Social Coaching

Social Coaching is a program designed for young adults aged 16-25 years old is being offered with the goal of improving the social skills of individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome or Autism. The ultimate goal of the program is to enhance each individual’s educational and/or career potential.  Some of the areas of emphasis are: conversation skills, general social skills, self-advocacy, stress management, organization, problem solving, personal safety, time management, independence, and interdependence. The program format and curriculum emphasizes the development of social skills which are essential to effective transition planning toward individual life goals in areas such as employment, post-secondary education, social/recreational engagement and independent living.

Sessions are held weekly from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at various locations.  Our semesters run 12-15 weeks long depending on the semester.  Fall and winter classes are 15 weeks and spring and summer classes are 12 weeks.
Each session will be facilitated by trained professionals in small group settings including excursions into the community for practice of newly developed skills.

This program was developed because of the great need for services for individuals with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.  In Michigan there has been a 70% increase of Michigan students with an ASD eligibility label in the last 10 years, from 1990-2010.  Social Coaching is only one of the many services that can help individuals with an ASD. 

Many individuals on the autism spectrum “fall through the cracks” and are often not eligible for services.  This is true because they often present so many capabilities and their “social challenges” are not always recognized by the system as a large barrier to living a full and meaningful life, gainful employment, and community membership.   This group of individuals falls through the funding gaps and social coaching can help identify the social skills necessary to be successfully gainfully employed and a productive community member.  We do a pre-post assessment that identifies areas of social concern and areas of improvement for each individual that goes through the social coaching program.