Year-Round Programs

Look out! ESP is going 360! Starting in fall 2011, we are introducing ESP 360, the beginning stages of an after-school program. Currently, after-school programs are covered by fees, but ESP is working to reduce those fees through fund-raising, and has hopes to offer these services with a full after-school program in fall 2012! Check out our current slate of programs and fees below and contact us to sign up a child or refer a family! .

Super Skills

The very popular Super Skills groups held in 2009 and 2010 are back Thursday afternoons in the fall of 2011. The goal is to teach students with Asperger’s Syndrome and high-functioning Autism a social skills curriculum focused on direct instruction in social behaviors that most people learn through life experiences. COST: $100 per person for 10 sessions

Art

Art Class, offered Mondays, will be taught by Luke, Camp Twin Lakes staff member and UGA art therapy graduate student. Art therapy is shown to give individuals with disabilities another gateway of communication along with increasing various physical, social and emotional skills. We are partnering with a community business and local artists to offer this program, and space is limited. COST: $125-$200 per person — depending on the number of participants — for 10 sessions

Yoga

Yoga has been practiced for 5,000 years, and it has health benefits to offer people of every ability — from increasing strength and flexibility to regaining balance and improving posture. Join us Wednesdays at the ESP building for classes conducted by Yoga Sprouts. Space is limited. COST: $140 per person for 14 sessions

Extra Special Piranhas

It’s ESP’s very own swim team! Whether they’re training for Special Olympics or they simply enjoy being in the water, ESP provides an opportunity throughout the year for our independent swimmers to increase their skills while spending time with their friends. The piranhas meet Tuesdays and Fridays at the YWCO in Athens. COST: $250 per person, per semester; registration is required for participation

ESP Club!

ESP Club meetings are held monthly, generally on the first Saturday of each month, for 4- to 15-year-olds. However, this varies with the football schedule in the fall. Club runs like a half-day of Camp, with a variety of different activities such as sports and games, arts and crafts, music therapy, and snack time. In February, ESP Club is used to rehearse, practice and polish our acts for the Big Hearts Pageant to follow later in the month. COST: $10 per person, per club program attended

No Kids Allowed! (NKA)

This monthly program continues to be popular with the 16-year-old-and-up crowd and in the past has offered dinner and movie nights, attending the UGA Idol competition, board games and cards at a local coffee house, and several other new adventures. In January 2011, a new NKA program was held at the St. Mary’s Wellness Center in Oconee County. The key word for that day was HEALTHY! On the agenda: talks about good personal hygiene, healthy food and snacks, nutrition-based games, and exercise. Other NKA events include karaoke, bowling, mall excursions, and haunted hay rides! COST: $25 per person, per semester

Fall Festival

AutismUGA and Special Olympics UGA have teamed up with ESP to host a fully accessible and FREE festival filled with activities like a bounce house, festival games, a cake walk, fun house, prizes, and food for children with disabilities and their families. Come join the fun. Subscribe to the mailing list for details!

Family Connection

ESP hosts a variety of opportunities for families to meet each other such as the holiday dinner and family bowling nights. ESP also provides educational programs as needed to aid families on Medicaid Waiver information and Disability research-based best practices classes. For more information, join our ESP Family email list.