Community Cultivation is a work-ready, educational program using a platform of gardening, craft making, and marketing as the teaching tool to give students and young adults skill set to be successful employees. Community Cultivation collaborates with Northwest Colorado BOCES and the local schools to provide Extended School Year programming for both middle school, high school, and transition-aged students who qualify. Collaborations with DVR include job-shadowing, job coaching, and internships.

Social Cognition Therapy: The goal of this individual and small group therapy is to help children with ASD and related disabilities who struggle with social understanding learn and retain life-long skills. This allows them to gain the ability to identify their own behavior deficits, address confusion in social situations, and to help them function successfully with family members, school, in the community, and participate with friends…perhaps for the first time ever!

SuperFlex© Social Thinking: YVA works as part of the Steamboat Springs School District to deliver Superflex© directly into elementary school classrooms and train educators. This not only supports children receiving Social Cognition Therapy, but also teaches the general student population strategies to understand the functions of behavior, identify negative behaviors, learn positive replacement behaviors, effectively avoid and resolve conflict, and learn to work as part of a diverse group. It has proven to be effective as an anti-bullying curriculum for the district.

ABA Therapy: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the Gold Standard of intensive life-changing behavioral therapy. YVA has a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) on staff to provide ABA therapy and may be able to provide support funds, and services to assist with the costs not covered by insurance companies based on need.

Teen Social Coaching: This is a 16-week curriculum from UCLA called PEERS which teaches teens with ASD and other special needs social rules and expectations to gain success in the complex social world. The curriculum is followed up with individual sessions as needed.

(Students Transitioning Reaching Independent Direction Education in Steamboat): YVA works with the local school districts to be the provider for transition education to 18-21 year-old qualifying students. The federally required public education includes vocational development and work insertion, health management, adult life-skills, social needs, transportation skills, and community connections to prepare for adult life.

Special Activity Support: YVA provides one-on-one support to provide the opportunity for our kids participate in outside of school activities with their peers. These include After-School programs, School Days Off, Winter Sports Club, Tennis, 4-H, summer camps, and more.

Education Resources: YVA presents and sponsors highly qualified speakers and workshops for current topics relevant to the local autism community, and distributes current articles and webinars to stakeholders. YVA has an extensive resource library.

Emergency Financial & Family Support: The financial strain on families with an intensive need child can be overwhelming, and YVA can provide emergency assistance based on need.

Local Autism Support Group meetings: YVA holds Autism Support Group meetings in Routt and Moffat Counties. This helps spread information, provides “Think Tank” discussions, and gives a chance for families to meet and share experiences.

Autism Advocacy: YVA is a resource of referral for local and national services and programs, and also act in an advocacy role when determining the best direction forward for families.

Public Awareness: YVA has an important role to promote awareness and disseminate accurate current information about ASD and special needs. YVA promotes public awareness through educator training, media events, publishes articles, and shares newsworthy information on the YVA website and social media.