For a lot of neurodiverse younger folks, the particular training help they obtain ends after they depart highschool.
For all, federally mandated companies cease after they flip 21.
However as they transition into maturity, they typically need assistance dealing with a brand new set of challenges: jobs, courting, and interacting with folks past these they’ve recognized all their lives.
The late teenagers and early 20s are daunting instances even for many who neurotypical. For folks with autism and different variations, it may be overwhelming.
The Teen SLP may help.
Deirdre Flores
The Teen SLP is a multi-platform set of companies provided by Deirdre Flores. A speech language pathologist (SLP) with a grasp’s diploma from Columbia College, she has labored at Staples Excessive College since 2012. Flores makes a speciality of social abilities interventions and language abilities.
Which means serving to college students perceive vocabulary, pay attention comprehensively, set up and verbalize their ideas, and self-advocate for his or her studying wants.
However she additionally works with them on pragmatic language abilities: becoming a member of conversations, making mates, navigating group work within the classroom.
By means of the Connections program at Fairfield College, she helps college-age college students who’re nonetheless a part of the Westport Public Colleges, however want extra particular ed. helps. Every morning she runs communication and social abilities teams.
Flores established The Teen SLP in 2021. She noticed a necessity for tailor-made steering and assets, at a essential part of younger lives.
By means of The Teen SLP, she presents group and particular person remedy.
Teams embrace Job-Associated Social Expertise, Relationship Bootcamp, Making Social Connections, Video Recreation Social Expertise and Dialog Teams.
This month, Flores runs “Monetary Foundations,” overlaying concepts like paycheck deductions, how to not fall for scams, and needs vs. wants vs. financial savings.
This summer time, she’ll lead “Know-how for Independence.” It’s going to cowl issues like utilizing apps to determine what all these laundry characters imply, or how to determine the tip and cut up a restaurant invoice.
Beginning a dialog may be tough for anybody — particularly a younger grownup who’s neurodivergent.
All alongside, Flores is concentrated on serving to these younger adults discover mates. It’s harder to do this after highschool — and particularly tough for many who have problem with communication.
There are non-verbal abilities to study: Is that individual flirting with me? Is my co-worker ignoring me?
How do I flirt? How can I undertaking confidence when speaking with my boss, a colleague or buyer?
Even verbal communication — like understanding sarcasm — may be laborious for neurodivergent folks.
Flores offers an area for younger adults to observe these abilities, in a protected, non-judgmental atmosphere.
“There are few issues extra necessary than making a private reference to somebody, when you have got typically felt alone and on the sidelines of dialog and life,” Flores says.
Her success tales “could not appear to be a giant deal for somebody for whom social and language abilities come naturally,” she is aware of.
However when a shopper will get espresso with co-workers exterior of labor, and organizes the hangout himself; when one other creates her personal pal group by creating a bunch textual content, then units up common weekend hangouts; and when one other shopper asks somebody out on a date, and converses asily all through the night — these are causes to rejoice.
Particularly when the younger folks talk them on their very own, excitedly, to her.
(For extra info on The Teen SLP, click on right here.)
(“06880” frequently spotlights Westporters doing attention-grabbing, necessary work. Please click on right here to help our work. Thanks!)
Adblock take a look at (Why?)