Who are Beyond Akeela Teens?
Teens who have successful summers at Beyond Akeela are kind and creative, and enjoy interacting with peers. They have average to above average intellectual capacity and thrive in structured settings that provide support socially and with executive functioning. They are considering a variety of college options and are motivated to work on post-secondary transitional skills.
Some Beyond Akeela teens have a diagnosis of ASD 1 (Autism Spectrum Disorder) similar to what was formerly called Asperger’s. Others may have ADD/ADHD (inattentive type) or a social-based learning difference such as NLD (or NVLD). While not all campers have a diagnosis, they all share a desire for more fulfilling social connections. Families often report that, without facilitation, their teens find more success socializing with younger children or adults.
Our partnership with you
We love partnering with families to mutually assess if Beyond Akeela will meet their high school student’s college readiness goals. It is the most important part of our jobs! The best first step to help us work with you is to complete the Beyond Akeela Inquiry Form so we can start to get to know your teen. Or simply give us a call anytime!
Beyond Akeela teens typically do best when they:
- Know what to expect going into an activity or event
- Get a preview of transitions ahead of time
- Socialize in a structured environment with established expectations
- Are given step-by-step instructions to support their executive functioning
- Have a trusted adult/mentor they can go to when they have a question, concern, or are upset
Successful Beyond Akeela teens must be able to:
- Live cooperatively with a roommate
- Independently manage acts of daily living, with some staff prompting, as needed
- Engage in reciprocal conversations with peers and staff members with the understanding that staff are available to help facilitate conversations … Beyond Akeela teens are verbally fluent
- Function within a staff-to-camper ratio of 1-to-6 in a group of 50 peers
- Utilize coping skills to manage social anxiety and other mental health challenges without the presence or support of a therapist or psychologist
Beyond Akeela campers DO NOT exhibit the following behaviors, nor can our staff provide a successful experience to teens who:
- Have behavioral outbursts or meltdowns
- Are physically impulsive
- Have a history of physical or verbal aggression
- Are oppositional defiant or refuse to participate in less preferred activities
- Require one-to-one behavioral support or consistent prompting to stay on task during activities or in class
