Social & Community Activities for Life Experiences

Watson's SCALE ESY program is specifically designed for adolescents in their transition years who are currently participatiing in Autistic Support and Life Skills curriculums.  The SCALE program offers a "hands-on" approach to developing social skills and promoting successful functioning in the community.

The summer months often result in too much idle time, increasing the liklihood of regression in skills. SCALE provides an appropriate forum for maintaining and developing skills during the summer months and includes an array of social, life skills, community and vocatinal components.  Social activities will include relevant social skills training, age appropriate recreation and leisure activities both indoor and outdoor.  Life-skills experiences will focus on functional daily living skills through community outings, preparing menus and snacks, grocery shopping, money management, and self-care lessons.  Students will practice job readiness and pre-vocational skills both on the campus as well as in the community.  Students will have the opportunity to volunteer daily at a local plant nursery in Wexford to experience a real work environment.

Parents, school personnel and community service providers will collaborate in developing detailed goals and objectives for each teen's program.  Specially trained staff will carry out those plans through structured teaching opportunities and facilitated participation in age-appropriate activities and community outings.

SCALE will run for 5 weeks from June 28 - July 30, 2010. There will be no session on Monday, July 5 in observance of the holiday.  The hours are from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.  Students will meet at the Gatehouse on The Watson Institute's main campus in Sewickley.  Program costs may be covered through a participating school district or families may pay tuition.

For more information call Leslie Corey, Community Based Instruction Services Coordinator, at 412-749-2881 or email her at lesliec@thewatsoninstitute.org.