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Learn about offerings around the city. These include workshops, groups and related community options from CAC providers.
*Click below on the calendar to find additional details under each event.*
Community Feedback.
“PEERs has been a life changer for our daughter. It continues to provide a safe space where she is affirmed and celebrated for who she is while giving her the necessary tools to maneuver neurotypical environments and situations. She is happy and confident again. She believes in herself and has learned how to self-advocate. She is beginning to shine in all situations, even the ones that used to be extremely hard and confusing for her to navigate. I am so thankful we found this program. We both have learned so much and have made lasting connections! Pure gold! ”
“There are many things I can say about Johanna Banks and her impact on our family but one thing I want to discuss in particular is the dinner club. The dinner club consists of autistic children who are 18 and older that meet up each month for dinner and activities to build their social skills.
My daughter Kaitlyn was diagnosed with autism at 14yrs old. Like many autistic kids, she struggled with maintaining friendships with neurotypical girls. She had "friends" but would never connect with them outside of school. The dinner club has enabled her to make friends without having to mask who she really is. She can talk about her interests in a non-judgemental environment. This is a dream come true for our family. We see her growing and wearing a genuine smile on her face.”
-Shawn, Erica, Kaitlyn and Payton G.
"Johanna, I feel so cool. I have my first group of friends that I have always wanted, love you!"
—KG
My son participated in the summer bootcamp for friendship & bullying; he got so much out of it that he asked to participate in the longer program. I do believe the PEERs program has been a game changer for my child; helping him with his communication skills and social interactions. The real world scenarios, coupled with practical exercises and role playing, helped my child build confidence in their skills. I recommend the PEERS program to parents seeking a structured, effective, and supportive approach to help their child thrive socially. It is an outstanding resource to the community for all young adults to build on their social emotional well-being, and Dr Jill & Amy are excellent leaders. -E.R.
“Our teen has been seeing Rachel individually and in group settings for over two years. We had been searching for resources/support for our late-diagnosed teen prior to meeting Rachel and tried several other providers. Quickly we had realized they never seemed to “fit” or truly understand our teen’s needs. Then we were lucky enough to find Rachel. She listens, is compassionate, and understands both the diagnosis and emotional challenges of our teen..then applies her knowledge to her comprehensive treatment plan successfully. We’ve seen such great progress. And our teen actually looks forward to their visits! This is a huge win as meetings with other providers in the past were absolutely dreaded. Rachel is AMAZING!”
Disclaimers.
Please keep in mind that placement on the schedule or Provider Directory list does not constitute approval by the Charlotte Autism Consortium or its members.
Because we do not conduct background checks on the health care providers mentioned here, we cannot make any claims about their licensure, accreditation, or other professional qualifications. You should verify this information with the state licensing boards and/or professional organizations that license them.
It should noted that any social groups listed above do not encourage individuals to mask or suppress who they are as an individual. Rather, they are allowed the opportunities to build friendships with others while also learning the skills for engaging with neuro-typical peers in a meaningful and productive manner. Clinicians emphasize that friendship and participation in groups is a choice and in order to participate in the group, an individual must have a desire to learn more about social skills. These groups celebrate the uniqueness and strengths of its individuals and encourage each member to use and develop those strengths and to only use the skills when they believe they will benefit from doing so.
Our listings may not be used for solicitation, marketing, or canvassing, and providers cannot pay to be included in our directory.
“Neurodiversity is not about changing people. It’s about changing society’s perception of people.”