Autism Programs Provide Outlet for Maine Teens On the Spectrum
Parents of teens with autism often watch their child becomes more and more frustrated by everyday activities and discouraged by social interactions. We can help. New Focus Academy is a full-service autism program for Maine teens who struggle with a range of cognitive and emotional limitations.
Although we are located outside Maine, we have helped students from across the country grow their confidence.
Many residents enter our autism program believing that they will never achieve any of their goals. We aim to cultivate confidence by practicing important everyday activities and stretching their abilities. Empowerment comes from understanding your body’s strengths and limitations. Throughout their stay, every New Focus Academy student can:
- Engage in daily, age-appropriate exercise sessions
- Participate in adventure programs like rock climbing and hiking
- Share group problem-solving activities that require collaboration and creativity
- Learn basic cycling skills for both exercise and transportation
Working together on these initiatives increases their competence and self-esteem, along with their physical capabilities. As residents learn that they can tackle a climbing wall or challenging group activity, they gain respect for their body.
Learning hard skills is just one part of developing a healthy sense of confidence. That’s why we also use an innovative Animal Stewardship program to teach students about personal relationships. By caring for an animal and cultivating its trust, students uncover valuable lessons about how to set their own boundaries and take responsibility for their actions toward others.
If you’d like to learn more about New Focus Academy’s comprehensive autism program, please contact us at (844) 313-6749.
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New Focus Academy helps Maine teens struggling with challenges like:
– Academic Failure
– Social Pragmatic Communication Disorders
– Aspergers
– Autism
– Anxiety
– Sensory Issues
– Traumatic Brain Injuries
– Low Processing Speed
– Mood Disorders
– Rigidity
– Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
– Low Working Memory
– Nonverbal Learning Disorder
– Academic Difficulties
– Social Difficulties
– Developmental Immaturity
Comprehensive Clinical Model at Autism Program Supports Maine Teens With Autism
Does your child have difficulty expressing their emotions respectfully or making meaningful connections with others? Have they started to doubt their own self-worth or wonder whether they will ever succeed in life? If so, they may benefit from professional support. New Focus Academy is a fully-integrated autism program for teen students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, learning deficits, and other limitations that make it difficult to organize their own lives. By providing a haven away from challenging situations at home, we help Maine students gain new confidence and develop the skills they need to live independently. 
Our program is located in the beautiful state of Utah. Families come to us from all over the country, including Maine, seeking help for their child.
Many children and teens with cognitive and emotional limitations find simple, everyday tasks challenging. Some struggle to communicate effectively, some find it impossible to focus, and some simply need more time to complete basic activities than their peers. Repeated failure often leads to anxiety and frustration, which makes these tasks even more difficult. Help or advice from others, even with good intentions, can reinforce the belief that they will never be able to make progress on their own.
Breaking this cycle of perceived failure is essential. At New Focus Academy, we use the innovative P.I.E.C.E.S model. Here are the key elements of this approach:
- Positive Reinforcement: Our structured, comfortable environment helps students to build resilient prosocial skills and
- Independence: Through goal-oriented training programs, we teach our students general capabilities that can be adapted and applied to many different situations.
- Executive Functioning: Through fun, hands-on activities, we teach students how to pay attention, remember important details, and capably analyze common situations so that they are prepared to face them in the real world.
- Coping Skills: Since many students have struggled with challenging life circumstances, we teach effective coping strategies for dealing with failures and disappointments.
- Emotional Regulation: We guide students through the process of identifying, balancing, and appropriately expressing their thoughts and feelings.
- Social Fluency: Rather than just teaching students about proper social behavior, we give them long-term opportunities to practice the concepts they have learned
If you’d like to learn more about New Focus Academy’s comprehensive autism program and discover its benefits for your child, please contact our team today at (844) 313-6749.
Resources
A Parent’s Guide To Autism Spectrum Disorder:If you feel unprepared to handle the challenges of raising a teen with autism, this thorough and comprehensive resource from the National Institutes of Health can help. With extensively documented information on symptoms, diagnosis and co-occurring disorders, and treatment options, it provides a valuable survey of living with an autism spectrum disorder.
Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership:This multinational organization runs a variety of community programs, conducts professional development workshops for schools and businesses, and face-to-face support meetings for individuals and family members. Their blog also offers a range of perspectives on living with an autism spectrum disorder, addressing issues such as employment, interpersonal relationships, and adult life.
New Focus helps struggling teens from Maine
Some examples of cities from Maine which may have families who may be interested in New Focus Academy include: Portland Islesboro Phippsburg West Bath Bowdoinham