Families FORWARD

A New Program to Plan for Adult Life!

The transition to adult life can be challenging for families of teens and young adults (youth) on the autism spectrum. Parents and youth often feel unsure about the best way to prepare for adult life. We have developed the Families FORWARD program (Focusing on Relationships, Well-being, and Responsibility aheaD) to provide families with information about the transition to adult life, skills to help work through this transition, and guidance on working toward your family’s individual goals for the future.

**We are looking for the last few families to particiapte in the Families FORWARD program! If full, we’ll consider you for our future larger study. Expect a call from us either way. Thanks for your interest!**

Who can participate:

  • Families currently living in Massachusetts, including:
    • Parents (fluent in English)
    • Youth on the autism spectrum (age 14 to 21 years) (optional)

If your family chooses to participate, here is what we will ask you to do:

Details about the Families FORWARD Program:

What:

  • Participate in 6 or 7 Families FORWARD program sessions.
  • Complete a survey before and after participating in Families FORWARD.
  • After the program ends, tell us what you think about the program through a brief interview.

Where: All meetings will be held on Zoom.

How Long:

  • The program is approximately 3 months total.
  • Each program session is 60- to 75-minutes long.

Who Leads It: A coach with experience working with youth on the autism spectrum and/or their families.

When:

  • Sessions are scheduled once every 2 weeks.
  • At a time that works best for you, including evenings or weekends.

Who Participates:

  • Parents of youth on the autism spectrum (ages 14-21).
  • OPTIONAL: youth can choose to participate in 1, 2, or 3 sessions (approximately 30 minutes each).
  • Youth participation is optional! Parents can still participate if youth chooses not to do so.

Find Contact Details on the Recruitment Flyer

Payment:

  • Families can receive up to $110 for their completion of the surveys at the beginning and the end of the program.
  • (There is no cost to participate!)

Families FORWARD Program Overview

Note: shaded sessions are those in which youth may choose to participate

 

If you are interested in learning more about the Families FORWARD Study, please contact us:

Email: forward@bu.edu

Phone (call or text): 617-315-8914

OR

Fill out this form: Consent to Contact Form, and one of our research team members will contact you.