The excitement, wildness and splendor that is the CLE Summer Exploration Program took place once again this year from June 25th to July 14th. There is nothing quite like this program, even year to year it’s so very different and unique with each fabulous group of 30 or so neurodiverse young adults.
By Scott Allen, Psy.D., Director of Psychological Services, CLE Austin As a kid [...]
The summer months bring fresh opportunities for engaging with the community, exploring the outdoors, and expanding social experiences. Unfortunately, the summer heat can also serve as a detour for getting outside. Rather than letting the heat be a barrier, use the heat as a tool to promote engaging in extraordinary activities.
The general public has significantly less understanding of how disabilities impact people. No matter how many times you mention it, or talk about it, they may never get it. They may be able to understand a little bit or have a surface-level knowledge or understanding about disabilities, but they never really know how it affects people every day.
Have you been part of a conversation that feels as if you and the other participant are having two separate conversations? Most of us can answer yes to that question. If the conversation is covering a difficult subject, this creates a whole other can of worms to think about. So how can we talk about difficult subjects with more ease?
What happens if you leave an anonymous box in the common room of your local CLE center for a month and ask students to share topics they do not feel comfortable bringing up in person? If you’re like me, you might expect a few funny musings or adolescent jokes or possibly just a little bit of lint and maybe some random crumbs. You might be surprised at just how revealing your students can be.
Many psychologists believe that positive education can decrease depression in younger people. More specifically, the goal is to enable students to engage their own combination of character strengths.
Unlike many traditional measures of success, grit is not tied to intelligence, luck, or talent. Grit is a supportive attribute when it comes to challenging experiences and college is often a challenging experience. According to research, individuals who obtain an associate's degrees are, on average, more hardy/gritty than those who get bachelor's degree.
During my first two years of High School, I was notorious for procrastinating and going to great lengths to avoid work — even going to the extent of throwing away my math homework, so my dad would not know that I wasn’t doing it.
Things that are normal for CLE students to do can be challenges for them and thus they need the structure and support of their schedules to accomplish them and maintain their lives. Through this structure, a CLE student can work their way to not only independence but also towards living a full and successful life.
