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Raise The Roof For Autism
Autism Adventure Education
ASD Students & Families
Available Class & Participation Options
Adventure Travel Educates, Enhances and Enriches the Lives of Autistic People.
Our Autism Adventure Education Program combines the structure of disciplined learning with the exciting world of active travel, designed specifically for autistic young adults. We replace animated electronic stimulation with challenging real-life experiences and the thrill of new and exciting destinations around the US and abroad. Expanding participants' horizons beyond a flat screen with guided, tangible, and memorable real life-experiences is core to our mission. Through planned challenges and physical activity, our teaching adventures create higher-order thinking and executive functioning skills. Artfully applied, we assist students and employees form and expand meaningful connections to the real world and the people around them in a way that is both unique and FUN!
Best of all, our lessons are linked to unique and exciting places close to home and around the world! Many of our longest-lasting memories in life are created when our experiences happen at a time and place that is new and unique to us. That is the definition of adventure. Similarly, our 10-week journeys incorporate a large worldview, where students can connect the lessons learned to a place that will be special to them for the rest of their lives.

For Students & Parents (Guardians)
Virtual & In-Person Classes
Raise The Roof For Autism's Life Learning Curriculum is available for ASD-diagnosed high school transition-age juniors, seniors, and all university students. Our online 10-week program is for both students and parents and focuses on the skills needed for a successful transition to adulthood.
Our program utilizes evidence-based practices, including elements of PEERS® social skills training, functional communication training, modeling, self-management, executive functioning skills, and naturalistic interventions to develop further independent living skills, college readiness, and employment skills.
Getting Physical & Unique Perspectives
The Raise The Roof For Autism's physical training and preparation and achievement component is a life-affirming, confidence-building, and life-skills program. Our program culminates with a multiday adventure to a world-class destination.
Each destination is selected, and custom itineraries are built specifically to provide students with positive reinforcement and personal accomplishments.
Reaching Their Personal Summits!
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At Grand Canyon, they become members of the 1% Club without going to the bottom.
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On Mt. Kilimanjaro or Fuji, they reach their peak without going to the top.
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In the Sea of Cortez, they can swim with sea lions and camp (Glamp) on an uninhabited island.
With each life skills-building adventure, participants are engaged in comprehensive, interpretive, and interactive experiences with local experts, guides, and professional educators in a safe environment.

Life-Learning Classes & Adventures
How They Work For Parents and Students
At the heart of RTRFA is an indelible link between the student, appropriate training, and life-learning adventure travel.
The combination artfully incorporates skills learned in the virtual setting into a real-world dynamic, changing classroom. All adventure itineraries are designed to foster and develop group dynamics while exploring new places and sensory environments. Individual learning styles, abilities, and interests are incorporated to encourage choice-based decision-making. Once these links are solidified within the student, they can be generalized into a lasting effect throughout the student's life.

The Take-Away! Participants can look forward to learning the following skills.
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Social communication skills include conversational skills, using humor, rumors, gossip, and choosing appropriate friends.
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Time Management, including seeing time visually and how to plan for long-term projects/activities.
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Problem Solving includes using a decision-making process to determine the best solutions to common problems.
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Organization, including using common everyday tools to help stay organized.
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Budgeting -including how to plan financially for your travel adventure.
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Physical Training includes how to follow an individualized physical training program to ensure success and build confidence.
Join Us On Us On Next Adventure! - On-Boarding Process
Each Student is Individually Assessed By Our Development Team. Complete the short enrollment form here. There is NO OBLIGATION, JUST INFORMATION. A development team member will contact you regarding the student to discuss and help determine if our program is a good fit for the student and family.
All applicants and parents/caregivers submit information through our intake process to determine if the candidate meets entry-level participation criteria.
Once accepted into the program, participant baseline data is gathered using standardized assessments. Participants and parents also participate in a motivational interview. Based on the results obtained during our onboarding process, we assist our participants in determining individual goals and outcomes they want to achieve from their Life-Learning Adventure.

...In Their Own Words...Our Students Speak For Themselves
ARTFUL APPLICATION
Stephen Shore, Ph.D.
“As an educator and a participant in RTRFA’s Conquer The Canyon program in 2021, I appreciated the scientific structure and delivery. But the real “secret sauce” was in its artful application by the staff. Students enjoyed every minute of the guided trip and at the same time put their new skills into practice.”


Sedona Leah 1

Sedona Duo 1

Sedona Duo 2

Sedona Leah 2
5 Days in 4 minutes! Conquer The Canyon w/ the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University.

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1 Minute Student Interviews: Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University
SOUND BYTES
2021/2022 Raise The Roof For Autism
Conquer The Canyon
A.I.M. - The Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University
Brad McGarry Center For Neurodiversity @ Mercyhurst
Student perspectives during their adventure to The Grand Canyon
Red Rock Adventure