Dating101 for Adults

🌹 Confident Connections Start Here

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👥 Learn how to date with confidence and safety.

A 9-week group helping you build real-world skills to express interest, set boundaries, understand consent, and navigate healthy relationships with confidence.

A safe and welcoming space to practice real-life dating skills, build confidence, and form meaningful connections. Participants will build real-world skills to express interest, set boundaries, understand consent, and navigate healthy relationships with confidence.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ The difference between friendships, dating, and romantic relationships

✅ What consent looks and sounds like

✅ How to express interest or boundaries clearly

✅ Personal hygiene and how to prepare for a date

✅ What makes a relationship healthy (and what doesn’t)

✅ How to stay safe when meeting new people

Who Should Join?

🧑 Adults 18+ with autism or intellectual disabilities

🗣️ Interested in dating, friendships, or relationships

👥 Able to participate in a group setting with minimal support

📍Located in Durham Region or able to attend in-person sessions

Why Join

💬 Build confidence in talking about dating and relationships

🔄 Practice skills using visual tools and real-life scenarios

🛡️ Learn to protect your rights and set clear boundaries

💞 Feel included in conversations about connection and consent

🧭 Get step-by-step guidance in a structured, respectful space

🛠️ Everyone deserves tools for safe, fulfilling relationships.

Program Details

📅 Virtual Parent/Mediator Training: Week of February 23, 2026

🗓️ Client Sessions: Week of March 2 to April 27, 2026

⏰ Schedule: Weekly dates and times TBD

📍 Location: 900 Hopkins St.TBD Unit 8, Whitby, ON. L1N 6A9

💰 Cost: FREE with DSO Referral / $854.20 without

Registration through the DSO

For DSO-eligible clients residing in the Durham Region make a referral through Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) at 1-855-277-2121. 

Register by February 16, 2026

Fee: FREE

Due to capacity limits, making a referral through the DSO does not guarantee a spot until Lake Ridge has confirmed your registration.

Contact the DSO

Fee Based Registration

For non-DSO eligible clients or those residing outside of the Durham Region, a group fee applies. Book a call with the Service Navigator here. 

Register by February 9, 2026

Fee: $854.20

Contact Natalie Driscoll for more information: Call 343-227-6822 or email adultgroups@lrcss.com

Eligibility

Participants must be 18 years and older with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID) or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Individual Skill Requirements

Joint attention skills • Discrimination skills • Echoic skills • Motor imitation skills • Ability to follow common 1-step instructions • Participate in session with limited caregiver assistance • Safety concerns and challenging behaviour are low and/or caregivers are able to safely manage any challenging behaviour.

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