Autism Support Center

The Autism Support Center (ASC) meets the needs of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders by offering specialized recreational programs, information and referral services, clinical support, educational services, and parent and sibling support groups. The Autism Support Center annually serves more than 1,200 individuals.

In late spring of 2021, the Autism Support Center was awarded the state contract to provide adult services for individuals on the Autism Spectrum with no intellectual disabilities across the entire Metro Region. The contract afforded Lifeworks the opportunity to hire additional staff for the Center: an Associate Director and two additional Autism Support Specialists for the Adult ASC.

Each month the Center offers two in-person groups and four Zoom groups. Group highlights included attending a Boston Celtics game, Boston Comic Con, Anime Boston, and Canobie Lake Park. Online groups included Star Wars and Sports & Movies, as well as a Trivia Night.

The Autism Support Center also began offering additional contracted adult services, such as Adult Companion, Coaching and In-Home Supports.

The Center’s Children & Families service area established new community partnerships with Ursuline Academy, We Rock the Spectrum, an Adaptive Photographer, and The Lark Center, to expand family activities and foster community inclusion. Vacation and gap week family programs are steadily increasing, with the Center hosting events for children and families like the Ursuline Halloween Party; a New Year’s party at Norwood VFW that included photography, adaptive woodworking and cookie decorating; a family barbecue; magician; outdoor movie; and our first post-pandemic trip to Patriot Place, in which 75 people participated.