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Social-Recreational Activities The weekly social-recreational activities are important specialized learning opportunities. In addition to the weekly Dinner Club (more info below), clients and family members attend sporting and cultural events and participate in in-house activities during the monthly session. UMAP clients form important friendships with their client peers. These peer experiences are fun and offer authentic contexts for using newly gained communication skills.
In the winter, UMAP peers have attended first-rate University of Michigan’s Theatre and Musical Society programs here on campus. Clients and families have joined in the University of Michigan school spirit by taking in Wolverine basketball games and Marching Band concerts at Crisler Arena. The Henry Ford Museum is always a favorite especially around the holidays, located in Dearborn, Michigan. It also boasts an IMAX Theatre.
The summer months are filled with many exciting adventures for UMAP clients. Ann Arbor streets are bustling with its Summer Festival and nationally renowned Art Fairs. Clients have enjoyed mingling with the locals by taking in the sights and smells of the Farmer’s Market located in the Kerrytown district of Ann Arbor. A chartered bus trip to Comerica Park to watch the Detroit Tigers has turned into an annual event full of fun for clients, families, and UMAP staff. These experiences further enhance UMAP’s goal of strengthening clients’ communication skills so that they are better equipped when they return home.
Dinner Club
Ann Arbor is home to many fine cultural activities, but it is also home to several fantastic restaurants, and the UMAP community takes full advantage of both. Under the guidance of a UMAP staff person, clients and family members are encouraged to attend a weekly 'Dinner Club' at the clients' expense at local restaurants. These events offer the client another supportive context for communication.
Prior to the evening, clients participate in a structured activity to review the menu, discuss possible dinner choices, and conduct practice sessions for ordering. Surrounded by others with aphasia and their family members at the restaurant, our clients work hard to place their order and communicate with waitstaff.
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