Friend 2 Friend Play Centre for Children with Autism

Overview:

Imagine never knowing the joy of acceptance, understanding and friendship from your peer group. For children with autism and related disorders peer play and friendships are the greatest challenges they face.

Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society is a child-focused, British Columbia-based non-government charitable organization formed in 2002 that annually serves thousands of children with autism and related social, communication disorder throughout BC, Canada, the US and abroad. Our mandate is to foster reciprocal social interactions, peer play and friendships between individuals with developmental disabilities and their peers by providing unique and innovative programs and services to children aged 3 through 18.

Support from the Aviva Community Fund would enable Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society to carry out our highly creative and innovative project that will fill a tangible and underserved need in the Vancouver region for children with autism and related disorders. The project is entitled “Friend 2 Friend Play Centre”. Friend 2 Friend will develop a new state-of-the-art child intervention centre, and design and implement peer play programs at our new location in Vancouver, BC. The Friend 2 Friend Play Centre will provide children ages 3 through 16 with individualized innovative peer play programs, the first of their kind to focus on the core needs of children with autism by combining the award-winning, research based SCERTS®, Integrated Play Groups® and Friend 2 Friend models.

The programs will operate year round offering social, communication and peer play-based programs such as:

Early Childhood Play Groups Program This program is designed for pre-school children with autism (and related disorders) ages 3-5 and their parents/caregivers. The program will bring together children of various abilities to support their social, communication development in peer play-based activities while providing model training to their caregivers. The program will also provide two 90-minute training sessions for the parents/caregivers to prepare them for the play group sessions, provide support and feed back and answer their questions. The goals of the Early Childhood Play Groups Program are to: - Enhance the social, communication and peer play skills of the children with autism (and related needs) attending the program by combining the SCERTS®, IPG® and F2F models - Model best practice methods for building social, communication and peer play skills for parents and caregivers - Bring parents and caregivers together to share experiences and reduce their feelings of isolation

Out of School Play Groups Program (After School, Weekend, Summer Camp Play Group) The Out of School Play Groups Program is designed for school-aged children with autism (6-16). Combining the SCERTS®, IPG® and F2F models, this program offers children an opportunity to participate in the highly specialized play groups to promote social, communication, peer play and friendships between children with autism (and related disorders) and their peers. This program is especially important to children and families whose child may be struggling in the school environment, presently not in school or are home schooled and those who are unable to access highly specialized and structured play and social skills programs in school or community settings.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disability with hallmarks that include a person’s capacity to interact socially with others; communicate basic needs, feelings and ideas; understand and use language effectively. Children on the autism spectrum experience unique and complex challenges in peer relations and play. Enhancing opportunities for children with autism to become competent in play with peers and form peer group identities is of prime importance to their life-long development.