Families for Effective Autism Treatment

(FEAT) of Washington

The Experience Learning Project

This page was last updated: February 22, 2010

About the Experience Learning Project

The Experience Learning Project is FEAT of Washington's model service learning program targeted towards teens with high functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger's Syndrome. 

Clinically, the Experience Learning Project works with teens to improve their self-management and social problem solving skills within a service learning context. 

Teens who participate in the E.L.P. program enjoy:

•improved social thinking

•improved social problem solving

•improved  knowledge of the concept of service and service provision

In terms of their Social Thinking skills, teens who participate in the E.L.P. enjoy:

•Improved empathy

•Improved self-control

•Improved ability to understand the perspectives of others

•Improved ability to predict the social and emotional outcomes on other of their behavior

•Improved ability to recognize feelings in self and others

In terms of their Social Problem Solving skills, teens who participate in the E.L.P. enjoy:

•Improved impulse control

•Improved social communication skills

•Improved ability to identify and ameliorate sources of personal

stress

•Improved decision making in social situations

•Improved anger management

Program Calendar

During the summer months, the E.L.P. operates as a series of two, 2-week day programs that run Monday through Fridays from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

While we encourage all applying teens to attend all four (4) weeks of the program, teens must enroll in ELP for a minimum of two (2) of the four (4) weeks that the program will run.

We will announce specific dates for the E.L.P. program in April 2010

Please refer to the program's Google calendar (below) for schedule questions.

Meet the Leadership Team of the Experience

Learning Project

Michael Fabrizio, Ph.C., BCBA - Clinical Services Director

Rose Feddock, M.S, BCBA - Program Director

Ali McManus, M.A. - Program Director

Why Service Learning?

The E.L.P. helps teens improve their social problem solving and social thinking skills while the teens participate in service learning activities. 

Service-learning aims to build knowledge, character, and civic skills in young people by combining service to the community with learning in other key areas. By directly linking service to these other key areas, service-learning creates a place for service that is integrated into a program's main goal: clinical intervention.

A good service-learning program reinforces specific educational and clinical objectives - such as developing students’ social thinking skills, teaching them how to communicate more effectively, or improving students' social problem solving skills - while also engaging students in meaningful and structured community service.

Service-learning offers a unique opportunity for young people  to get involved with their communities in a tangible way by integrating service projects with  learning. Service-learning engages students in the  process, using what they learn in educational or clinical settings to solve real-life problems.  Students become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.

For its service learning component, the E.L.P. and FEAT of Washington partner with several local groups including:

Red Cross of King County

Ten Thousand Villages

Bellevue Youth Theatre

Seattle Aquarium

Washington Conservation Corps

E.L.P. Enrollment Status 

The E.L.P. will begin accepting applications for its Summer 2010 session in April 2010.  Please check back here to access the 2010 application.

E.L.P. Program Costs and Payments

For families who pay the costs of the ELP program out of their own pockets, FEAT of Washington will subsidize the cost of the ELP tuition and charge families the following fees:

2-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $1,100.00 tuition ($550.00 per week)

3-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $1,525.00 tuition ($508.33 per week)

4-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $1,875.00 tuition ($468.75 per week)

For families who receive funding through third-party payers such as school districts, private insurance companies, or the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), FEAT will not be able to subsidize the cost of ELP tuition, and will charge those third-party payers the following fees:

2-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $1,320.00 tuition ($660.00 per week)

3-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $1,980.00 tuition ($660.00 per week)

4-week enrollment = $100.00 application fee + $2,640.00 tuition ($660.00 per week)

FEAT will accept both respite care funding and/or behavior management funding through the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) for enrolling students who are pre-approved for these services. 

FEAT’s ELP program is approved for reimbursement of up to 80% of the program’s costs for Microsoft employees under their ABA/Autism benefit administered through Premera. 

To download  the informational flyer including rate information, click HERE.