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Specialists in Autism Diagnosis & Treatment Since 2006

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How a Transition Program Helps Move Your Young Adult Toward Independence

Sometimes your young adult needs more. You’ve both tried therapy, maybe even many different types of therapy, with no real progress. He or she enrolled in college courses, only to lose interest and drop out, or fail classes. His or her friends either have a similar past, or are encouraging even worse behaviors. Where do you go from here? It may be time to consider a transition program geared specifically toward young adults who have the same struggles as your child. Rather than having a therapist who works on your young adult’s behaviors; college advisors and professors who are focused only on teaching their subjects; and unstructured free time that doesn’t change anything, a transition program coordinates all of these efforts. Your young adult can grow as a person while receiving the right amount of support to keep them moving forward and learning that they can indeed do it on their own, as well as why they would want to. Consider Matt  Matt is a student who came to New Directions because he struggled with anxiety. He didn’t interact with others well, and had trouble with relationships. Through the course of his time in our program, he received therapy to learn how to manage his anxiety. He also enrolled in a local community college to work towards his degree hospitality management to help him fulfill his dream of working in a hotel. Steady Progress  Though he occasionally had problems completing coursework, the tutoring offered as part of the NDFYA program assisted him in his classes. As he worked on his degree, he received an internship as a host at a nearby hotel. His Dream Career  The hotel’s team was supportive of Matt’s work and gave him the confidence to succeed in his position so that he was later offered a temporary full-time position that grew into full-time employment. Though he could have gotten the job on his own, he may not have found a company with the right team in place to help in his growth. This would have continued the cycle he was already in before coming to NDFYA. Work AND Play  NDFYA also encouraged him to gain confidence outside of school and work through campus activities. These activities gave him the opportunity to interact and build friendships with other students. Later this continued in friendships formed outside of the program at work and in activities he enjoys, such as gaming. He is also learning what is considered appropriate in romantic relationships. Now Matt is closer to independence than he has ever been. He is not only confident in his future, but also excited about it. A Comprehensive Approach to Your Child’s Future  With young adults who need more support or a more educated approach than you can provide at home, a transition program is probably the best option. Contact us today to learn more about NDFYA and how our program can aid your young adult in becoming truly independent.

How Do You Choose a Transition Program?

How many attempts have you made to foster independence in your young adult? Do you feel your attempts have accomplished nothing? You’ve seen different counselors, attended support groups, discussed the problem with other parents. Your young adult still spends too much time at home or with friends, can’t get a job or misses too many hours, or is failing classes. Someone suggests a transition program. After investigating the idea, you decide this type of program is the best way to get your young adult into a place where he or she has the support and supervision, as counterintuitive as that seems, needed to move to an independent life. But how do you decide which program to attend? The Rise of Transition Programs As more children are diagnosed with autism and other mild forms of disabilities, we are realizing there aren’t enough resources in place to move those children from the support programs provided by schools and other initiatives into the responsibilities of adulthood. At the same time, our society as a whole is seeing a trend toward young adults of all backgrounds failing to move away from their parents’ homes. Many reasons are cited for this, ranging from the crash of the economy to sheer laziness among the younger generation. Transition programs are one way to fill the gap for young adults with special needs. They provide young adults stricken with “failure to launch” a way to motivate themselves toward an independent lifestyle. Selecting a Transition Program One way to choose a program from the growing number available is to ask yourself the following questions about any program you considering: Curriculum
  • What is the program’s curriculum based on? What are the principles and how does the staff adhere to them?
  • Where will your young adult be staying? Are they given the opportunity to practice the life skills the program will teach them?
  • Will your young adult be able to continue their education (if that is the goal)? What schools are available, and will the program help your young adult with their education?
  • Are there social events and other extracurricular activities hosted by the program? Do they encourage students to develop social connections?
  • How does the program help your young adult develop employable skills? Do they offer assistance with finding a job?
  • How successful are students with similar circumstances to your young adult’s in the program?
Current Students
  • What do the current students think of the program?
  • Has the program helped current students develop goals? Are they progressing toward them?
  • Have students been able to find jobs and move out on their own?
Staff
  • Are the staff members qualified for their positions? Are they participating in continuing education?
  • Do the staff members enjoy coming to work? Do they seem to truly care about helping the students?
  • How well do the staff members interact with the students? Is there a good rapport?
  • How available are staff members to students? Are counselors available at times other than what has been assigned to students?
And, perhaps the most important, what does your young adult think about the programs you are considering? Make an Informed Decision Once you have asked the above questions and compared the answers, you may find selecting the best program for your young adult has become much easier.

