I am looking for a summer social skills group to help my college-bound son or daughter successfully transition to college life.
The transition to college can be an exciting time of life. However, it also includes changes in routine, less structure, greater stress, demands on self-advocacy skills, and potential disconnection from loved ones. As parents, you want to see your child successfully adapt to college.
You have concerns about your child’s ability to advocate for themselves and be independent. For instance, you hope they will build a supportive social network of trusted friends and college staff. But, you remember the difficulty they had making friends in high school. You don’t want them to have the same struggles in college. Perhaps, you’re worried because they still rely on you to help them advocate & navigate difficult situations.
In high school, you attended IEP meetings or intervened with e-mails and calls to the schools sometimes. Basically, you were your child’s number one supporter. However, you know they’ll need to advocate for themselves in college. Our Summer Program is a way that you can help your child adapt to the changes that come with college. While there are a lot of things you can’t do for your child as they transition to college (attend classes with them, intervene with roommate problems, have regular chats with professors), encouraging them to attend our Summer Program is one thing you can offer as a parent. We help make the transition away from a parent playing that advocacy role to being able to advocate to themselves.
Does this describe your Autistic son or daughter?
I have an autistic child 16-20 years old who:
- has difficulty reading social cues
- wants to make friends
- wants to successfully adapt to college
- needs to learn how to self-advocate
- wants to be independent
- has autism traits that are not always apparent to others
Then the “College Transition – Summer Social Skills Group” is the program for your child!
College Transition – Summer Social Skills Group
Our College Transition – Summer Social Skills Group is a 5-week summer intensive group that meets twice weekly.
This program is designed to support young adults (16-20 years old) who are preparing to apply for college, are transitioning to college, or have been at college for 1-2 years.
Students who have difficulty with social interactions or have autism traits that are not always apparent to others will thrive in this summer program!
Our Social Skills Curriculum
This social skills group focuses on the development of social communication skills and self-advocacy skills. Both sets of skills are important for young people to successfully adjust to college. Our social skills group provides helpful strategies to improve conversational and active listening skills. Furthermore, participants learn strategies to find and maintain friends with shared interests and to manage social anxiety and stress. This program will help prepare your youth to communicate with professors and other college staff, to identify and advocate for their needs, and to increase independence throughout their college career.
Will Social Skills be practiced in the group?
Absolutely! This group gives your teenager or young adult the opportunity to practice the social skills they are learning every time we meet! In the group, your child will get to know other college-bound students who are also working on increasing their independence and social skills. Group members will support and encourage your son or daughter. Over the course of 5 weeks, students will get to know each other in a safe setting with the support of a highly-trained autism therapist. Therefore, the group itself gives your child an opportunity to have a positive experience in a social setting!
We are excited to offer our group as a resource in the San Francisco Bay Area to young adults with autistic traits or social difficulties. We feel the summer is the perfect time to focus on learning the skills that will help them start next school year off on the right foot. Furthermore, these skills will help them maintain that success throughout their college career!
The group consists of up to 8 students and meets twice weekly for 1.5 hours at our Palo Alto office autism therapy clinic.
Details About Our 2019 Summer Program:
Duration:
5 weeks (June 18 to July 19, 2019)
2 sessions/week, each session is 2 hours long
Days/Times:
To be determined
Location:
Open Doors Therapy
260 Sheridan Ave Ste B10
Palo Alto CA 94306
Program Fee:
$250 Intake Evaluation
$2000 Program Fee* (fee for 5 weeks of group) – $1000 deposit required to reserve your spot. Then, the remainder of $1000 is due at the start of the program.
*Unfortunately, this college transition social skills training program is not covered by insurance.
Best of the Blog: College Student Series:
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The College Student Series: Accommodations and Assistance for Autistic College Students
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College Student Series: How to Talk to Your Professor About Your Autism
Enroll Your Teen in a Summer Social Skills Grop in the South Bay Area
Ready to make the most of the Summer and set your young adult up for success in college? Through our 2019 Summer Program, your teen will enhance their social skills, increase their confidence and enter the next school year more prepared for college life. So, to get started with autism therapy in Palo Alto, follow these steps:
- Contact our counseling clinic to schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation,
- Attend a 1.5 hour diagnostic evaluation with autism specialist Dr. Tasha Oswald. During the initial intake appointment, Dr. Oswald will get to know your child and their needs, so she can make sure the group is a good fit for them.
- Enroll your child in the summer social skills group at Open Doors Therapy and give them the tools they need to be successful in college!
Other Resources for Neurodiverse Individuals & Families in the Bay Area
Our San Francisco Bay Area mental health clinic focuses on supporting individuals with autistic traits. This includes individuals who identify as having Aspergers, high functioning autism, undiagnosed autism traits, etc. and their families. More specifically, our services include individual counseling, parent counseling, and social skills groups. Some of our support and educational groups include those for adults with high-functioning autism, autistic young adults, college students with autistic traits, neurodiverse adults, working professionals, women who identify as neurodiverse, and neurodiverse youth & caregivers. We also offer a mother’s group for mothers of autistic children looking for support. Additionally, I have been writing blogs on autism-related topics and resources in the Bay Area. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today!