A safe and realistic approach is taken in order to:

• Build confidence
• Learn critical life and social skills
• Develop awareness and respect for self and others
• Learn to take responsibility for their actions both as individuals and as a group
• Develop relationships and making friends

This approach continues during our Summer Social Skills Immersion Program, a 6-week intensive program that runs from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday.

In our Clinical Educational Support Program, FOCUS Center for Autism works with school systems to help children whose social and emotional needs are interfering with their ability to function in a traditional classroom setting.

Educational Support Program is woven throughout each day (Monday-Friday) and can offer several options for children ranging from age 5 to 18.

• The first option is our Day Program which runs from 9am-12pm/3pm. This program acts as a child’s primary school until the clinical needs that have interfered with a child’s ability to attend their traditional school have been met.
• We also offer academic support in our Mid Day Program which runs from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. Children in this program attend their normal school in the morning and come to FOCUS for the second part of the day. FOCUS staff work with school systems to meet each child’s academic needs by teaching the school’s curriculum and utilizing related educational material.
• In addition, an optional academic support/homework component runs until 4:00pm. This support is available to children who attend the 3:00pm to 6:00pm After School

The FOCUS Clinical Educational Support Program is designed to address individual clinical needs, incorporate personal learning styles and offer the individual and small group support necessary to help transition children back to their school systems.

The FOCUS After-School program runs from 3pm-6pm Monday-Friday. This is a clinical program that teaches critical life skills while at the same time provides ample opportunity for social learning. This program is the core of the FOCUS community with up to 60 children attending each week. It is the place where children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders come to feel accepted and where they can form the bonds that last a life time. This was the first FOCUS program and it has become the peer culture that is so often missing in their lives. It is also the place where children and staff learn from each other. There is no other program like this anywhere and it forms the basis for all FOCUS programs.