Aligned with our mission to promote individual growth throughout the community, Steppers arrive at 8 a.m. after having breakfast at home. They follow a set schedule every day to ensure continuity and structure for life skills, educational skills, exercise, recreation, community involvement, employment, and nutrition. Personalized programs cater to what each Stepper and family are seeking from the program.
Steppers are assigned to groups according to their interests and capabilities. Groups are kept as small as possible, typically eight to 10 participants, to ensure Steppers receive individual attention and supervision from a three-person module comprised of two life skills coaches and one manager who provides oversight.
Life Skills. Self-help promotes independence to the highest level possible. Steppers learn basic grooming and dressing skills, including brushing their teeth, tying their shoes, and buttoning their shirts, as well as life skills associated with housekeeping and preparing meals in the microwave. Awareness concepts such as stranger danger and pedestrian safety are also reinforced.
Academic Skills. Sectional learning assists individuals with maintaining their functional academic skills by reinforcing fundamental math, reading, and writing skills at their individual functioning levels. Here, Steppers learn basic money management skills, such as paying and counting change.
Exercise and Recreation. Movement and exercise promote health, socialization, and interaction with peers. From treadmills and exercise machines to instructional videos for yoga and light hand weights, we have a wide range of recreational opportunities for Steppers across the special needs spectrum. Ramps and visual recreational learning for weights align these same opportunities to the capabilities of our wheelchair Steppers. In the interest of safety, recreational activities do not include water sports.
Community Involvement. We foster community integration through volunteering and community interaction. Steppers enjoy scheduled trips at nearby points of interest and lunches at neighboring restaurants. They also roll up their sleeves and perform community service.
Nutrition. Lunch brought from home is eaten late-morning, and a light snack is offered before the conclusion of the Individual Skills & Socialization Services (ISS) at 2:30 p.m.
