Supporting Boys with Autism at Cherokee Creek Boys School
“Autism can’t define me. I define autism.”
– Kerry Magro
Autism Support and Education at Cherokee Creek
Some students at Cherokee Creek have a diagnosis of Autism. At CCBS, we follow The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and accept students ages 10 – 15 who may be diagnosed with ASD Level 1.
Our therapeutic team remains committed to evidence-based training for boys with Autism and other related neurodevelopmental disorders such as Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder, ADHD and experiential therapies such as Sandtray, Nature Walks and Play Therapy. These modalities of therapy can be more engaging for our students based on their ages and a variety of diagnoses, not just Autism.
Additionally, our entire staff participates in routine Autism education based on research from organizations like Autism Speaks and continuing education shared by the Clinical Team at CCBS.
Our approach ensures that each student receives personalized care tailored to his individual needs and individual developmental goals.
As the saying goes …
“If you’ve met one person with Autism, you’ve met ONE person with Autism!”
We strive to respect and support the unique needs of each of our students and their families.
Autism support is integrated into the broader life skills curriculum at CCBS, which also addresses ADHD, Anxiety and Healthy Technology Usage.
“Wanting to be free. Wanting to be me. Trying to make people see. And accept the real me.”
– Scott Lentine
Supporting CCBS Students Diagnosed with Autism
At CCBS, we help students with ASD Level 1 to develop essential skills, including:
- Independent executive functioning
- Social awareness
- Emotional awareness, feelings identification
- Non-verbal communication behaviors
- Flexibility in social situations
- Reducing time spent in repetitive routines
- Strengthening family relationships
- Improving frustration tolerance
- Working effectively in groups
- Conversational reciprocity and verbal communication skills
- Expanding interests and hobbies through experiential play and exposure to a variety of activities
Autism Life Skill Strategies at CCBS
We coach, teach and support boys with Autism with learning and activities that may include:
Communication and Social Skills
- Teaching individualized social skills
- Role-playing and hands-on learning
- Modeling and teaching active listening
- Tracking the impact of behavior on others
- Developing flexibility, patience and acceptance
- Enhancing awareness of visual and social cues
- Practicing mindfulness techniques such as breathwork, movement and nature immersion
- Engaging in horsemanship to receive immediate feedback and learn self-regulation
- Implementing our training on anxiety
- Participation in titrated exposure therapy in social activities such as off-campus outings, recreational team sports and daily “family style” meals
Team, Group and Peer Skills
- Participating in group therapy, bunkroom meetings and student leadership teams
- Engaging in sports to experience teamwork and develop frustration tolerance skills
- Making friends, maintaining friendships and engaging in play
As with all of our therapy and teaching curriculum, we create an ongoing plan for each student customized to their needs and development!
Preparing for a Bright Future
At CCBS, we don’t see challenges … we see opportunities and possibilities. Our goal is to equip students and families with the skills, confidence and independence needed to transition successfully back to their families, schools and communities.
If you’d like to learn more about our approach to supporting boys with autism Level 1, call NOW to request more information.
LET’S TALK!
“I believe that inside every person who is bullied, there is a strength and a tenacity to survive. You don’t always know that this strength exists, but if you make it through those dark times, you become aware. You become a survivor, someone whose courage and spirit are far stronger than all of the hate and cruelty of their bullies. The one thing that I want to impart to children with autism is knowledge of their inner strength and the belief that one day at a time, they, too, can get through this.”
– A. Gravino
To Learn More About Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
Understanding Autism
A Rise in Autism Diagnoses
