Wellness Classroom Facilitator

Overview
**Department**: WELLNESS
**Reports to**: Senior Director, Occupational Therapy, Arts, Wellness, Education & Advocacy
**Job Type & Duration**: Part Time, Permanent
**Hours**: up to 9 hours/week
**Salary**: $30/hour
About SAAAC Autism Centre
The SAAAC Autism Centre is a Toronto-based charity whose mission is to make autism services equitable for all Canadians. The Centre provides culturally responsive autism services targeting culturally and linguistically diverse families. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, our Centre offers a dynamic range of services that support the development of individuals on the autism spectrum at all life stages, along with their caregivers.
Your Role on Our Team
The Wellness Classroom Facilitator will assist in planning and implementing inclusive fitness classes that engage and empower autistic individuals. Working closely with the Wellness Program Coordinator, the Classroom Facilitator will plan, implement, monitor, and modify meaningful programming targeted to each participant’s unique needs. This role is ideal for someone passionate about fitness, committed to supporting neurodivergent individuals, and skilled in maintaining an organized group environment.
Main Responsibilities
1)Classroom Support & Behavioural Management
- In conjunction with the Program Coordinator, guides volunteers and assists in managing challenging behaviours to ensure a safe and positive environment.
- Completes a daily behaviour log, tracking the antecedents, behaviour, and consequences to promote problem-solving for an inclusive but safe environment in the face of challenging behaviours.

2)Class Setup & Cleanup
- Collect and set up materials before the class.
- Monitor and maintain equipment to ensure it is safe for use.
- Follow SAAAC Infection & Control protocols, cleaning materials and equipment after the class.

3)Class planning.
- Structure lesson plans to include essential elements such as a warm up, fitness component, and cool down.
- Identifies materials and resources needed to facilitate lesson plans.

4)Class Facilitation.
- Demonstrates exercises with correct form to minimize risk of injury using exaggerated movements, gestures, and sounds to support the needs of autistic learners.
- Maintains a positive, engaging disposition while interacting with participants. Utilizes creative strategies to gain the attention of young, autistic learners before providing instruction or modelling.
- Modifies verbal communication to include gestures, sounds, exaggerated modelling, visual cues, etc., to support the needs of autistic learners.
- Monitors participants’ form, flagging the need for modifications and providing appropriate modifications as needed, to ensure proper form and prevent injuries.
- With participant consent, offers hands on correction whilst coaching volunteers how to prompt and support effectively.

5)Stakeholder education.
- Educates volunteers, participants, and caregivers on health and fitness, providing additional resources as needed.
- Demonstrates enthusiasm, helping participants and caregivers develop a positive attitude toward fitness and life-long health habits.

6)Data Collection & Tracking
- Completes, or instructs volunteers to complete, a daily attendance log.
- Complete, or instruct volunteers to complete, daily tracking logs to track participant process and assist with planning subsequent classes and evaluations.
- Modifies program to grade goals up or down as participants achieve them.

**Required Skills**:

- Experience working with children with ASD is an asset.
- Satisfactory current Vulnerable Sector Check.
- Knowledge of fitness program planning and class facilitation for children with special needs, including knowledge of atypical development.
- Knowledge of behaviour management strategies.
- Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate activities and experiences to meet individual and group needs of all children.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment as well as independently.
- Conflict resolution and problem-solving.

**Qualifications**:

- Personal Training Certification required.
- A Diploma in Early Childhood Education from an accredited college or university and a member in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Educators OR BA in Child Studies with 1-2 years of relevant experience, including working with families, school staff, and children with special needs preferred. Will consider recent graduates.
- 1 to 2 years’ experience working with neurodivergent children and youth preferred.