Organization: iCan House Services Inc
Mission: With a foundation in positive thinking, iCan House seeks to enhance the lives of those with social challenges by teaching social skills, providing educational opportunities, maintaining a hub for local resources, and providing a support network for those in need.iCan House serves youth and adults with social impairments such as found in Asperger's Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and other developmental disabilities. Simple social "rules" elude these young people and create challenges that affect their educational achievement, job prospects, relationships, and ability to live independently. By teaching and helping youth and adults develop practical skills for the real world, iCan House helps them become successful, contributing members of our community.
Activities: iClub (ages 8-14): a weekly social interaction club designed for children and adolescents with social difficulties. Participants engage in fun learning activities while interacting with others and learning socials skills. This environment enables iClub participants to make new friends in a safe, structured environment where they can be themselves, thereby gaining the confidence necessary for success in the real world and increasing their self-esteem.
Meet-n-Eat - An adult social club (ages 18+) for those with social skills deficits, who are looking to improve their social skills and meet new people. Members partake in multiple social activities each month, including a "night out on the town," movie night, dinner and social discussion at iCan House, activity planning sessions and more.
Real World Connections (ages 14-21): a weekly, single-sex social skills club focused on aiding adolescents to form bonds with their peers and unravel the mysteries of puberty and maturity as they prepare for adulthood. Groups also interact with typically developing peers in their sessions, which allows program participants to gain valuable perspectives from their peers. An additional benefit has been that this interface allows typically developing teens to gain a better understanding and tolerance of these differences.
NTEE category: Human Services
Secondary category: Mental Health & Crisis Intervention