Residential Treatment Centers For Autism

Residential Treatment Center for Teens

There are so many treatment options available for neurodiverse teens that it is difficult to determine what level of care is appropriate for their long-term goals. While many outpatient services and Individualized Education Plans are focused on learning the basics of study skills and social skills, residential treatment centers offer more intensive therapy and opportunities for recreation in a supportive social environment. This takes treatment planning one step beyond other services by catering to individual needs and preparing teens for independent living.

The guide is meant to be comprehensive, but as such, not every section will be applicable to everyone. Instead, we invite you to click on the links in the table of contents to jump to the sections that most interest you.

Table of Contents

  1. Why Choose New Focus Academy?
  2. Residential Treatment Center vs Special Needs Schools
  3. Who is a Good Fit for a Residential Treatment Center?
  4. Residential Treatment Teaches Life Skills for Independence

Why Choose New Focus Academy?

New Focus Academy is a leading residential treatment center for neurodiverse teens informed by principles of neuropsychology and positive psychology. We know that each student comes to us with a unique mind, background, skill set, and personal experience and customize treatment plans for every individual rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to personal growth.

Our Autonomy Development model combines the student’s progression through the stages of autonomy with the treatment team’s changing approach as we work together to increase the student’s autonomy and quality of life. At New Focus, we seek to make every day an opportunity for our students to develop and work towards their goal of independence.

Our structured weekly schedule allows for a safe, predictable atmosphere with designated school, therapy group, and recreation time. With clinical support and meaningful connections with peers and our dedicated coaches, students gain the ability to interact with others successfully. As part of our holistic approach, recreation programming helps teens practice valuable social skills, gets them out of their comfort zones, and introduces them to new, positive coping skills that they carry with them long after they leave residential treatment.

Residential Treatment Center vs Special Needs Schools

While special needs schools focus more on academic support for teens with executive functioning issues, residential treatment centers offer clinical support for teens with co-morbid mental health struggles. This may include anxiety, depression, dependence on electronics, difficulty controlling anger, low self-esteem, oppositional behaviors, panic attacks, self-harm, and social withdrawal.

Residential treatment centers also offer accredited academics, but the education that they offer is not limited to a classroom. At New Focus Academy, we’ve built our entire curriculum to teach our unique student population important skills that transfer into the real world, based on functional academics, practical life skills, and social-emotional learning. Our team uses creative, engaging learning experiences in the classroom and beyond to make sure our students grasp important concepts.

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Who is a Good Fit for a Residential Treatment Center?

Residential treatment centers offer a variety of clinical services for teens with a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Rather than limiting their student profile to a single diagnosis, this allows professionals to take a “bigger picture” approach by focusing on similar underlying themes among neurodiverse teens and focusing on their overall wellbeing.

At New Focus Academy, we assist students with a variety of cognitive, social, and emotional struggles affecting their ability to manage their interpersonal and daily life. We know a student is more than a diagnosis, but here are some labels typically associated with our students:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (Levels 1 and 2)
  • Attention Disorders (ADHD, ADD, etc.)
  • Executive Functioning Deficits
  • Learning Disorders
  • Low Working Memory
  • Low Processing Speed
  • Nonverbal Learning Deficits
  • Prenatal Substance Exposure (fetal alcohol, etc.)
  • Social Pragmatic Communication Disorders
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries

Residential Treatment Teaches Life Skills for Independence

The ultimate goal for every student at New Focus is gaining independence. Our dedicated team empowers each student to develop important life skills that will aid them in their daily lives. From working towards a diploma to actual working experience, our students gain “real-world” skills that help them become more independent. Our positive reinforcement approach empowers students to take small steps leading to big changes and overall wellness.

While psychoeducation, social skills training, and academics are central to treatment planning, we believe that neurodiverse teens benefit from experiential learning styles, where they can apply the skills they’ve learned while in treatment. Community involvement and recreation outings during residential treatment help prepare teens for the transition to independent living or moving back home by helping these skills seem more concrete and relevant, rather than abstract ideas they may benefit from in the distant future. This is particularly important for teens with executive functioning issues who have a hard time planning ahead and filtering out important information from lessons.

Students also have the option to transition to the Autonomy House after several months as a resident at New Focus Academy, where they have additional program privileges and more opportunities for independence. Students at Autonomy House have demonstrated increased social-emotional fluency, so the focus of treatment becomes how to prepare for independent living and practice the skills they’ve learned in the community.

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