Working with teens and adults involves an assessment of their needs as we look towards transition and, for some, self-sufficient living.  We strive to create programs that would improve quality of life, increase chances at gainful employment, and help to strengthen independence skills in self-advocacy and self-care.

Some of the skills we focus upon are as follows:

Activities of Daily Living: We break these skills into smaller parts so that individuals can learn at a rate in which they can be successful.  It is important for us to plan for generalization of these skills across environments.

Self-Management: Organization of personal items and independent creation of schedules allow for successful job readiness in individuals.

Leisure Skills: Self-stimulatory and self-injurious behavior can be stigmatizing at an employment site.  Improved independence in age-appropriate leisure skills, in addition to improved expressive language, can help decrease the incidence of these socially inappropriate behaviors.

Self-Advocacy: Improved requesting is a skill that can decrease the chance of negative behaviors at job sites and in the community.  This is a skill that can help include individuals in more independent social experiences.

Social Skills: When we are talking about social skills in adults, we are looking at the skills that would support successful interactions both inside and outside of the home.  Some of these skills include eye contact, responding politely to directions, greetings and decreased self-stimulatory behavior.