Children and Youth Program

The Arc’s year-round Out-of-School Program, partially funded by The Children’s Trust, provides services for After school, Winter/Spring break, and Summer camp children, primarily with disabilities, in addition to typically developing role models, aged 6 weeks – 14 years depending on location.  Wherever possible, families with siblings without disabilities will be included as role models, through Children’s Trust funded slots, private pay or alternate funding, so siblings can be served in one inclusive location.

With a fun and safe program focus for children, Out-of-School programming also comprises inclusive activities for literacy, fitness activities, social skills, family involvement, nutritional activities, multisensory environment room enhancement, creative arts, summer swimming and field trips following research based approved curricula.

Program in part funded by:

The Arc prioritizes the crucial role of family in a child’s life, and to reinforce this, its Children and Youth Department implements the Group Triple P Positive Parenting Program. This initiative, partially supported by The Children’s Trust, strives to enrich familial bonds and empower individuals to effectively nurture their children. Triple P’s objectives include bolstering parental skills and confidence, addressing anticipated social, emotional, and behavioral challenges in children, and discouraging punitive disciplinary measures. The Arc hosts multiple cycles of Group Triple P in Kendall, Miami Gardens and Florida City annually, providing opportunities for families to learn, share experiences, offer mutual support, and refine their parenting techniques collectively.

Program in part funded by:

The aim of outreach services is to provide physical, occupational and speech therapies within the community at a reasonable cost.  The following is a list of services included in The Arc’s of South Florida’s Outreach Services:

Physical Therapy

• Gross Motor Skills: For strength, flexibility, position, balance and coordination
• Functional Outcomes: Setting individual attainable goals
• Gait Training & Analysis: To learn and correct upright body movements during walking
• Wheel Chair Assessment & Adjustment

 Occupational Therapy

• Perceptual Fine Motor Skills: To enhance upper extremity movement and coordination and to facilitate activities for school and self-care
• Sensory Integration Activities: To help correct and mature the sensory system
• Cognitive Training: To improve learning skills and other related activities
• Visual Perceptual: To improve awareness and visual clues within the environment
• Activities in Daily Living: Self care training and related activities
• Functional Outcomes: Setting individual attainable goals

 Speech Therapy

• Oral -Motor: Working with the muscles of the mouth and face
• Stimulation Through Feeding: Teaching how to suck, swallow and chew through activities and manual stimulation
• Improvement of Receptive & Expressive Language Skills: Learning how to receive information, enhancement of communication skills

Multi-Sensory Environment Experiences

Specially trained teachers lead students with severe disabilities and sensory impairments in sensory stimulation with lighting, tactile experiences, cause/effect items and sound effects. Students access and manipulate specialized assistive technology specifically designed to impact self awareness and aid learning, through integration of cognitive, physical, sensory and social capacities.

These outreach services are available at our centers located at 756 W. Palm Drive, Florida City and 11025 SW 84^th Street, Cottage 6, Kendall and are provided by experienced, licensed, professional therapists and staff. Medicaid, Medipass, or self-pay is accepted.