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Group Services
In these groups, students learn to interact with others and widen their recreational interests while
also learning life skills. Safety of the student is foremost in all of our programs. We accept
students upon initial or suspected diagnosis and we do not dismiss our student at any age, even
after they graduate from high school. These programs run year round.
Social Skills Groups
These groups are designed for students who are ready for group instruction. Our groups utilize
an activity-based format with an emphasis on recreation and leisure skills, pragmatic language,
teamwork, and social skills. The purpose of our groups is to provide students with opportunities
to engage in age appropriate activities with their peers in order to enhance social skills. Social
outings and group projects are incorporated to teach life skills. Social outings might include going
to the movies, bowling, putt-putt golf, water-park, restaurants, and the North Beach boardwalk.
Group projects include gardening, washing the center's van, cleaning up the center's grounds
and Earth Day projects in April.
Our younger students learn to play with toys, be flexible, share, take turns, and respond to peers.
A typical schedule for a younger child would include free play, circle time, snack, sensory motor
skills/exercise, and partner & group games. We aim to teach self-help skills through daily life
activities. For example, our students take their shoes off when entering the building and put them
on when going outside for walks or playground activities. They are also taught basic self-care
skills by gathering their snack foods, pouring their own drinks, and cleaning up when they are
done eating.
Our older students focus on teamwork, cooperation, compromising, conversational skills, and
developing recreational interests. A typical schedule would include free time, a meet and greet
period, exercise, group games, and community skills. As they grow, community trips and service
learning projects become a more integral part of their group structure.
The size of our groups depends largely on the age and skill level of the student. Younger
students typically have smaller groups with 3-4 participants, whereas our middle and high school
groups may have 8-10 participants.
Recreation and Leisure Development Groups
To provide a continuum of services for our students, The Autism Project has created Recreation
and Leisure Development (RLD) Groups. These are run in a TEACCH format utilizing visual
schedules to focus on broadening the students’ recreational base. These students learn more
advanced social skills such as peer toleration, waiting patiently, following directions, making
requests verbally or with a communication system, using items functionally, and maintaining safe
behavior. The students participate in making snacks, neighborhood walks, art, games, puzzles,
exercise, calming choices (the kids choose an activity that is calming and quieting), and free
choice time (where the kids choose a play activity). Individual work stations are designed to teach
additional skills using toys, games, and recreational activities. As they progress, students take
community trips at the teachers’ discretion. These groups are usually small groups or dyads at
younger ages and increase in size as the students develop more skills.
Monthly Socials
Monthly socials are designed to provide additional age appropriate social opportunities for our
students to practice and apply their social skills. Socials are divided by age and additional adult
support is provided for students where appropriate. Socials may be used to supplement current
activities or to introduce something new. They may take place on our campus or out in the
community. The socials provide a lot of therapeutic value hidden inside a whole bunch of fun.
They initially work on flexibility because they are scheduled very different than a typical group
session, in order to learn to tolerate change. Combining groups offers an opportunity to
celebrate differences, because children are with peers of varying abilities. As well as offering
time to put the acquired skills learned at group to use in a practical setting; such as: self-
regulation, problem solving, pragmatic language and more. Those with restricted interests learn
to tolerate non-preferred activities in an appropriate manner, as well as learn to increase their
leisure awareness. Through various activities the socials provide opportunities to develop new
interests, learn new approaches to old skills and how to appropriately use leisure time. Every
social’s theme is different but the overall goals remain the same; to maintain, practice, and
improve social skills. We hope to strengthen interpersonal skills by encouraging participation in
activities that nurture social relationships to create a feeling of acceptance, self-confidence,
responsibility and more. All to challenge individuals to live as independent as possible and
enrich their quality of life. Examples of past socials include game days, parties, yoga, dances,
music nights, Tae Kwan Do, baking, water days, and going to movies.
Half Day Therapeutic Play Program
The Therapeutic Play Program (TPP) is a 1/2 day program designed for children ages 2 to 6 that
are displaying characteristics of Autism. This program will focus on the core deficits of autism so
that each child may improve upon their communication, social interaction, self-regulation and
behavior. The children participate in predetermined structured activities that are based on the
goals defined in their treatment plans. Pragmatic language, social skills, motor development, self
care skills, sensory regulation and play skills are emphasized throughout each 2 1/2 hour session.
