Summer Friends
Summer Friends is for individuals with developmental disabilities aged 16 to 21 who are still attending high school. Students participate alongside other Therapeutic Day Program participants during the summer, as well as on teacher workdays, school holidays and breaks. The program offers participants a fun and enriching place to go and be with friends, while giving parents an alternative to staying home or finding in-home care.
It also introduces the Therapeutic Day Program as a potential long-term solution for their young adults once they age out of the school system. Several Summer Friends have successfully transitioned into the TDP after completing high school.
Summer Friends offers diverse opportunities and experiences, which include:
Therapeutic sessions featuring activities like adaptive fitness, yoga, and pickleball, kickboxing, and speech, art, and music therapy
Outings to stores, libraries, and parks
Friday Funday activities including lunches at restaurants like Chick-fil-A, Panera, Moe's, Panda Express, and local pizzerias, plus outings to the movies, karaoke, mini golf, bowling, museums, and more
Activities for skill retention, including social games and technology time
Researchers have found that programs like these benefit participants the most when they last at least 5 weeks, especially when they attend them for multiple summers.
Summer Friends is a 6-week program that runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dates this year are June 2-27 and July 7-18. If you have a developmentally disabled daughter or son in high school and want to consider enrolling them in this year’s Summer Friends program, click the button below to learn more.
We do not supply personal pickup or drop off. Transportation services are for program activities only.