Life Skills & Apartment Living
For Neurodiverse Students
CIP's Full-Year Transition Program helps young adults with autism, ADHD, and learning differences develop independent living skills and competencies within a supported and structured apartment setting
Life skills are the building blocks of happy and productive lives
CIP’s Life Skills Team helps to teach and model key skills and competencies for college-age students with autism, ADHD, and other learning differences to practice and generalize within their own households. CIP students receive individually tailored independent living services within their residence based on their unique needs and levels of competence.
Several structured weekly social activities are planned each week offering fun recreational and leisure opportunities within the community. CIP students live year-round in a furnished apartment setting and each student has their own bedroom and shares common areas with at least one roommate.
- Engage in productively exploring and connecting within the community
- Ensure a high level of health and safety within one's living environment and the community
- Build life skills competencies and routines to support interdependence
Financial Budgeting
Individual & Group Cooking Instruction
Cleaning & Organization Supports
Planning & Attending Social Activities
Supported Apartment Living
Neurodivergent young adults enrolled in CIP’s Full-Year Transition Program reside in high-quality fully-furnished apartments conveniently located very close to CIP’s Center and to one another. Our students have one to four CIP student roommates depending on their location and housing arrangements. Each student has their own bedroom and a shared bathroom, kitchen, and living room.
Our students receive individualized support related to their unique learning needs focused on areas such as cooking instruction; executive functioning, time management and organization; roommate meetings, and other specialized approaches that support the development of competencies and further independence.
- Fully furnished apartments with a full kitchen
- Your own bedroom
- On-site and/or in-unit laundry
- Walkable to grocery stores, banks, and other amenities
- 24/7 on-call staffing availability
- 3-4 structred fun social activities weekly
- Clubs and other interest groups
- High speed WIFI internet
Apartment Upkeep
As part of the year-round independent living experience, our young adults with autism and learning differences learn apartment upkeep skills in order to maintain their own living environment. Students learn and apply executive functioning and social skills and strategies as they work collaboratively with their CIP student apartment-mates. Organizational tools such as checklists and visual management techniques are often utilized as CIP students learn to generalize the routines needed to maintain their living space and live more independently.
Socialization & Recreation
An active social life is an important component of CIP’s Life Skills Program. Weekends at CIP are for much needed recreation and leisure. Numerous unique and fun recreational activities and other social events are planned for each weekend. In order to facilitate and build social connections, social activities are required.
To facilitate greater levels of independence at CIP, students can participate in the planning process and also plan their own independent weekend activities. Each Center offers a student lounge; a place to drop in during unstructured time to socialize connect with others. CIP’s active social schedule helps foster social connections, teach travel skills, learn financial budgeting, and build self-confidence.
Cooperative Cooking
CIP provides valuable instruction and help students learn to cook successfully for themselves and friends in their own apartments. Group cooking modules, menu planning, and grocery shopping are also provided as a part of CIP’s Life Skills program. A weekly potluck takes place where everyone is invited to bring a favorite dish.
