Our “Girls Night Out” program fosters effective interpersonal communication skills, social development and positive self esteem among girls ages 9-17 during recreational field trip activities.

Specific competencies sharpened during this program include:

• compromise and negotiation in social situations
• problem solving within functional contexts
• sustaining conversations with one or more peers
• monitoring and altering behaviors to fit social situations

Beauty salon activities, movie nights, and dinner clubs are just a few examples of the group’s community adventures.  Outings are scheduled monthly and typically last for two hours.

We feel it is important to teach our students to become more efficient social thinkers BEFORE we can ask them to produce an appropriate social behavior.  Adapted from Michelle Garcia Winner and Stephanie Madrigal's work, The Autism Project’s Social Thinking Academy teaches participants to become more efficient at social thinking and understand social skills. Participants are taught necessary skills for monitoring their own behaviors, taking on another individual’s perspective, thinking flexibly and understanding emotions.

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking: teaches communication competency for children ages 14 and up

Social Detective Agency: offered for children ages 10-15;

The Superhero Academy: offered for children ages 5-12.

Move and Groove  (aimed at ages 4-10)

Leaps and Bounds (aimed at ages 4-10)

Designed for "emerging social thinkers," this social group is led by trained professionals to teach group dynamics, joint attention, social rules/expectations, how to engage in shared experiences, and how to foster positive peer relations. The program introduces Social Thinking concepts and vocabulary to participants including social stories, schedules, cue cards, physical boundaries and scripts to enhance meaning and promote generalization of skills.

Club Jr. Life Strategies (aimed at ages 10-18)

Participants will learn life skills in a highly structured setting.

Independent skills will be the focus using hands-on activities. Participants will practice being part of a group (listening to others, expressing independent thoughts, and following instruction) while gaining exposure to varied leisure activities, including arts & crafts, cooking, and games. Participants will also learn how to be an intregral member of a community group. This group is designed for kids between 10 and 18 years of age.

Club Jr. (aimed at ages 10-14)

In Harmony: Music Rocks (Ages 6 – 16)

Ages 6-9 Music Makers

Ages 9-12 Drumming

Music, which activates a different part of the brain than speech, has been demonstrated to be an effective channel for addressing some of the core deficits of autism, including expressive communication and self-regulation capacity.

The Autism Project’s “In Harmony: Music Rocks” program uses music as a medium to promote children’s receptive and expressive communication, understanding of emotions, body regulation, and social interactions.

The program is co-facilitated by a teacher from the RI Philharmonic Music School and a licensed clinician, and it incorporates individual objectives for each participant and specialized ASD strategies into a meaningful sensory environment.

This group is held at the RI Philharmonic Music School, 667 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914. The building is the site of the old Meeting Street School. 

Curtain Call (Aimed at ages 10 – 16)

Program Goals

Our “Curtain Call” social group uses theatre as a medium to promote expressive communication, regulation of emotions, and social interactions.  Co-facilitated by a teaching artist from the Trinity Repertory Company and a licensed clinician, the program incorporates individual objectives for each participant and specialized ASD strategies to help adolescents and teens learn, communicate, and build self esteem.

Activity Details

Each class is packed with activities that use the imagination, the body, and the voice. Silly warm-ups encourage laughter and camaraderie while readying the vocal chords and addressing gross motor skills. Fun improvisation games require role play, conversation initiation, and partner work. Comedic and dramatic scenes and short plays will allow the participants to perform in a safe, supportive environment.

The progress of each participant is monitored weekly and a Progress Report is completed and mailed to parents at the end of the session.

The Club and The Club -- Just Dance! (Aimed at ages 14-19)

The Club is a safe and engaging place for teens to become integral members of a group as they discuss and participate in community trips. Participants learn social communication skills required to foster friendships, and they learn appropriate social rules for effective interactions (interrupting, compromising, negotiating and listening). For one group it may be restaurant manners, for others it may be dating. Conversations and leisure interests are enhanced and promoted by facilitators.

The Club --Just Dance! offers the opporunity to learn popular dances often featured at Proms, birthdays and weddings while working on social and communication goals described above.

Teen Talk (Aimed at ages 14-17)

The emphasis of this group is to help young teens in their understanding of relationships and the development of social judgment.  It is designed to assist young people in identifying, coping with, and appropriately expressing thoughts and feelings regarding the many confusing social concerns bombarding them in their day to day lives. The opportunity for repetition of concepts and rehearsal of the associated behaviors is built into a safe, judgment-free environment  led by trusted adults, where

participants are able to share fears, anxieties, questions and concerns.  The many topics covered in this group range from friendships, boundary issues, relationships, saftey concerns, peer acceptance and rejection. Separate groups are held for males and females.

Through special funding from Bailey’s Team, we are facilitating a club for young adults with Asperger’s.  This group provides opportunities for the participants to meet and talk about issues that are important to them, such as peer relationships, work, family, and life goals within the structure of a Social Thinking curriculum. 

For more info on our session beginning January 19, 2012, read our flyer.

Coffee Talk registration form