NDFYA Featured on Episode of Inside Pleasant Hill

Clinical Director Dr. Kent Grelling and Program Director Matt Xavier talk with Inside Pleasant Hill about NDFYA and the work we do for young adults with mild disabilities. Recently the California campus was given the opportunity to share our mission with Inside Pleasant Hill. Inside Pleasant Hill is a program showcasing news, people, locations, events, and organizations related to the city of Pleasant Hill, CA. All of the episodes can be viewed on Vimeo, and new episodes air on Comcast Channel 28, Astound Channel 29 and UVerse Channel 99 for local viewers. Our segment was a part of Episode 212, which was recorded on May 16, 2015 at the lovely and new Pleasant Hill Rec & Park Senior Center, and aired in June 2015. About the Episode During this video, Dr. Kent Grelling, licensed clinical psychologist and Clinical Director of the California campus, and Matt Xavier, one of our Program Directors, spoke with hosts Laura McCormack and Matt Rinn. They discussed what NDFYA offers for young adults and the types of students that find the most success in our program. They also talked about how the program works and the focus given to each student by every member of the staff. An Amazing New Home This video also gave us the opportunity to share how excited we are to have this additional campus in California. The Pleasant Hill location is especially great for those of our students who become interested in music, since there are a number of local music options available (many of which were shared on the episode!). We look forward to sharing these amenities with our students and are pleased to be welcomed by the Pleasant Hill community. Enjoy the episode!

NDFYA: Social Skills Program – Social Events

Comfort in social situations and the growth of new relationships, as well as knowing how to maintain relationships, is an important part of your young adult’s independence. To help students develop this skill and comfort, we plan a lot of social events for New Directions students and staff that allow everyone to interact and get to know one another. Plus, many of these social events also help students gain additional skills, such as cooking, that will remain important throughout their lives. You’ll see some of these events in this video, including:
  • Beach Night
  • Cooking Group
  • Bowling Night
  • BBQ Night
  • NDFYA Picnic
  • Sporting Events
  • Live Music

New Directions Student Testimonial, Vocational Success

A student talks about his experience in the New Directions for Young Adults Program. How the program mentors have helped him enrollment in school, helped him get a job and basically provide ‘round the clock assistance. He’s learned how to shop on a budget, how to stay organized, stay well groomed and all the small things that add up to big things. He discusses his recent success in his new job as a sales vendor, and how he now sees a future for himself.

New Directions Student Testimonial, Artist

A more mature New Directions for Young Adults (NDFYA) client talks about his experience with the program, from his beginnings in the program and the things he discovered about himself; how he found a job he loves based on his passion for art; classes that can help him professionally and personally; the friends that he’s made inside and outside the program; his relationships with other people and how the psychologist in the program have helped him. “You Can Have a Dream…but You’re Going to Have to Work Really Hard to Make it Come True”

Parents Videos

A Life Changing Experience for The Entire Family

In this video, a mother whose son is on the autism spectrum speaks about what the New Directions program experience meant to not just to her son, but to her entire family. Though her son was close to young adulthood, it was challenging for her to be away from him. She quickly realized the therapists and support staff had a great deal of respect for her son and that they genuinely liked him. This realization allowed her to relax into the situation. She also learned a lot about what her son’s personal definition of friendship and speaks about how New Directions helped him to alter his construct of what a friend is to help him transition into living on his own. She ends with a heartwarming story about the friendships he made at New Directions and how they have carried on into his adult life. To learn more about how New Directions team and staff can help your young adult transition to independence, schedule a call with our admissions team today!

Choosing a Transition Program for Your Young Adult

You have a lot of concerns as a parent. It has reached the point where you believe a transition program is really the best choice for your young adult. You know your young adult needs more than you’re able to provide. But you still have a lot of questions:
  • Is this the right kind of program?
  • Will he or she learn the necessary skills for independent living?
  • Does the staff truly care about your young adult’s success?
  • Will your young adult make friends and find things to do that he or she enjoys?
c The process is just as much about figuring out whether or not we are a good fit for your young adult’s needs as it is about determining if he or she will be accepted into the program. We’ve found questions like the above are shared by many parents, so would like to address them here.

Our Staff

We work hard to hire staff members who are qualified for their roles, but also care about the young adults entrusted to us and their progress. Our staff members are not judgmental about the difficulties faced by the students in our program and do what they can to help students overcome those difficulties. At least one member of our staff is available at all hours of the day, seven days a week. If at any point your young adult needs assistance or even just someone to talk to, they can call.

Life Skills

Your young adult needs more than an education and a job to thrive on their own. They also must understand the importance of time management, keeping the house clean, and paying bills on time. Participating in classes that teach these skills is an integral part of our program. By assigning roommates, we provide students with an initial connection within the program. At the same time, students have someone else around to remind them to keep up with these chores.

Social Activities

Just as life skills are required, so are our social activities. Being able to interact with others is something many of our students struggle with. Being around others who have similar problems will encourage your young adult to develop relationships. With the wide range of students we accept into the program, they will meet people they connect with, and who have different strengths and weaknesses. By making these events required, we also prevent your young adult from falling back into the same behaviors that led to your enrolling them in our program.

