I am looking for a group to help my neurodiverse son or daughter successfully adapt to college life.
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, be independent, and build a supportive social network. For instance, you hope they will make friends and connect with 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 and 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 your child needs 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 and learn self-advocacy skills.
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.
Does this describe your neurodiverse son or daughter?
I have a child 17-24 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 Group" is the program for your child!
College Transition Group
Our College Transition Group is a 4-week summer intensive group that meets twice weekly.
This program is designed to support young adults (17-24 years old) who are preparing to apply for college, are transitioning to college, or who are current college students.
Students who have difficulty with social interactions or have an Asperger's profile or autism traits that are not always apparent to others will thrive in this summer program!
Our Group Curriculum
This social support group focuses on the development of social confidence and self-advocacy skills. Both sets of skills are important for young people to successfully adjust to college. Our social support 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! However, it's important to note that our groups don't support or teach masking. Our groups focus on fostering social confidence while remaining authentic to who you are. 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 confidence. Group members will support and encourage your son or daughter. Over the course of 4 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 California to young adults with autistic traits or social difficulties. The group will be offered online, and so California residents can attend from San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and other California cities.
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 hour online through our secure video chat platform.
Details About Our Summer Programs:
Duration:
- 4 weeks long (Usually starts 3rd week of June)
Days:
- 2 sessions per week (usually Tuesday & Thursday)
- Each session is 1 hour long
Time:
- Contact Open Doors Therapy for details
Location:
Offered online to California residents through our secure video teleconferencing app (Zoom).
Program Fee:
$2000 Program Fee* (fee for 4 weeks of group) - $1000 deposit required to reserve your spot. Then, the remainder of $1000 is due at the start of the program.
Intake evaluation is $450 for 90 mins and includes parent involvement. If client is a legal adult and does not include parent in intake evaluation, then intake fee is $300.
*We do not accept insurance. However, we can offer you a superbill that you would give to your insurance company, and they may reimburse you for some or all of the program cost.
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 Neurodiverse-Affirming Group in California
Ready to make the most of the Summer and set your young adult up for success in college? Through our Summer Program, your teen will build their social confidence and enter the next school year more prepared for college life. So, to get started with autism therapy in California, follow these steps:
- Contact our counseling clinic to schedule a free phone consultation.
- Attend an intake evaluation with an autism specialist from Dr. Tasha Oswald's clinical team. During the initial intake appointment, we will get to know your child and their needs, so we can make sure the group is a good fit for them.
- Enroll your child in the College Transition Group at Open Doors Therapy and give them the tools they need to be successful in college!
Other Resources for Neurodiverse Individuals & Families in California
Our San Francisco Bay Area mental health clinic focuses on supporting individuals with autistic traits. This includes individuals who identify as having Aspergers profile, undiagnosed autism traits, etc. and their families. More specifically, our services include individual counseling, parent counseling, and neurodiverse-affirming groups. Some of our support and educational groups include those for neurodiverse adults, autistic young adults, college students with autistic traits, working professionals, women who identify as neurodiverse, and gifted youth and caregivers, We offer a mother's group for mothers of autistic children looking for support and an online autism parent support group. We also offer online group therapy in the state of California. Additionally, I have been writing blogs on autism-related topics and resources in California. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today!