We have been making a big difference for kids and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities for more than 40 years. Our developmental disabilities services help individuals learn skills for life beyond St. Joseph’s Villa, and provide care for the whole family.
Our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism prepares students with autism for the fullest possible life as adults. Serving children and youth ages 5 to 22, we focus on developing real-world skills through community-based instruction and best-practice Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) principles. We provide education year-round at no cost to families.
The primary goal of our Center is to help students successfully transition back to their public schools, to vocational programs, and to the community. We partner with families, public schools, universities, research centers and professional networks to help students reach their potential. Our Center is part of a continuum of care at St. Joseph’s Villa, where students and families can access a range of wraparound supports including Career and Transition Services.
Day Support provides a structured program for children with a diagnosed intellectual disability and/or autism. The after-school program caters to each child’s needs working inside of the school’s Individualized Education Program and Individual Service Plan. Participants have the opportunity to engage in skill enhancement activities, socialization with peers, therapeutic recreation such as arts and crafts, music, and physical activity, and field trips focused on community integration. Individual choice is encouraged throughout all aspects of programming.
Personal care assistance and nutritional meals and snacks are provided. To best serve each child, staff-to-client ratio will not exceed 1:4.
This program for individuals 21 and older with a diagnosed intellectual disability and/or autism focuses on building social, pre-vocational, and essential life skills. Participants have access to campus resources and recreational areas. We also partner with local nonprofits and businesses to offer job training and volunteer opportunities. Our goal is to support participants in gaining as much independence as possible and improving their overall quality of life.
Day Support for Adults offers personal care assistance, physical fitness activities, arts and crafts, library visits, and music and sensory stimulation. We work with a 1:4 staff-to-client ratio to provide personalized service and ensure the outcomes of each Individual Service Plan are met.
Our In-Home Behavioral Treatment program allows families to keep their children in their homes and communities.
We help children with behavioral difficulties, communication limitations, adaptive functioning delays, or sensory integration difficulties resulting from intellectual disabilities or developmental delays. A qualified mental health professional provides therapy, support, and training for the child and family. We ensure ongoing coordination of all support services and provide 24-hour emergency response including evenings and weekends.
Our goal is to improve each child’s behavior, communication skills and quality of life while avoiding out-of-home placements. This program operates as part of Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) program.
The Villa Block Party returned for a 5th year thanks to our VCU student mentors. In a partnership between our Career and Transition Services and VCU's Focused Inquiry service-learning class, VCU
Teacher Michelle Hughey has changed hundreds of lives at our Sarah Dooley Center for Autism over the past 13 years. For her unrelenting dedication and compassion, NBC12 surprised her with
When Clarence lost his home, he lost his self-esteem with it. He felt so ashamed of having nowhere to stay that he cut ties with his family for eight years.
