Threshold Programs

The Core Program starts with a two-year, certificate-bearing postsecondary program. The residential program, student activities, and curriculum focus on independent living and career development and are designed to create a college experience that feels both authentic and supported.

Our curriculum focuses on building skills that will prepare students to live independently and enter the work force. Students enroll in courses such as community navigation, personal finance, apartment living, meal planning and cooking skills, personal growth, and career readiness and support to achieve these goals. Students who excel in certain courses may enhance their learning with more advanced course content and/or Lesley University classes.

Students begin internship placements during the second semester of their first year at Threshold. Our curated internship sites provide opportunities to learn and further develop job related skills in various industries. Each site is offered employer training in best practices for

working with neurodiverse individuals and ongoing support from our career services staff. After discussion with the student and staff, they are matched with internship sites based on experience, personal interest, and support needed.

As students progress through the Core Program, our staff will engage in conversations with students and their support systems on planning for the steps beyond the Core Program by considering strengths and areas of growth. Each student will have their own journey in their path towards independence.

Students who find the greatest success are those who want to learn in a college setting, can live in a dorm or later, an apartment, with college-like residential supports, can attend work and classes without assistance from a one-on-one aid or paraprofessional, and are highly motivated to become independent. Students typically have these characteristics:

• Qualified for Special Education services and navigated the high school setting without 1:1 support; they may or may not have a high school diploma
• May have learning or developmental disabilities including (but not limited to) autism, nonverbal learning disabilities, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or multiple disabilities
• Might struggle in a degree-seeking program at this point in their lives
• Have a neurodiverse profile not inclusive of behavioral challenges

The Bridge Program is a 9-month program where students who have completed the certificate program live on campus in university housing and work on individual goals, building on skills developed over the first two years of the Core Program. Bridge Year is the next step for a small number of our graduates, needing additional on-campus supports.

The Transition Program is a 10-month program where Core Program graduates live off campus in shared apartments in the Cambridge/ Somerville area. While immersing themselves in apartment living, students will search for paid employment (part-time or full-time) in a structured environment with the support of the transition and career services team. Threshold staff utilize our connections with employer partners to explore local options in high-need industries. Students can also continue their education if desired, all while receiving support from our transition team as they learn to live in the local community and access its resources. Transition students further develop their social, job, and life skills during evening courses taught by our transition staff. Transition Year is the next step for most of our Core Program graduates.

The Threshold Lifelong Support Program is an innovative program designed to support Threshold alumni and other neurodiverse individuals throughout their lives by focusing on career building, academic skills, independent living skills and social well-being and community engagement. This program best serves adults, 22 and older, with diverse learning styles who live in Cambridge and surrounding communities and would benefit from support services to live and work with confidence.

Our person-centered approach includes an assessment from which goals are established to target skill development over 6-month periods. Coaches provide 1:1 support during this period to live independently, safely, and successfully.

Support we offer:

• Career support provides coaching on skills ranging from resume- and interview-building to on-boarding for a new job, to navigating a promotion to on-site job coaching.
• Education or credentialing support identifies classes at Lesley, local community colleges offering credentialing, or other professional certificates such as SafeServe, with tutoring tailored to an individual’s learning style.
• Independent living support can include coaching on such topics as managing personal finances, living with apartments mates, meal planning, and cooking.
• Social connections support can include skill development around engaging with the community and building meaningful relationships.

In addition, whether it be through our numerous monthly alumni activities or involvement in local leisure activities, participants can enjoy a variety of social activities. Goals are then assessed at the end of each 6-month period and new goals are developed for the next period in the same or a new area.

The Threshold Alumni Center offers support to our large network of over 600 alumni with a diverse array of social opportunities each month, from brunches, dinners, baseball games and the traditional “semi-formal”, to day and weekend travel and in-person athletics. The Alumni Center also assists people with short-term needs and referrals. Any student who has completed the 2-year certificate program at Threshold is considered an alum and lifelong member of our Threshold alumni community.