MOSSAIC Program
About MOSSAIC
The MOSSAIC program (Mentoring, Organization, and Social Support for Autism/All Inclusion on Campus) is a University of Montana program for UM students and community members. MOSSAIC supports people with Autism and related disorders.
The MOSSAIC Tesserae
The MOSSAIC program has five essential pieces that help shape the program's goals and execution.
Direct Services
Speech-language pathologist address areas that can be impacted by a diagnosis of autism or related disorders. Direct services are triaged based on need and availability of services. Some areas include:
- Executive functioning skills
- The ability to plan, organize, and problem solve to support academics, employment, and independent living
- Social skills
- Social skills related to making friends, conversations, employment competence, etc.
- Reading comprehension
- Strategies for understanding information presented in coursework
Peer Mentoring
Students in SLHOS and other campus service professions are enrolled in a course where their service learning component is to mentor people on campus with autism or related disorders. Students must apply to this course and are selected by the instructor.
People that participate in this option determine the best use of their time with their mentor. Some people would like to have coffee once a week, some people want to learn the ins and outs of campus. Other people would like help with planning their time while some would like help organizing their notes and backpack.
Weekly Meeting Tuesdays 6:00 pm
All participants are required to attend a weekly meeting Tuesdays at 6:00. Following the meeting, attendees have the option to do Homework with support or Hang-out from 6:30-8:00. Students sign up with “Remind” to get notifications. Some past events have included:
- Dinner and a movie
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Wire wrapping art
- Game night
- Puppy party
- Pumpkin carving
Evidence Based Practices
MOSSAIC employs a number of evidence based practices including:
- Peer mediated instruction and intervention
- Functional communication training
- Modeling
- Naturalistic Intervention
- Scripting
- Self-management
- Social narratives
- Video modeling
- Social skills training
- Technology-aided Instruction and Intervention
Lunch Bunch
Students that are not UM or Missoula College students and are career focused are invited to attend the lunch bunch. This group brings peer mentors and mentees together to eat their bag lunch. Games, conversation, and hanging out are part of this weekly social engagement.
Writing Intervention
Offered intermittently, writing intervention is offered to support people currently in a writing class. Assessment and intervention are part of this offering and participants learn the EmPOWER model of writing structure.
Payment
The MOSSAIC program has several payment options for direct speech-language services (including writing intervention). Please visit our payment practices page for more information.
Students participating in peer mentoring/weekly meetings pay $25 per semester.
- Peer Mentoring
- Weekly Meetings
Tesserae of Services
|
Service Tesserae |
Cost |
Notes |
|
Maroon Tesserae A - Direct Services B - Peer Mentoring C - Weekly meeting |
UM/Missoula College Students/Non-UM Participants Direct Services – Insurance billed, out of pocket, scholarship $130/session Peer mentoring & Weekly Meetings - $25.00/semester (due at time of program acceptance) |
Must attend weekly meeting |
|
Silver Tesserae B - Peer Mentoring C - Weekly meeting |
UM/Missoula College Students/Non-UM Participants Peer mentoring & Weekly Meetings - $25.00/semester (due at time of program acceptance) |
Must attend weekly meeting |
|
Copper Tesserae A - Direct Services (optional) D - Lunch Bunch |
Non-UM Participants/UM/Missoula College Students Direct Services (optional) – Insurance billed, out of pocket, scholarship $130/session |
|
|
White Plus E – Writing intervention |
UM/Missoula College Students Writing Intervention Direct Services – Insurance billed, out of pocket, scholarship |
Add to Maroon or Silver Options |
Evidence Based Practices
MOSSAIC employs a number of evidence based practices including:
- Peer mediated instruction and intervention
- Functional communication training
- Modeling
- Naturalistic Intervention
- Scripting
- Self-management
- Social narratives
- Video modeling
- Social skills training
- Technology-aided Instruction and Intervention
Join MOSSAIC
If you are interested in participating in the MOSSAIC program, please follow this link to our online application.
About Us
Schoffer Closson was featured in the University of Montana's 2014 Vision magazine for the work she has done with the YETI and MOSSAIC programs.
(Jennifer Schoffer Closson, Left)
Jennifer K. Schoffer Closson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Doctoral Candidate Jennifer Schoffer Closson is the director of MOSSAIC and a clinical educator for the School of Speech, Language, Hearing and Occupational Sciences. Her interest areas include autism and secondary transition, leading her to develop the YETI and MOSSAIC programs. Professor Schoffer Closson is committed to helping future clinicians develop their expertise in the area of social competence while providing much needed supports for our community.