DFW After School Program

[Guest guest]

For those in DFW who may be interested in an ABA-based after school program, see

the information below. This program is for children 6 - 13 with an autism,

asperger's or PDD-NOS dx. There are different classes now based on the

children's needs and functioning level. Contact information is at the bottom of

the email.

Dallas Ft. Worth Center for Autism

New Friends Program Expansion

The New Friends program was founded in September 1999 with the goal of

developing the social skills of high functioning children with autism. The

program uses an after-school program targeting the development of these vital

social skills through the use of a center-based approach to utilizing the

principles of applied behavioral analysis. This goal will be accomplished by use

of group outings in the community, special opportunities to interact with peers

and siblings, use of trained professionals to " coach " the children in their

social interactions, to provide a safe place for these children to come after

school and parent training. In July, the program will add one new site for

social skills training and one new site for leisure and play skills training for

lower functioning children with autism.

Group outings: Some of the groups go on weekly outings. These outings are

beneficial in addressing areas of generalization, which involve the maintenance

of skills across a variety of contexts, people, and settings. This also allows

new skills relating directly to the community to be practiced (e.g., ordering

food, tolerating noisy environments, etc.). The outings can occur at locations

where kids like to go such as friend's homes, arcades and skating rinks.

Peer/sibling days: Certain days are reserved for peers and/or siblings of the

children to be a part of the center. This allows an opportunity for the children

to " practice " their learned social skills in the company of new individuals.

This also provides an opportunity for us to keep up with the latest fads

circulating with adolescents.

Trained Professionals: ndale, M.S., BCBA oversees the New Friends

program. Each site has a program manager who is a graduate student from the

University of North Texas, Department of Behavior Analysis. These students have

received extensive training regarding behavioral principles and their

application in natural settings.

Safe Place: The New Friends program provides a safe and clean environment. The

After-School program is held at a local church building in donated space. The

ratio of teacher's to students is typically 1:2, and the group is generally

required to stay together at all times (unless one-on-one time is necessary).

Parent Training: This component is critical to reinforcing skills gained at the

Center so they will not be lost at home. Parents are able to learn specific

principals, skills and techniques for supporting the development of their child.

The Scope of the New Friends Program

1. Social Skills Training Group -This program is designed to meet the needs of

high-functioning autistic, Asperger's Syndrome or PDD-NOS diagnosed school-aged

children. Children will be " clustered by common age group, i.e., 6-7 year olds,

8-10 year olds and 11-13 year olds. Each cluster will contain 3-4 children and

these clusters will grow together throughout the years. For example, the first 3

children who began this program together have been together for 3 ½ years. This

clustering has allowed for the development of great friendships between these

children. Quite often, the traditional school curriculum pays little attention

to the development of leisure and social/friendship skills although these skills

are the foundation of abilities that are highly valued throughout both child and

adulthood (e.g., teamwork skills, conflict management, hobbies, independent and

social play interactions, etc.). The overriding priority in the after school

Social Skills Training Group is to teach the skills necessary to develop and

maintain true friendships. Social skills training from learning how to enter an

ongoing interaction to conflict resolution (compromise, negotiation, etc.) are

emphasized. As the children enter adolescence, vocational skills are taught to

aid the child into becoming an important member of his or her community.

2. Leisure Skills Training Group This group was developed to meet the needs of

non-verbal children that require additional support to teach both independent

and interactive skills. First, although children on the spectrum are often

involved in highly structured situations, problems often arise during " down

time " or contexts in which adults are unable to directly lead interactions. This

is one reason why it is necessary to teach individuals the skills necessary to

appropriately engage in leisure related activities (e.g., puzzles, coloring,

theme related play activities, arts and crafts, etc.). Second, these independent

play/leisure skills often serve as a basis for teaching joint interactive skills

such as turn taking and joining on-going interactions. Third, for those children

that are non-verbal, alternative methods of communication must be developed and

taught so that these children can interact with his or her peers.

3. Program Specifics

Hours of Operation - Children attend the program 3 days per week after school.

The hours are from 3:15 PM - 6:00 PM.

Approach to Treatment -Every program is tailored to each individual child's

need. These procedures are developed based on information collected via data and

through the observations of professionals overseeing the program. The center

utilizes data based procedures, which provide empirical information as to

program efficacy. All procedures are based on behavior analytical principles.

The program uses directed small group interaction to develop the social behavior

of the children according to their need. In these sessions, children receive

opportunities to contact impertinent contingencies, or be given necessary

instructions from trained therapists on how to interact with their peers.

Partnerships and Collaborations - Partnerships are critical to the success of

the program. A collaboration with the Dept. of Behavioral Analysis at the

University of North Texas has been established for the program. The partnership

assists the program through technical support and providing graduate students to

work in the program.

Locations -

10-13 year olds - Social Skills Training Argyle, United Methodist Church, (about

15 minutes south of the University of North Texas.

6-8 year olds, Social Skills Training, Carrollton, DFW Church of Christ.

6-8 year olds, Leisure Skills Training, Carrollton, DFW Church of Christ.

For More Information

Contact Kenny Schuster at the DFW Center for Autism

(214) 731-0410

kenny_schuster@...