Non Profit After School Program Special Needs

Ala Costa students are introduced to a variety of creative programming to unlock their interests and promote expression in a number of mediums (i.e. art, music). All students have emerging or hidden talents and abilities, and this program provides an avenue to develop different means to express personal creativity through recreational interests.

When children have opportunities to develop executive function and self-regulation skills, they will experience lifelong benefits. Executive function and self-regulation skills depend on three types of brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. These skills are crucial for learning and development. Ala Costa students actively engage in student centered and peer interaction activities with appropriate support to become active participants and decision makers in their program and lives.

Inquiry-based learning is a type of active learning that encourages students to ask questions, conduct research, make mistakes, and explore new ideas. This approach to learning helps Ala Costa students develop critical thinking, peer reflection, and problem solving skills in real time.

Ala Costa students are encouraged to participate and engage with their peers to improve social skills, participate in group dynamics, and make group based negotiation and decisions within their program every day. They are actively supported by staff through play, recreation, and leisure activities that promote interaction with one another versus a primary adult.

Ala Costa students are provided real time opportunities, every day to develop Self-Advocacy skills. Self- Advocacy is an individual’s ability to effectively communicate, convey, negotiate or assert his or her own interests, desires, needs and rights. It involves making informed decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions. Self-advocacy gives students the confidence to ask for the tools they need to be successful in the real world, and to take ownership of their decisions by developing the ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you.

Adaptive skills are defined as practical, everyday skills needed to function and meet the demands of one’s environment, including the skills necessary to effectively and independently take care of oneself and to interact with other people. Ala Costa students are provided support to grow student independence in all areas of life, from personal care needs, to activities of daily living, communication, and social interation.