Skill Builder Program

Our mission is to offer children and youth:

  • the opportunity to feel heard, cared for, and build confidence
  • exposure to an activity or area of interest
  • support strategies based on individual needs and abilities
  • extra time to develop skills that have been personally challenging
  • guidance to break tasks into smaller, more achievable steps

We offer inclusive programming. If your child would benefit from one-on-one support and/or is eligible for aide support (i.e. FSCD), we ask caregivers to make arrangements and notify our Programs Director (jhoward@tricocentre.ca) in advance.

 


I am so glad that I signed Ryker up for the Executive Functioning Skillbuilder Program at the Trico Centre. I admit that I was skeptical at first.  My son was born prematurely and has a number of delays as a result.  At age 6, we are also dealing with a new diagnosis of severe ADHD.

When I stumbled upon the Skillbuilder programs, I was intrigued.  However, I worried that Ryker wouldn’t get much out of them.  First off, I wondered how they could make executive functioning skillbuilding fun and engaging.  Moreover, with Ryker’s delays and him being at the young end of the 6-9 year old class, I worried that he would be unable to participate fully.  Ryker has never been able to participate in formal programs or class settings…

Spring / Summer Skill Builder Programs

4-5 Year Olds

Skill Builder: Fine Motor Skill Development (4-5 yrs)

This targeted program helps build confidence and independence! Giving children extra time to practice using small muscles in their hands, wrists, and fingers. Fine motor practice helps with buttoning, zippering, drawing, coloring, tying shoelaces, brushing, and flossing teeth. Children will play with fine motor manipulatives and practice hand strengthening exercises.

6-8 Year Olds

Skill Builder: Executive Functioning Strategies (6-7 yrs)

Does your child need help following directions, staying on task, keeping organized, and managing time? This program is aimed at helping strengthen skills through games, activities, and introduction of strategies. Executive Functioning skills can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time.

Skill Builder: Social Skills (6-7 yrs)

Engaging lessons that support children around building and maintaining friendships. Through activities and role playing, children will explore feelings, coping skills, what it means to be a friend, how to join play, communication skills, and problem solving strategies.

Skill Builder: Self-Regulation Strategies (6-7 yrs)

A safe welcoming space for children to learn about feelings, body clues, and ways to calm when having big feelings. Tools and strategies will be introduced as each child builds their own personalized ‘calm-down box’.

Skill Builder: Fine Motor Skill Development (6-8 yrs)

This targeted program helps build confidence and independence! Giving children extra time to practice using small muscles in their hands, wrists, and fingers. Fine motor practice helps with buttoning, zippering, drawing, coloring, tying shoelaces, brushing, and flossing teeth. Children will play with fine motor manipulatives and practice hand strengthening exercises.

8-10 Year Olds

Skill Builder: Connect / Interactive Board Games (8-10 yrs)

Come to Trico Friday nights and meet in our Connect Hub! A great opportunity to make new friendships, connect weekly, explore interests, and play a variety of interactive / co-operative games.

Skill Builder: Executive Functioning Strategies (8-10 yrs)

Does your child need help following directions, staying on task, keeping organized, and managing time? This program is aimed at helping strengthen skills through games, activities, and introduction of strategies. Executive Functioning skills can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time.

Skill Builder: Self-Regulation Strategies (8-10 yrs)

A safe welcoming space for children to learn about feelings, body clues, and ways to calm when having big feelings. Tools and strategies will be introduced as each child builds their own personalized ‘calm-down kit’.

Skill Builder: Social Skills (8-10 yrs)

Engaging lessons that support children around building and maintaining friendships. Through activities and role playing, children will explore feelings, coping skills, what it means to be a friend, how to join play, communication skills, and problem solving strategies.

9-11 Year Olds

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Badminton 9-11 yrs)

Our recreational BADMINTON program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Connect / Interactive Board Games (9-12 yrs)

Come to Trico Friday nights and meet in our Connect Hub! A great opportunity to make new friendships, connect weekly, explore interests, and play a variety of interactive / co-operative games.

Non-Competitive Sports

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Soccer 6-8 yrs)

Our recreational SOCCER program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Soccer 9-12 yrs)

Our recreational SOCCER program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Volleyball 6-8 yrs)

Our recreational VOLLEYBALL program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Volleyball 9-11 yrs)

Our recreational VOLLEYBALL program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Volleyball 12-14 yrs)

Our recreational VOLLEYBALL program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Badminton 9-11 yrs)

Our recreational BADMINTON program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

Skill Builder: Non-Competitive Sports (Badminton 12-14 yrs)

Our recreational BADMINTON program supports children physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Providing children with the opportunity to be part of a group, learn fundamental movement skills, exercise, build confidence, and have fun!

continued…

His first class blew me away!  My husband and I sat outside the class waiting for Ryker to escape (which is his usual MO).  It didn’t happen.  Not only that, we peeked in and he was SITTING CALMLY, and actually PARTICIPATING in the activities!  This may sound unimpressive to most parents, but for the parents of a kiddo with severe executive processing issues, this was astounding.  I have literally never seen him so engaged in any formalized activity.

The teacher is phenomenal.  She truly understands neurodivergence and how to adapt programming to suit the neurodiverse brain.   Each kid gets exactly what he or she needs.

The activities they do have a clear connection to lifelong skills that can help kids navigate life with executive functioning differences.  Executive functioning is a learned skill, just like any other.  Some kiddos seem to be naturally programmed to learn those skills easily while others need to work harder.  This program gives kids the tools to succeed.

I took the opportunity to sit in on a class one time when Ryker was having a particularly dysregulated day and even I felt like I had learned new skills.  I think the Skillbuilder programs are likely to pique the interest of parents with neurodiverse children, but really every parent of neurotypical children should sign their kids up too.  We love to complain that the education system fails to teach many of the “soft skills” needed to be a high-achiever, but Trico is finally doing it!

I am excited to sign Ryker up for more Skillbuilder programs in the future.

– Christine