinark, Lake Ridge, Canopy, Kerry's Place entries)
- Curriculum evidence: Beaumont and Sofronoff, “A multi-component social skills intervention for children with Asperger syndrome: The Junior Detective Training Program,” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49(7), 743–753 (2008). DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01920.x
- Ontario waitlist figures: MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 (MCCSS), as of May 13, 2026. Reviewed August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Durham Region autism services run through the OAP-D partnership. Grandview Kids is the OAP lead for Durham Region, with a main campus in Ajax and satellites in Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby, and Oshawa; Kinark delivers across York, Durham, and Simcoe; Lake Ridge Community Support Services (Whitby) and Canopy Support Services also deliver OAP programs reaching Durham families. Availability of specific social-skills groups changes with intake — confirm current offerings with each provider.
Secret Agent Society (SAS) is an evidence-based social skills curriculum used by Ontario providers — this site lists it among the specialties of Kerry’s Place Autism Services, which serves regions adjacent to Durham. Whether a SAS group is currently running in Durham itself depends on provider intake; ask OAP-D providers in Durham which manualized curriculum (SAS, PEERS, or another) their groups use.
Clinician-led social skills groups can be purchased with OAP funding, and Foundational Family Services — free for registered OAP families — sometimes include group-format programming. Social skills groups in Ontario are delivered by psychologists, behaviour analysts, and social workers. Check how the specific group you are considering is delivered and billed.
Look for groups that use a manualized curriculum (like PEERS or Secret Agent Society), have trained facilitators, match participants by age and skill level, include parent training, and measure progress with standardized tools. Ask the provider about their curriculum, group size, facilitator credentials, and how they track outcomes.
Start with the OAP lead for your area — Grandview Kids for Durham Region — and ask about Core Clinical skill-building groups, Foundational Family Services, and Caregiver-Mediated Early Years programs as fits your child’s age. Then compare what each provider currently offers against the quality checklist above. Wait times and group start dates vary by program and season.
Where the waitlist stands
Families navigating autism services in Ontario face a documented multi-year wait. Here is the Ontario data — and a two-minute way to push back, when you are ready.
- MCCSS Ontario Autism Program figures, May 13, 2026, obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition under Freedom of Information. Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario), obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition (May 13, 2026)
- Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Spending Plan Review (2024). Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (2024)
Related guides
Guides and tools related to this page.
Sources on this page
The source chain stays visible.
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Facts3
Sources3
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
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