General Program Questions
While many of our students have diagnoses including Autism, ADHD, and social anxiety, a referral or diagnosis is NOT necessary for participation in our program. We determine if the program is a good fit for your child’s needs through the enrollment meeting process.
Who do you serve?
We serve children ages 8-18 in our Aspiring Youth Programs. Our groups, camps, and coaching services are a good fit for students needing extra support with social skills from initiating play to sustaining conversations to navigating the complex social dynamics of high school. For young adult services, see DelphiYoungAdults.com.
How do I enroll?
If you’re new to AY, contact us at (206) 517-0241 or info@aspiringyouth.net with any initial questions you may have and to schedule a free enrollment meeting for you and your child. If the program is a good fit, parents will receive a registration email with instructions on how to create an account and enroll. Please do not register for an account before attending your enrollment meeting. If we have determined our program is not a good fit for your child at this time, you will be contacted by a Program Manager for a follow-up discussion and possible referrals. For returning students: parents can simply log-in to your existing account to sign up!
Where do enrollment meetings take place?
Enrollment meetings are scheduled are being held online at this time, and are attended by the parent/guardian and child.
How long are enrollment meetings?
Enrollment meetings are typically scheduled for 30 minutes.
Do I need to bring anything to my enrollment meeting?
All enrollment paperwork is completed online prior to the meeting, so all you need to bring is yourself and your child.
How much does the enrollment meeting cost?
Enrollment meetings are free to help us determine the best group fit for your child.
Who are your staff/what are their qualifications?
Our staff have diverse backgrounds in special education, speech and language pathology, social work, mental health therapy, and other related fields. All groups are supervised by masters-level professionals and all staff have experience working with neurodiverse students.
How is bullying handled at your organization?
Students need to feel safe in our groups and camps in order to take chances and learn new skills. Staff set expectations for behavior and work with students and parents to address any problems that may arise.
How is Aspiring Youth associated with Ryther?
AY is a program of Ryther, which is a community mental health center for children, youth, and families. Learn more about Ryther’s programs here.
Social Skills
Our groups take place after-school on weekdays and on the weekends and we have locations in Seattle, Kirkland, Bellevue, and online. For a complete schedule visit our social skills groups page.
How long do groups run?
Sessions are 75 minutes long and groups meet once per week for 10-week cycles (fall, winter, and spring).
How big is each social skills group?
Group size varies depending on the age, location, and activity but ranges from 4-16. We keep a 4:1 student to staff ratio, and larger groups are typically broken into smaller groups based on learning style and individual needs.
How much do groups cost?
Groups are $650 per quarter (10 weeks). Certain groups may run for shorter cycles due to holidays, and the fee will be prorated accordingly. Discounts may be available for multiple group enrollments. Contact the office for more information.
What is an Age-based and/or discussion-based social skills group?
Explorers, Navigators, Teen Crew, and Healthy Relationships groups center around an age-appropriate group discussion of a weekly theme. Facilitators get to know their students before selecting the topics that are most relevant for their group. The second half of group gives students an opportunity to practice skills through invivo games and activities.
What is are game-based/activity-based, and/or Role Playing social skills group?
These groups teach social skills within the context of a particular activity. Rock-Climbing, Swimming, Running, Bowling, Art, Dungeons and Dragons, and Tabletop Gaming etc. all offer opportunities to engage students in a fun activity while working on sportsmanship, teamwork, body awareness, and perspective-taking.
Summer Camps
The age-based camps center around field trips into the community and adventures outdoors. Campers complete habitat restoration projects at Ravenna Park as well as other locations and receive a $15 stipend for their work. Throughout the week, campers travel to different parks and participate in free-choice activities which may include building and inventing projects, tabletop gaming, kickball games, art activities, and nature walks. Thursdays are rotating field trips to favorites such as the Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo, Pump It Up, Pinball Museum, Living Computers Museum, MoPOP, and the Pacific Science Center, among others.
What kind of activities do the theme based camps participate in?
Theme-based camps start the day with activities related to the camp theme (Video Production, Theater, Building and Inventing, Art, D&D etc.). In the afternoon, campers go on field trips to local parks and participate in free-choice activities including scavenger hunts, games, and art projects. Thursdays include bigger field trips based on the interests of the group (beaches, museums, on-site locations for filming or theater, etc.).
What time does camp begin and end?
Camp typically runs from 9:30am – 3:30pm, Monday – Thursday; some camps run 9:00am-3:00pm Monday – Thursday.
Is there before and/or after care available?
Yes, we offer before and after care at our Seattle (Ryther), Bellevue, and Redmond locations from 8am to 5:30pm. Before and after care is not available at any other location.
