Oakwood Academy is a unique school offering important opportunities for professionals to grow and understand child development like no other school in Canada can offer. At Oakwood, we believe that working together with families and a multi-disciplinary team of professionals helps to increase the success for both the students, and the families. We believe in working with a team that is fully invested in the health and happiness of children, youth and families and believe in making a difference every day! If you are interested in playing a proactive and positive role in pursuit of child development, we want you to be a part of our school. By implementing the DIRFloortime therapy model, we focus on building a child's development, supporting their individual differences, and help foster their relationships with others.

Are you able to see the big picture, along with the critical detail and understand how to work well with others? Do you have experience working with students with a variety of developmental, emotional and physical challenges? If so, consider applying your skills and experience to the School Support Position at Oakwood Academy. Oakwood supports your professional development by offering a dynamic workplace, challenging and rewarding work and opportunities to extend your education and build an exciting career!

As a School Support Staff your role will include

• Providing on-going support to improve the overall growth and development of children and families
• Must have the ability to work independently with students as well as students in a small group setting
• Collaborating with Developmental Therapists, Teachers, the Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, and Physiotherapist to support children's education and development.
• Willingness to continue education and certification in the field of child development required
• Communicating with families daily in order to build and maintain a provider-family collaborative approach
• Monitoring progress, daily planning and reporting

What Sets Us Apart? -Our commitment to continued development in service excellence and quality, innovation and team collaboration.

• Career stability and job security based on solid performance, knowledge of our organizational goals, positive engagement with our clients, and your interests opening up a wide variety of career paths within our growing organization.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, collaborative environment where you are encouraged to share your ideas
• Additional employment opportunities to earn additional income
• Opportunities to have extensive vacation periods throughout the year

Qualifications Required

• Strong knowledge and experience working with neurodivergent children, adolescence and young adults (ages of 3-18 years) including those with dual diagnoses, challenging behaviours, etc.
• Must have strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong ability to work in interdisciplinary health teams
• Demonstrate strong skills in taking initiative
• Demonstrate ability to cope and remain calm in stressful situations
• Ability to problem-solve in crisis situations
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Exceptional attendance, punctuality, and reliability
• Ability to be flexible with working with a variety of children with differing sensory profiles and individual differences
• Asset: Ministry approved Crisis intervention Training (e.g., UMAB, CPI, Safe Management)
• Asset: Background in psychology and/or child development (e.g., ECE, EA, CYC)

Experiences

• Strong analytical, organizational and problem solving skills
• Ability to understand and explain concepts to others
• Strong Microsoft Word software skills
• Ability to problem-solve in crisis situations
• Experience with teaching toileting skills, changing diapers/pull-ups, feeding skills
• Physically able to lift or transfer up to 80lbs
• Moderate to strong athleticism
• Program development, data collection, graphing, and report writing
• Asset: Minimum Beginner Level training and experience in DIR (or eligible)
• Asset: 1-3 year post-graduate experience supporting neurodivergent children in a school or clinical setting
• Asset: CPI or UMAB training

Job Types: Full-time Monday - Friday, Fixed term contract, Hourly or Salary

Benefits

• Casual dress
• Company events
• On-site parking
• Regular staff training and support opportunities
• Vacation breaks throughout the school year
• Additional work opportunities (i.e., extended care program, camp programs)