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Ivymount’s Community Outreach and Services brings the expertise of Ivymount School, The Maddux School and Ivymount Endeavors together to meet the needs of our community through educational and recreational programs, special events, workshops, and community connections.
Facilitated by Ivymount Experts
September to December, 2024
Student Groups Focus on Executive Function, Social Skills and Conversation
Unstuck and On Target
Applied Unstuck
Secrets of Friendship
Social Club
Maryland residents can apply for up to $2000 annually through DDA Low Intensity Support Services. LISS funds can be used to pay for our outreach programs. Click HERE for more information on the random selection process.
Our Self Advocacy Program is approved by DORS for Pre-ETS funding. Speak to your DORS Counselor to apply. Click HERE for more information about DORS Pre-Employment Transition Services
Community Outreach & Services provides a neurodiverse community hub where individuals, families, professionals and partners learn and collaborate together.
Providing workshops, a collaborative space “meeting house,” complimentary lectures and summer institute for professionals.
Proud partners with many community organizations including Only Make Believe, Music for Autism, ZamDance and XMinds.
We’re here to help beyond the classroom.
Ivymount’s Community Outreach & Services offers opportunities for children and young adults to participate in educational, therapeutic and recreational programs with our expert teachers and therapists.
Our individual and group programs are designed for Neurodivergent individuals and their families and are provided by our expert teachers and therapists. With defined goals and objectives, we feature Ivymount-developed and nationally-recognized programs that nurture development in the areas of Executive Function and Social Emotional Learning (SEL), as well as Self-Advocacy for transition-age students (age 14-18).
We offer a unique blend of parent and student interventions in the nationally published, research-based Unstuck and On Target! program. Developed and piloted at Ivymount, Unstuck targets flexibility and problem solving. Applied Unstuck is offered as a follow-up program to participants who have completed the Unstuck and On Target! program.
Developed and led by a trained team of highly experienced professionals who also teach the curriculum at Ivymount School, this Saturday program is an intensive executive function and social intervention learning experience for the entire family. It’s perfect for children (ages 7-14) who struggle to understand:
Educational groups teach parents how to embed the Unstuck strategies in dozens of everyday scenarios, from morning routines to getting homework done. Parents learn the skills they need to help their children successfully navigate each day, reach their goals, and succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
Student Profile: Able to access learning through a verbal based instructional format. Language skills and cognition should be within the normative range. Generally, students are able to be in grade level curriculum at school, although they may have disparities.
Parent Groups: Yes, weekly
Program Length: 12 weeks
Dates: Saturday mornings 9/21/24 – 12/14/24
Times: Participants will be assigned a one-hour time block depending on the age and maturity level of the participants enrolled.
Tuition: $2500 plus $50 application fee
This group offers students who have gone through the basic Unstuck and On Target program opportunities to try out their new skills. Parents and students will work together to generalize the skills by practicing together how to be flexible and make plans.
Student Profile: Students who are able to access learning through a verbal based instructional format. Language skills and cognition should be within the average range. Generally students are able to be in grade level curriculum at school, although they may have some disparities.
Prerequisites: Unstuck and On Target!
Program Length: 12 weeks
Parent Groups: Parents will be provided with a weekly home connection and they will be invited to three workshops.
Dates: Saturday mornings 9/21/24 – 12/14/24
Times: Participants will be assigned a one-hour time block between 9am-12pm
Tuition: $2000
Staying Unstuck is a new extension of the concepts from Unstuck & On Target! A follow up course to Applied Unstuck, Staying Unstuck is an activity-based curriculum that challenges students to be flexible, make compromises, and consider the “unexpected” as they collaborate to set goals and make plans to achieve those goals as a group. Throughout the course, teachers will capitalize on incidental teaching opportunities through naturally occurring events to process thoughts, feelings and actions through the Feelings Chain. Debriefs will occur at the conclusion of each activity to aid in the development of self-regulation and self-monitoring skills.
Student Profile: Participants should have completed Unstuck and OnTarget! and Applied Unstuck before registering for this class.
Prerequisites: Unstuck and On Target! and Applied Unstuck
Program Length: 12 weeks
Parent Groups: No
Dates: Spring 2025
Times: Participants will be assigned a one-hour time block between 9am-12pm.
Tuition: $1500
Social Learning Programs
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a key part of human development that refers to how we learn to navigate our social worlds. SEL helps us understand and manage our emotions, engage in perspective taking, show empathy, advocate for ourselves and others, set goals, and build and sustain meaningful relationships with friends and family.
Our social learning programs target friendship, conversation skills, and social self advocacy.
Social Club
Introducing a new social club with a focus on friendship and self-advocacy developed and led by a trained team of highly experienced Ivymount professionals, including Speech Language Pathologists. This program is an opportunity for adolescents to explore their social preferences, social interests, and friendship goals in a neurodiversity affirming environment. It’s perfect for teens (ages 14-18) who want to connect socially with peers and explore topics such as:
This group promotes learning through a combination of explicit instruction, hands on activities, and peer interaction with other group members. Instruction is modified based on the language support needs of group members.