Please note that due to the current health and safety guidelines, we are not offering Before and After care for the 2022 cycle of Summer camps.
What is the camper to counselor ratio?
4:1
What is the minimum commitment to participate in summer camp?
We have a 2-week minimum for Explorers, Navigators, and Girls Rule! camps, and a 3-week minimum for Teen Crew. Parents are strongly encouraged to select consecutive weeks but it is not required.
Where are camps offered?
Currently, we offer age-based camps in NE Seattle, West Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond. Theme-based camps are offered in NE Seattle and Bellevue. Visit our summer camps page to see a full listing of dates/locations. Please note that due to the current health and safety guidelines, we will not be running camps in our West Seattle and Redmond locations for the 2022 cycle of Summer camps.
Payment/Registration
Groups are $675 per quarter (10 weeks). Certain groups may run for shorter cycles due to holidays and the fee will be prorated accordingly. Discounts may be available for multiple group enrollments. Contact the office for more information.
How much does individual coaching cost?
Coaching fees are $125 per hour and are not covered by insurance, DDA respite or IFS waiver funds. At this time, coaching is only available to participants in our programs that have been identified as needing coaching services to be successful in groups.
How much are your summer camps?
All age-based summer camps are $650 per week. Families who register for 7 or more weeks of age-based camps will receive a discount. Most themed camps are two-week session for a total of $1,300.
How much is before and after care for summer camp?
We are unable to offer Before and After care for the 2024 summer cycle.
Are payment plans available?
We offer payment plan options for in-person summer camps, which parents can select when registering online. Plan options may not be available after the registration deadline of May 31st.
Can I split payment with a co-guardian/parent/grandparent or other entity?
Unfortunately due to a limitation of our software we are unable to split payments between co-guardians/parents/grandparents or other entity. This includes any agreement made between you and any outside agency.
Do you accept insurance?
No, our services are not considered medical treatment and are not reimbursable by health insurance.
Do you accept DDA funds?
Yes, we accept both DDA Respite and IFS waiver funds for in-person groups and camps; online groups are not covered at this time. Contact your case manager to ensure services are covered and you have sufficient funds. Parents are responsible for any fees not covered or reimbursed by DDA/IFS. We are contracted under our agency’s name – Ryther.
How do I apply DDA funds to program fees?
Create an account, complete the registration forms, and select your programs as you normally would. During registration, select the option to indicate that you will be using DDA funding and fill out your case manager’s contact information. Please read the instructions listed carefully. You do not need to make any payment if you are using DDA and will be able to note that you are using DDA at the checkout. You may continue to see a balance on your account until we manually adjust your cart balance to zero. We then invoice DDA directly for the services we provide. If there is not enough funding available, we will notify you and send you an invoice for the remaining balance.
Please be aware that due to a recent change in their policies, DDA will no longer pay for our online social skills groups.
Are scholarships available?
Yes, we have a scholarship application for summer camp that is available during the registration process. Scholarships are only available to families who have attended an enrollment meeting with us and have been approved to join our program. Scholarships are limited and need-based. Please contact our office at info@aspiringyouth.net for more information and/or to set up an enrollment meeting.
Scholarships for groups are considered on a case-by-case basis due to fluctuations in funding availability and current group enrollment. You can find details on group scholarships during the online registration process.
The Summer Camp Scholarship deadline is May 1st.
Social Skill Group Scholarship deadline is the two weeks before the start of each cycle.
Are there any other organizations that provide scholarship money that can be applied towards AY programs?
Students with an Autism diagnosis may be eligible for Ben’s Fund, which can be applied to camp and group fees. Please see https://www.bensfund.org/ for details.
I’ve applied for a Ben’s Fund grant but don’t know when I’ll hear back. Can we get a refund if we pay first and receive the grant after the group/camp has started?
No, in order to apply a Ben’s Fund grant to services we must receive at least the confirmation letter prior to the start date of the group/camp. If you receive the grant after you have already paid, you may apply the grant to future services.
What is your refund policy for social skills groups and camps?
Summer Camp Refund Policy
Coaching
Contact us to get initial information, answer our intake questions and join our waitlist.
What is covered during a coaching session?
Coaching sessions are tailored to meet the needs of the student and may cover a variety of topics and skills.
Employment/Volunteering
Aspiring Youth accepts volunteers pursuing higher education in related fields who are looking for more experience working with neurodiverse children.
Do volunteers undergo any training?
Volunteers work closely with group facilitators and don’t lead groups themselves.
I am interested in working at AY. How can I apply?
Job openings are posted on both our employment page and Ryther’s employment page. If we do not have a current opening, you are welcome to send in a cover letter and resume to info@aspiringyouth.net and we will keep it on file.
