Extensive Needs Service

Our Outpatient services provide wrap-around, interdisciplinary care for children, youth and their families. The care team works with children, youth and their families to set 1-3 individualized ENS goals, and then supports them to meet those goals before returning to community services.

Each child or youths’ needs are different. This may include:

• Specialized behaviour services
• Mental health assessment and treatment
• Social work, including supports for parents and caregivers
• Short-term in-centre respite services (provided in tandem with therapies)
• Care coordination
• Medication management
• Consultation with community services to support and build their capacity to support kids with extensive needs
• Discharge/transition support and planning to help children and youth return to school and community services, or transition to adult services

Steps of your journey with ENS:

1. 1Call1Click.ca intake

You will meet with a 1Call1Click Intake Worker, who will help determine if ENS is the right fit for you.

2. Client assignment

You will be assigned to an Interdisciplinary Care Pod! This core team will support you throughout your time with ENS.

3. Meet your care team

You will meet with your care team for an initial assessment where you can share your story and health journey with us. We’ll keep this information on file so that you only need to share your story this one time!

4. Develop your care plan

Your care team will complete additional assessments to get to know your child/family to identify and develop the goals that will be focused on within ENS.

5. Working together to implement your care plan

Your care team will work with lots of other experts across CHEO to deliver your care plan and help you meet your goals.

6. 3-month ENS care plan review

Every 3 months your care team will review your Care Plan and progress towards your goals. That will help your care team make recommendations, support you and plan for discharge into community supports when ready

7. Discharge to care in the community

When the time comes, your care team will facilitate transfer of your care to community services. They can meet with you 3-months after discharge to check-in and offer support, as needed.

Our ENS Medical Clinic provides medical care for neurodiverse children and youth who require extra support during routine medical check-ups and more. We offer regular clinics with our physician and nurse practitioner.

Eligibility requirements:

• Clients must have a confirmed neurodiversity diagnosis (required).
• There must be an identified mental health need within the family unit.
• Clients must have an unmet medical need, which may include:
  • No Primary Care Provider (PCP)
  • Inability to access their PCP due to behavioural challenges

Referrals are made through 1Call1Click.ca. Families can self-refer, or community provider can submit the referral on behalf of the family with their consent.

We know that children with extensive neurodevelopmental health needs sometimes have difficulty attending medical clinic appointments. Our Extensive Needs Supported Visits service helps create safer, more comfortable experiences at CHEO clinics.

Supported visits can include:

• A pre-assessment to learn more about the child or youth and their upcoming appointment
• Education or desensitization sessions before their clinic appointment
• Parent/caregiver coaching to help them best support their child/youth through the appointment
• Behavioural support before, during and after the appointment based on individual support needs

Do you have an upcoming visit in one of CHEO’s clinics and would like to request a Supported Visit?
Ask the clinic of your appointment to refer you to Neurodevelopmental Health’s Supported Visits Team!

If you are admitted to one of CHEO’s medical and mental health units, your care team can refer you to ENS if needed.

ENS can offer consultations and direct support during your inpatient stay, as well as to parents, caregivers and siblings.

ENS can also provide on-unit behavioural treatment to ensure you have all the information and supports you need to be discharged home.

Healthy Habits

Focused on building positive nutrition and lifestyle habits, this workshop supports families looking to improve eating habits and overall health, even when weight is not a concern.

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Constipation

Supporting children and youth experiencing challenges with bowel habits.

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Feeding Challenges

This two-part workshop helps parents better understand feeding differences in neurodivergent children and offers practical, compassionate strategies to reduce mealtime stress. Parents will learn how to support nourishment, build routines, and foster a positive, trusting relationship with food—without pressure to change their child.

Learn more