The ACES (Active Community Experiences in Summer) program is for ages 12-18. ACES has as its focus the development of independent living skills, which are learned through a combination of daily living, social skills, and volunteer activities in the Ottawa-Carleton community.
The WOWEE (World of Work Experience and Exploration) program is for adults 19 and over, and while it is also a lot of fun, it is targeted more towards employment and community living, through a combination of work experience and personal development activities.
What is astounding about the summer learning programs is to discover the level of "learned helplessness" that many youth with developmental disabilities bring with them in an authentic community environment. This only serves to reinforce my belief that school-based simulations do not transfer will to community settings. Such basic activities as boarding a bus or using an elevator proved to be sustantial obstacles for some.
The good news is that many of these challenges can be overcome through a crash course in self-reliance. The problem is evenly split between experience and self-confidence. With proper supports, tremendous gains can be made in a short span of time - provided that the experience and the environment are authentic!
One of the most rewarding aspects of running this sort of program is that the volunteer work and work experience activities add real value to the community in which they live. While we do not want to develop the idea that community service will always bring extrinsic reward, it did not hurt one bit when the local press took an interest in the program: http://www.schoolnet.ca/sne/e/snn/images...
Next month: we'll drop back in on the thrift shop gang (see the July article) and see how they are doing!
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