EDUCATION SPECTRUM PROGRAMS
Our unique blend of community-based programs implement research-based intervention techniques
Through our innovative programs, Education Spectrum's support community fosters the social, emotional, behavioral, communicative, and learning potential of neurodiverse individuals.
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Adult Support Groups
Vendor #PP4824, Service Code 605
Make Friends! A safe place to make meaningful connections.
Our Adult Social Support Groups are designed to prepare adults with high-functioning Autism and related disorders, to deal effectively and independently with the increasing demands of navigating adulthood and independence.
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Each Adult Group fosters connections and focuses on relevant areas specific to the needs and age-range of the group.
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Groups typically meet weekly on-site and schedule various community outings.
Some topics we address in our Adult Support groups:
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Having conversations and listening to others
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Understanding the importance of how other’s think (Theory of Mind)
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Learning to change your behavior based upon other’s reactions to you
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Friendship – Deciding who to choose as a friend, how to maintain friendships, and how to handle disagreements
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Dating – How to recognize if someone is interested in you, how to make or accept an initial approach, dealing with sexuality and sexual issues
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Grooming and Hygiene
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Job Skills – How to decide what job to seek out, going on interviews, skills needed to keep a job
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Money management skills
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Independent living skills
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Compromising and flexibility
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Channeling special interests
Adult Support groups are designed for clients who have graduated from high school. Clients must be fully verbal and able to function independently in a group setting with a 1:10 participant to staff ratio. They should also have expressed interest in working on at least one or two of the skills listed above and be able to commit to weekly attendance in the program.
Youth Social Support Groups
Vendor #PP4921, Service Code 028
In order to be successful and function to their full capacity at home, in the community, at school and in relationships, neurodiverse individuals need to learn social skills in a structured and nurturing environment.
Our curriculum is drawn from both published and evidence-based practices and specifically designed by the Education Spectrum staff. The groups consists primarily of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The goal for every child or teen is to help them reach their full social potential and develop the tools necessary to establish relationships, communicate more effectively with their family, peers and society as a whole thereby enriching their lives and preparing them for adulthood.
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Social skills groups typically meet on-site weekly and schedule various community outings.
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The Social Skills Training Program is designed to facilitate social development in the core areas of:
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Joint Attention and Social Referencing
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Understanding how Others Think and Feel
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Being Able to Communicate with Others Effectively
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Knowing Which Behaviors are Expected and Acceptable in Different Situations
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Developing and Maintaining Friendships
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Problem-solving/Conflict Resolution
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Community Engagement
While goals are tailored to meet each child’s individual needs, the list below highlights some of the skills we address:
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Understanding eye gaze and eye contact
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Understanding non-verbal communication
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Understanding emotions
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Developing social thinking (theory of mind) / Inferencing
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Levels of friendship / Friendship skills
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Conversational skills
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Expected and unexpected behaviors
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Sportsmanship / Turn Taking
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Flexibility in thinking and problem solving
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Dealing with frustration and anger
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Appropriate self-advocacy
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Independent skills for the transition into adulthood
Youth Social Support Groups are designed for clients who are fully verbal and able to function independently in a group setting with a 1:10 participant to staff ratio. They should also have expressed interest in working on at least one or two of the skills listed above and be able to commit to weekly attendance in the program.