Click Here For a Printable Brochure
In these groups, students learn to interact with others and widen their recreational interests while
also learning life skills. Safety of the student is foremost in all of our programs. We accept
students upon initial or suspected diagnosis and we do not dismiss our student at any age, even
after they graduate from high school. These programs run year round.
Social Skills Groups
These groups are designed for students who are ready for group instruction. Our groups utilize
an activity-based format with an emphasis on recreation and leisure skills, pragmatic language,
teamwork, and social skills. The purpose of our groups is to provide students with opportunities
to engage in age appropriate activities with their peers in order to enhance social skills. Social
outings and group projects are incorporated to teach life skills. Social outings might include going
to the movies, bowling, putt-putt golf, water-park, restaurants, and the North Beach boardwalk.
Group projects include gardening, washing the center's van, cleaning up the center's grounds
and Earth Day projects in April.
Our younger students learn to play with toys, be flexible, share, take turns, and respond to peers.
A typical schedule for a younger child would include free play, circle time, snack, sensory motor
skills/exercise, and partner & group games. We aim to teach self-help skills through daily life
activities. For example, our students take their shoes off when entering the building and put them
on when going outside for walks or playground activities. They are also taught basic self-care
skills by gathering their snack foods, pouring their own drinks, and cleaning up when they are
done eating.
Our older students focus on teamwork, cooperation, compromising, conversational skills, and
developing recreational interests. A typical schedule would include free time, a meet and greet
period, exercise, group games, and community skills. As they grow, community trips and service
learning projects become a more integral part of their group structure.
The size of our groups depends largely on the age and skill level of the student. Younger
students typically have smaller groups with 3-4 participants, whereas our middle and high school
groups may have 8-10 participants.
Recreation and Leisure Development Groups
To provide a continuum of services for our students, The Autism Project has created Recreation
and Leisure Development (RLD) Groups. These are run in a TEACCH format utilizing visual
schedules to focus on broadening the students’ recreational base. These students learn more
advanced social skills such as peer toleration, waiting patiently, following directions, making
requests verbally or with a communication system, using items functionally, and maintaining safe
behavior. The students participate in making snacks, neighborhood walks, art, games, puzzles,
exercise, calming choices (the kids choose an activity that is calming and quieting), and free
choice time (where the kids choose a play activity). Individual work stations are designed to teach
additional skills using toys, games, and recreational activities. As they progress, students take
community trips at the teachers’ discretion. These groups are usually small groups or dyads at
younger ages and increase in size as the students develop more skills.
Monthly Socials
Monthly socials are designed to provide additional age appropriate social opportunities for our
students to practice and apply their social skills. Socials are divided by age and additional adult
support is provided for students where appropriate. Socials may be used to supplement current
activities or to introduce something new. They may take place on our campus or out in the
community. The socials provide a lot of therapeutic value hidden inside a whole bunch of fun.
They initially work on flexibility because they are scheduled very different than a typical group
session, in order to learn to tolerate change. Combining groups offers an opportunity to
celebrate differences, because children are with peers of varying abilities. As well as offering
time to put the acquired skills learned at group to use in a practical setting; such as: self-
regulation, problem solving, pragmatic language and more. Those with restricted interests learn
to tolerate non-preferred activities in an appropriate manner, as well as learn to increase their
leisure awareness. Through various activities the socials provide opportunities to develop new
interests, learn new approaches to old skills and how to appropriately use leisure time. Every
social’s theme is different but the overall goals remain the same; to maintain, practice, and
improve social skills. We hope to strengthen interpersonal skills by encouraging participation in
activities that nurture social relationships to create a feeling of acceptance, self-confidence,
responsibility and more. All to challenge individuals to live as independent as possible and
enrich their quality of life. Examples of past socials include game days, parties, yoga, dances,
music nights, Tae Kwan Do, baking, water days, and going to movies.
Half Day Therapeutic Play Program
The Therapeutic Play Program (TPP) is a 1/2 day program designed for children ages 2 to 6 that
are displaying characteristics of Autism. This program will focus on the core deficits of autism so
that each child may improve upon their communication, social interaction, self-regulation and
behavior. The children participate in predetermined structured activities that are based on the
goals defined in their treatment plans. Pragmatic language, social skills, motor development, self
care skills, sensory regulation and play skills are emphasized throughout each 2 1/2 hour session.
Click Here For a Printable Brochure
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