top of page
Student Led Environment - Innovating Autism Care

What is it? A Student-Led Environment (SLE), an innovative education & practice training model. Our SLE is called - SLED-VAST - SLED VAST stands for Student-Led Environments to Deliver Virtual Autism Supports for Wait-times.

​

The goals? SLED-VAST is a) building capacity in the next generation of clinicians who will be supporting children and families within the Ontario Autism Program; and b) filling gaps within the current systems and creating innovative tools and programs to enhance the current system. 

(Visit our Action section for more.)

Why is SLED-VAST important? Student-Led Environments (SLEs) are an efficient, effective, and evidence-informed education solution to system and workforce capacity pressures. 

​

​

Speech Therapist_edited.jpg

Who is involved?

Co-led by the Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE), University of Toronto, and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, in partnership with:

  • George Jeffries Children’s Centre

  • FIREFLY Physical, Emotional, Developmental, and Community Services

  • NOSM University

  • McMaster University

  • UHN’s The Institute for Education Research (TIER)

  • Western University

Please see the full SLED-VAST Consortium list here.

Facilitation team:

  • Amanda Binns, PhD, SLP - CCC Reg. CASLPOFarah Friesen, MI. and Holland Bloorview Family as Faculty Alifa Khan and Gunjan Seth,

​

​

Funded by the OAP Workplace Capacity Fund.

​

(ADD IMAGE) 

​

SLEs have shown promising results in cost reduction, patient satisfaction rates, and student learning outcomes 

 (Oosterom 2019).

Minister Award_edited.jpg

The SLED-VAST Student Led environment Education Program received the Ministry of Colleges and Universities' 2021/2022 Minister's Awards of Excellence in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario's Students

Neurodiversity-focused Education, Support, Training

 Interested in learning more, piloting or partnering? Contact Amanda Binns & Farah Friesen at SLED-VAST@utoronto.ca 

ontario-logo--desktop.png
CACHE 2 line logo w acro.jpg
hb-logo.png
TIER-logo-full-2019.jpg
NOSM U — ENG — Blue 2.png
logo-uhn-not tier.png
University_of_Toronto-Logo.png
McMaster.png
Western University.png
George Jeffrey.png
FIREFLY-LOGO-1.png

Thank you to our partners

© 2023 SLED-VAST. Website powered by Bright by Design Inc and Wix

bottom of page