Friendship Matters

It’s not only important to us for our participants to learn to be in the world, but also for community members to learn to accept and embrace our participants. A critical component of the program is to ensure self-determination and collaborative problem solving, as the adolescent is transitioning into adulthood and the adult is preparing for independent living.

Some of the activities include visiting teen centers, shopping malls, and parks, racing go-karts, seeing movies, and going to restaurants — all under the guidance of dynamic social skills coaches — participants can improve their social skills, develop lasting friendships, and enjoy a crucial sense of acceptance and belonging.

Both groups offer a 1:6 staff to participant ratio and require preregistration and admission to the program prior to attendance and are open to all WAAA members. We welcome youth, adolescents and adults who need high levels of support or supervision for everyday activities. If a participant needs support from a 1:1 caregiver, their caregiver must attend the program to ensure the appropriate ratio of supervision. This group is not intended to replace respite care.