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What Is Community Connections?

Summer programs for children with social cognition delays have been significantly lacking in the community. Children with these challenges often require structured and direct social opportunities to acquire fundamental social and communitive skills.  Camp Puzzle Peace is excited to offer the Community Connections summer program.  This program targets development of key social competencies using direct instruction, fun and engaging practice exercises, and recreational activities in a summer camp format.

Community Connections is designed for children and adolescents entering grade 1- age 22 with social interaction difficulties. This program is open to the public (no diagnosis needed), and has been proven especially effective for individuals with autism and related disabilities through a series of research studies conducted with Canisius College and University at Buffalo. 

Community Connections provides 4 weeks (approximately 150 hours) of individual and group-based social skill instruction. Direct instruction focuses on role play with immediate feedback as well as fun group activities that allow a child to practice skills in a social setting. 

Community Connections 2025:

Dates: TBD

Time: 8:30a-2:30p

Cost: $2540 for Full Day program, $1385 for Half Day program (these are 2024 costs. 2025 costs TBD but will be similar)

Location: TBD

Eligibility

Community Connections is designed for children and adolescents entering grades 1-12 (approx. ages 6-18) or in a transition program with social interaction difficulties. This program is open to the public.

Community Connections provides 4 weeks (approximately 150 hours) of individual and group-based social skill instruction. Direct instruction focuses on role play with immediate feedback as well as fun group activities that allow a child to practice skills in a social setting.

This program has been proven effective for individuals with autism and related disabilities through a series of research studies conducted with Canisius College and University at Buffalo.

Throughout the day, children are positively reinforced for using appropriate social and friendship skills and are rewarded for positive behavior.

A Typical Day….

Each day, children participate in multiple small, group-based social skills sessions, followed by age-appropriate recreational activities designed to practice targeted social skills. Some common areas that are targeted are:

  • Following directions
  • Attending to and participating in group-based activities
  • Requesting and accepting assistance
  • Staying organized
  • Completing challenges
  • Joining a group
  • Work based social skills for older students

Weekly parent sessions provide caregivers with strategies to promote their child’s social interactions and extend the gains of the program to other settings.

Sample Daily Schedule

8:00 - Arrival
8:40 - Social Skill Lesson 1
9:00 - Skill Practice Activity 1
9:50 - Break
10:00 - Social Skill Lesson 2
10:20 - Skill Practice Game/Activity 2 
11:10 - Break
11:20 - Lunch
11:50 - Social Skill Lesson 3
12:10 - Skill Practice Game/Activity 3
1:00 - Break
1:10 - Social Skill Lesson 4
1:30 - Skill Practice Game/Activity 4
2:00 - Review Day

Staffing

The student staff ratio is 8:3 with a Special Education Teacher running the sessions. A Behavior Specialist will be on site at all times during camp.