Between The Trees
A specialized coaching and mentorship program for children and youth that focuses on social-emotional and life skills
Overview
Between the Trees (BTT) is an out-of-school mentorship program that supports children aged 6–18 in the development of communication, social-emotional, academic and functional life skills. BTT is specialized for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other forms of neurodiversity. BTT provides the following services:
- Life skills and social skills programs
- Out-of-school learning support/tutoring
Between the Trees is not a registered school, nor are its affiliates Vancouver Outdoor School. BTT is designed to fulfill the AFU’s criteria for eligible autism intervention programming.
Schedule
We offer flexibility and choice to the parents/guardians:
- Before or after school
- Twelve months per year
- Seven days per week
BTT is a multi-disciplinary team of experts
Jeff Willis, Child & Youth Worker (CYW) is the Director of BTT.
He offers family support, resources, and strategies for the creation of functional assessments and individualized plans for children and families.
We work closely with Nenno Behavioural Consultation Services (based on family preference) who has provided Letters of Recommendation for past BTT autism intervention services that have been approved for AFU funding.
Under Jeff Willis’ supervisions, our instructors receive autism-specific training including strategies, methodologies, and approaches for working with children/youths with ASD, and other forms of neurodiversity, that reflect the always-evolving nature of the field. Our staff and associated service providers hold a variety of relevant certifications including, but limited to: BC teaching certificate, M.Ed, B.Ed, ECE, and/or BI.
What services do we provide?
- Individualized small-group social integration plans that include intensive 1:1 transitioning into small-group 1:6 settings with similar-aged peers;
- Experiential & place-based curriculum that focuses on skill development in: communication, life & social, leadership, physical & food literacy, personal safety, inclusivity, and self-efficacy;
- Designed to support all children, including those with ASD and/or other neurodiverse designations, identified learning and/or behavioural challenges, and/or complex emotions;
- Occurs in local communities and the outdoors (eg. familiar local parks) as well as a wide variety of community and outdoor environments (eg. community centres, forests);
- Takes into account times of transition (eg. middle school to high school; high school to adulthood) and life opportunities (eg. employment; recreation; social networks);
- Academic support and tutoring.
What services do we not provide?
- We are not a registered school
- We do not provide child care
- We do not provide respite
- We do not provide general recreation lessons
Interested or want to learn more?
