A Wellness Incentive to Empower Health and Community

• By: Kenneth Mann, PsyD Nicholas Primavera, MS, MBA Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Annie Bridson Shames JCC on the Hudson
• April 4th, 2025
• adults, community, cooking, empowerment, exercise, fitness program, life skills training, neurodivergent, sensory-friendly, Spring 2025 Issue, support, wellness
• 112    0

There is a plethora of research that has documented the importance of physical activity and wellness interventions specific to the neurodivergent population. A recent meta-analysis of 22 studies that included 763 young adults with ASD indicated that physical activity interventions improved the...

The Value of Facilitating Social Groups for Autistic Adults in a Community Mental Health Setting

• By: Kenneth Mann, PsyD Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
• October 4th, 2024
• 2024 Issue, autistic adults, community mental health, emotional regulation, group therapy, interpersonal relationships, self-efficacy, social connections, social skills development
• 1562    0

Providing comprehensive and meaningful therapeutic services for autistic adult clients in a community mental health center requires offering a range of therapeutic groups within which a client can work to reach their potential in a way that might not be possible via individual therapy sessions...

Helping Autistic Individuals Navigate Barriers to Adulthood

• By: Kenneth Mann, PsyD Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
• October 2nd, 2023
• adults, autonomy, Fall 2023 Issue, housing, identity, independence, independent living, psychological interventions, transition to adulthood, young adults
• 1551    0

An adult on the spectrum can accomplish or achieve everything his/her/their cohort who is not on the spectrum has accomplished or achieved, and yet not be rewarded with that same level of independence and autonomy for his/her/their efforts (Cheak-Zamora, Tait & Coleman, 2022). Although young...