Have Other Questions?

This post is by no means an exhaustive list of everything parents worry about when it comes to choosing a transition program. Many of your questions will be specific to your young adult’s situation. We always welcome questions from prospective families, so please don’t hesitate to contact us. We hope to hear from you soon!

From Rehab to Transition Program to Successfully Independent

Her daughter was very dependent. This mother would receive 25 calls a day. They were all about “ridiculous” things, she says, and were distracting her from her own job. She dealt with discord between her daughter and her husband. And getting her daughter to attend family events was difficult. The young woman didn’t know how to drive. She refused to take public transportation. She didn’t budget her money well. But That’s All Changed After completing a rehab program, the staff there suggested her daughter come here to NDFYA to transition out of the “lockdown” of life in the rehab program. The young woman especially needed to work on her social and life skills. It was the first time this young woman had been responsible for herself. The first time she was required to make her own decisions. The idea was scary to her mother, but she also knew her daughter needed “the opportunity to live independently and make the right choices.” After what her mother describes as a “rocky start,” this young woman began making progress. Beyond the Program Now she’s been back home for a few years, where she continues to practice everything she learned at NDFYA. That young woman who didn’t want to spend time with her family now looks forward to the gatherings. She visited her father every day during his recent extended hospital stay. She’s learned how to drive and takes the bus when she needs to. She saves money. And she no longer calls her mother 25 times a day.

Staff Videos

What Our Clients/Parents Say

Louisa Shingler
Louisa Shingler
2023-06-06
NDFYA has been a great program for our son. He has achieved maturity and independence as well as improved social skills and navigation since participating in NDFYA’s multidisciplinary program. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the program to other neurodiverse young people and their families.
Staci Ross
Staci Ross
2023-06-06
Our son has been with New Directions for 2 1/2 years. He has had some good days and some bad days. The staff is always there to support him. They help guide him to be an independent adult. There are many services available to meet every young adults needs. My son is thriving and I owe it all to the staff for working with him and our family.
Linda Stein
Linda Stein
2023-06-06
Kind, warm and organized program that has the best interests at heart for the students. Our adult child is thriving, so happy there and has many friends, learning life and social skills. The program coordinators keep us advised of how things are going and we all work together to achieve the best result possible. I am so grateful for New Directions. They have provided so much guidance and love, giving our whole family new found happiness and hope for the future.
Andy Pond
Andy Pond
2022-12-16
They do an excellent job of working with parents and their young adult kids —-helping them get “launched”.
Sherry
Sherry
2022-11-26
New Directions serves young adults who "fall through the cracks" of other systems. We're glad we found the program for our daughter.
Doina Chiacu
Doina Chiacu
2022-11-25
Highly recommend New Directions for young people trying to find their way in life. The staff is excellent - dedicated, professional, caring. They offer an array of services from therapy to academic and job support. A team of professionals evaluates your child's needs and meet regularly to discuss their progress, as well as meeting with parents regularly to keep them updated. Our son left the program more than a year ago but still uses services from a couple of members of their staff - he really clicked with them. These people really make a difference.
Edmund Hollander
Edmund Hollander
2022-11-20
Our daughter has been at New Directions for a year now. She loves being there and is making progress. Her therapist and job coach are wonderful caring people as are her mentors and staff.
Karen R
Karen R
2022-11-19
New Directions for Young Adults is positively changing lives, one client at a time with their years of clinical experience, dedication, genuine kindness and support! They have a multitude of services that have been professionally designed with proven results. Dr. Rubin, the Founder and Executive Director of New Directions for Young Adults, has a hands-on approach and oversees the entire day-to-day operation with brilliance. Dr. Rubin is a class act. Dr. Michael Kellen, Clinical Psychologist, is one of the finest professionals I have had the pleasure of meeting. Dr. Kellen is a superb observer, assessing and offering insights on each client he works with. We are very grateful for the time he's spent in counseling our son. It has truly changed his life! Thank you Dr. Kellen, we appreciate your expertise and all you do. Paula Katz, the Director of Vocational Services, is exceptional at her role. Paula genuinely cares about all her students and will go above and beyond working tirelessly with each student, as their job coach. I strongly and wholeheartedly recommended New Directions for Young Adults.
Tim Donmoyer
Tim Donmoyer
2022-11-18
Life changing experience for our daughter. The nurturing, attentive staff and safe environment enabled our daughter (high functioning autistic with eating disorder) to regain her independence, make better life choices and build self esteem. Thanks to all!
M G
M G
2022-11-17
It’s been a long haul but we firmly believe our son is in the best place possible for his long-term independence. Staff is wonderful and experienced. We are seeing improvement. Lots of services offered including therapy, tutoring, job placement assistance and social events. Our son wishes he had come here after graduating high school instead of going straight to college. He’s now getting the right amount of support to move forward.

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