Chapel Haven - New Haven


Location: New Haven, CT
Program Type: Residential, secondary, post secondary, apartment based
Established: 1972
Age Range: 18 and older
Specialties: Residential transition and lifelong supports for adults 18+ with cognitive and social disabilities motivated to live independently; separate Asperger’s program
Website: http://www.chapelhaven.org/
Phone: (203) 397-1714


Founded in 1972, Chapel Haven remains a pioneer in teaching adults with cognitive disabilities, Asperger’s Syndrome and those on the autism spectrum to live independent and productive lives. Started 38 years ago by two families who wanted their special needs children to become truly independent, Chapel Haven has grown to serve more than 200 adults in 3 programs that offer residential transitions and lifelong community supports.

In the traditional REACH (Residential Education at Chapel Haven) program in New Haven, CT, adults 18+ live apartment-style in an intensive 24-month Residential Life Skills program. They learn to negotiate all aspects of independent living while enjoying a state approved education program and a nationally accredited transitional living program.

Students attend year-round education classes which serve as the foundation from which residents build lives of successful independence, consisting of 10 blended subject areas: Language Arts, Math and Science, Social Studies, Life Skills, Employment Skills, Wellness, and Personal Enrichment. Students also can choose from 30 recreation activities per month. All programmatic offerings include Social Communicative Competency as an instructional component. Through classes as diverse as baking, social skills and Internet communication, students learn to solve problems, express feelings, be successful in work settings, make friends and navigate the community independently. They also develop theory of mind, the ability to have empathy and regard for others. Those skills are then extended into natural settings.

The REACH program also has incorporated wellness into the curriculum. Students are shedding pounds, incorporating exercise into their daily lives, cooking healthy meals and learning to manage stress with the help of a certified health counselor on staff.

The second year of the program focuses on employment, offering more challenging opportunities as the student progresses. Upon completion, a transition team helps the graduate develop an individualized transition plan with supports to live and work successfully in the community.

Chapel Haven’s Asperger's Syndrome Adult Transition (ASAT) program in New Haven, CT is also a residentially based, two-year program that provides an individualized core curriculum focusing on Social Communicative Competencies. The program equips students with a broad repertoire of social competency and adaptive skills across multiple settings and with diverse populations while also helping with life skills, college and employment.

For More Information
Contact Chapel Haven at

• Web http://www.chapelhaven.org/
• Phone (203) 397-1714
• Email admissions@chapelhaven.org