Reach for the Stars Learning Center (RFTS) strives to provide a continuum of social opportunities for all of our students. Structured teaching is provided to allow students to acquire the prerequisite social skills needed to advance toward further opportunities. Students additionally participate in social skills groups where they learn parallel play, attending, joint attention, functional play, collaborative play, turn taking and the rules of social interaction. RFTS recognizes that each student may need a different level of social support. The one-to-one instruction that RFTS provides serves to facilitate this social support and provides opportunities for growth and advancement within the social and peer interaction domain. Experienced instructors aid in facilitating these interactions and the appropriate level of support that is necessary for each given student. Social and generalization goals are worked on during regularly scheduled community outings and interactions. Objectives during these outings include safely transitioning and navigating the community (i.e. navigating cross walks and recognizing street signs), generalizing academic skills (such as monetary exchange), self-awareness and self-management. Instructors use every opportunity to teach and assist in the student's acquisition of skills. Our team of instructors and departmental supervisors collaborate to determine when a child's skills are ready to be generalized to more inclusive educational and social settings.
RFTS has also created a number of innovative socialization programs which take place outside the classroom setting to promote social skills and peer interactions in a manner more reflective of typical life activity. See Outreach and Inclusion
