MY LIFE AS AN EPIC WIN: TEENS TRANSITIONING INTO ADULTHOOD
Robin Brennan (Woodview) and Rebecca Ward (Brock University)
Autism Speaks Family Service And Community Grant 2012
The Epic Win course is for teens and young adults with ASD to support them in creating an “Epic Win” life (borrowing from gaming terminology), being the “hero” of their life with an Epic Win attitude and powerful strategies and supports to win at the game of life. This transition to adulthood empowerment program is being field tested with 16 to 25 year olds with diagnoses of high functioning ASDs and Aspergers.
The winter 2014 group will consist of 6-10 youth who are in high school or who have recently completed high school and are looking for services to support their transition to adulthood. In this 10-week course, we will be using group discussion, video-modeling practice with peers, in-class exercises and homework assignments to teach and support youth in learning skills that research has found to be critical to successful transition to adulthood.
Over the course, participants will:
- Develop an Epic Life Plan that includes long and short-term goals and action plans in four key areas of life (career/work, education, independence, and relationships).
- Through self-awareness exercises and training in problem solving, learn how to identify ineffective thinking and action patterns that may be barriers to success and to develop new strategies to take committed actions.
- Learn active listening skills, including how to show empathy, to enhance their ability to work with their parents and other support people and to enhance existing or new relationships.
Concurrently, parents will be coached during their own weekly group on how to effectively support their youth’s transition. The parent group curriculum will mirror that of the teens/young adults and the course will involve at least 5 weeks of joint work between parents and youth in learning how to set long and short term goals, create actions plans and problem solve around barriers to success.
The course culminates in creating an Epic Life Plan video for each participant in which they are interviewed individually about their strengths, accomplishments, passions, goals and the kind of supports they need for successful transition to adulthood.
The course will be evaluated through several pre-post measures including youth and parent interviews, completion of questionnaires, responses to problem solving scenarios, and report of committed actions taken and results produced within the course and in the month following course completion. By the end of the course, it is expected that participants will be more able to listen actively and show empathy toward peers and parents, work collaboratively with parents, set goals and create action plans, and take committed actions that move them closer to the Epic Life they have designed.
For more information contact:
Robin Brennan (Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services): 905-689-4727 ext. 125
Dr. Rebecca Ward (Brock University, Applied Disability Studies): 905-688-5550 ext. 5778