In Washington the cherry trees are in full bloom and so are the daffodils. Here at Take 2 we’re getting ready for Summer 2010, our seventh year serving children who have autism spectrum disorders and strong verbal and cognitive abilities.

In addition to the support Take 2 provides for children and their families, we are also proud of the role we play in training teachers on “best practices” in this field and of our collaboration with researchers at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s National Medical Center. Just a few weeks ago, the researchers at Children’s received a prestigious R-34 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to extend work that they first piloted at Take 2. We’re very excited about that. We also continue our close relationship with the Model Asperger Program at the Ivymount School. Ivymount is known nationally for its innovative programs for students on the autism spectrum and staff at Take 2 and Ivymount benefit from a lot of cross-pollination.

Intake for Summer 2010 campers is almost complete, and as always, we’ve found a new idea to try out. This summer, Take 2 will pilot a program for older campers that will take them out into the community on adventures they will plan and undertake with typically developing peer mentors. This allows us to serve children who have attended but outgrown the camp program and help them take the next step toward enriching friendships and fuller inclusion in the community. We’re excited about extending our reach to older children and involving “neurotypical” teens in this work.

Please look for our updates as the planning progresses!

Links:

• Take 2 website
• Ivymount's Model Asperger Program

Attachments:

• Take 2 in local paper (PDF)