Student Profile: Participants in this group should be able to access learning through 30-45 minutes of supported verbal group instruction. Attendees should have a desire to make friends, be motivated to interact with peers and be able to engage in short conversations using at least 1-2 sentences at a time.
Parent Groups: No parent group. Regular communication with the parents will be provided.
Program Length: 12 weeks
Dates: 10/1/24 – 1/14/25
Times: Tuesdays 4:15 – 5:15
Tuition: $1500
Secrets of Friendship
Secrets of Friendship is a social-learning curriculum that provides the “unwritten secrets” of making and maintaining friendships. Students will learn a total of seven “secrets,” taught in a small group setting through explicit instruction that provides beneficial scripts and strategies, paired with hands-on activities and/or games to practice learned skills. Targeted skills include identifying a friend, initiating interactions, active listening, flexibility, identifying thoughts and feelings of yourself and others, and cooperation with friends through compromise. Families are provided with a weekly home extension.
Student Profile: Upper elementary to middle school aged students who are able to access learning through a verbal based instructional format. Language skills and cognition should be within the normative range. Generally, students are able to be in grade level curriculum at school, although they may have disparities.
Parent Groups: No. Parents will be provided with resources to facilitate a home connection.
Program Length: 12 weeks
Dates: Saturday mornings 9/21/24-12/14/24
Times: Participants will be assigned a one-hour time block between 9am-12pm
Tuition: $1500
Conversation Street
Conversation Street focuses on scripts and strategies to navigate a successful conversation through a whimsical comparison to driving a vehicle. Like driving a vehicle, conversations involve other people and have expectations. Each week, students will participate in fun and engaging activities to learn about the “rules” or expectations of conversations. Additionally, they will be provided beneficial scripts and strategies, paired with practice opportunities in a small group setting. Targeted skills include: active listening, gaining attention, asking questions and making comments, flexibility in conversation, and how to exit a conversation appropriately.
Student Profile: Upper elementary to middle school aged students who are able to access learning through a verbal based instructional format. Language skills and cognition should be within the normative range. Generally, students are able to be in grade level curriculum at school, although they may have disparities.
Parent Groups: No. Parents will be provided with resources to facilitate a home connection.
Program Length: 12 weeks
Dates: Spring 2025
Times: TBD
Tuition: $1500
Self-Advocacy Program
Transition age students (ages 14 – 21) benefit from a course devoted to exploring their individual strengths and challenges and developing essential self-advocacy tools. By the end of the program, students will have identified their interests, strengths and hurdles. Students will gain a better understanding of their disability, practice goal setting, and develop strategies and resources for problem solving. The course is interactive and students will be given opportunities to practice “telling their story” to others, including employers. Students will plan a culminating event to showcase the skills they have developed.
The Self-Advocacy program is approved by DORS for Pre-ETS funding. Speak to your DORS Counselor to apply. Private pay participants are also accepted.
Student Profile: 14-21 year-old students. Ability to communicate verbally, but may have cognitive or language challenges. Ability to work in a group environment.
Prerequisites: None
Length: 12 weeks
Parent Group: No parent group.
Time: TBD Fall 2024
Dates: TBD Fall 2024
Featured in Autism Spectrum News, this personalized, electronic transition tool developed by Ivymount experts supports self-advocacy in transition-aged young adults. For more information or to schedule a training or consultation, contact Ivymount Outreach at outreach@ivymount.org.
To inquire about services, contact Ivymount Outreach at outreach@ivymount.org.
After school clubs and weekend group programs with an emphasis on fun!
Programs are for participants school aged to young adult. Staffed by Ivymount Organization program staff who develop and implement activities that are lively, engaging, and meaningful.
A Saturday morning program serving youth and young adults of all ability levels. Designed and led by a team of Ivymount trained educators, participants engage in a variety of activities focusing on music, movement, sports, games, socialization, cooking, and the arts.
Extracurricular activity programs for students of all abilities, ages 6 to young adult. Designed and led by Ivymount’s Adapted PE teachers, Art teacher, and other highly-trained Ivymount staff. Participants participate in the activity of their choice.
Email outreach@ivymount.org to be added to our email list for updates on future sessions.
We’ll review the details in your application and work with you to find the right program for your child’s needs. New applicants to educational and therapeutic programs will be charged a $50 non-refundable processing fee after the application is received. *Application fee does not apply to the Self-Advocacy Program or Recreational Programs.
Reach out to us at Outreach@ivymount.org and we are happy to discuss which program will be the best fit for your child.
Yes! We are happy to provide you with the documentation required (e.g. invoice, W-9); however, you need to apply for the funds yourself. For more information about LISS, click here. These funds are for Maryland residents and there are specific deadlines to apply.
An initial payment is due before the start of the program. If you are unable to pay the full tuition before the start of the season, please contact us at Outreach@ivymount.org to set up a payment plan.
Our group programs are not eligible for insurance reimbursement in most cases. Ivymount will provide a receipt verifying payment and participation. If you have out-of-network benefits that cover one of our programs, we can provide a receipt to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
