Firefly’s School Age Programs, a Center-Based program are for children and young adults ages 7 to 21 years old, with our Primary Program serving children ages 7 to 13 and ourSecondary Program serving individuals ages 14 to 18 years old. In addition, we have a Young Adult Program serving individuals ages 18 to 21 years old.

Our specialized programs identify each student’s individualized strengths and needs across multiple developmental areas including social, emotional, behavioral, language/communication, academics, and adaptive/life skills. Individual goals are created from a strength and needs assessment. Each goal includes multiple learning objects which are targeted daily. Progress on the objectives is assessed regularly. Children and young adults are taught how to learn from peers, how to work cooperatively with peers and how to find adaptive ways to communicate.

Firefly’s Social Skills Groups are developed to meet the social and emotional needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We help members of the groups to effectively express feelings, to communicate with others, and to develop and maintain friendships in a positive, comfortable environment. We believe that our approach, coupled with strong group dynamics will help group members feel confident in their abilities to make friends within the group, as well as outside of the group setting. We offer opportunities to promote generalization of skills through our weekly “challenges” to be completed at home, such as appropriately calling or even texting a friend. By providing structured training in social skills, in a group setting, each child can learn needed skills to more fully participate in social interactions similar to their neuro-typical peers. Currently, groups meet twice a week; after school on Tuesdays and Saturdays.