Teen Time Program

The Autism Tree Teen Time Program was founded by Autism Tree Teens Derek Matlock, Savine Cogar, and Garret Hoff.  This program is designed for teens and young adults with autism who are able to independently participate in organized social outings throughout the San Diego community. Past events have included: tour of a US Navy Ship, attending San Diego Junior Theatre plays, taking cooking classes, tours of the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Timken Museum in Balboa Park, a bowling party, yoga event, parkour classes, and much more. Since 2014, this program has served more than 245 teens and young adults with autism and counting!

The Autism Tree Virtual Reality Program was created in partnership with the Interactive Media Institute Autism Center of Excellence in 2019. The teens used virtual reality to explore the oceans, space, and other science disciplines, drew their own virtual environments, and participated in virtual reality-based relaxation trainings.

Since March 2020, this program has transitioned to virtual events with monthly Virtual Teen Time: Social Hour events led by Sensory Friendly San Diego and bi-annual Teen Time: Engineering Workshops led by the STEM Outreach Club at the University of San Diego.

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"We have an autistic granddaughter that has benefited from your programs." - Brian Bell

"So appreciate social activities when my daughter was young. Please use [my donation] for teen social activities. Thank you for the work you do!" - Suzanne Patti