‘The Cool Crew’ Autism Group Finds Commonness and Togetherness

Kyra Moore was having a conversation in the car recently with her 18-year-old son Jordan, who is autistic. Conversations with Jordan, according to his mom, are one-sided with Jordan being slow and deliberate when communicating with others.

“While in the car, he said, ‘Mom, this is how I feel,’” recalled Moore. “He never talks like that. I feel like this program has elevated him. I’m not usually in the classroom, I just know what I’m receiving from Jordan and I’m seeing a different kid. And, I am stoked and excited and happy and grateful all at the same time.”

The program that has helped Jordan so much is the Young Adult Autism Group, run out the Speech-Language Institute (SLI) of Drexel University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

Since young adults age out of educational services at 21 years of age, families are often left abruptly without supports and services, according to Kara Maharay, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, director of Clinical Education at SLI in the Speech-Language Pathology department at Drexel’s Elkins Park campus.

So SLI providers identified a significant need in the community and started a social group for young adults with autism. The eight members of the group call themselves “The Cool Crew” and meet every Thursday at the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus.

“The attendees have really grown in their confidence, built friendships and enjoy coming to the group every week,” said Maharay.

SLI recently was the recipient of the Eagles Autism Grant, the second time the clinical facility has received the grant. For the 2025 grant, the clinical site was given $23,000 for two different missions – the first to support a community partner, the Education Institute for Early Intervention (EIEI) in North Philadelphia, providing parent and teacher education, books to support programming and sensory supplies. The second part of the grant helps support “The Cool Crew” with games and supplies for continued creative programming.

Moore found out about the program at SLI because her brother and Jordan’s uncle, Edward, who is also autistic, is part of the group. “The difference in my brother blows my mind,” said Moore. “You can see the excitement in him. He comes alive when he’s in the class. And, when he comes home, he’s a whole different person.”

Jennifer Downs, EdD, CCC-SLP, clinical educator at SLI and a full-time speech pathologist at Roslyn Elementary School in the nearby Abington School District, is the instructor. She’s been working with the autism population since she was in college. “It’s been a lifelong journey for me, so this is cool to connect with these young adults,” said Dr. Downs. “I feel like I’m giving back and helping them navigate the world a little bit.”

Dr. Downs added that one of the purposes of the group is to provide an environment in which attendees can learn, connect and communicate as well as help them problem-solve things that are happening in their lives. It’s an all-inclusive environment, Dr. Downs said, in which group members play games, paint, draw, dance, cook and have fun – always with a lesson involved.

“Each one of them has a special story,” said Dr. Downs. “They have a sense of independence because we allow them to be their own person. We kind of meet them where they are and help them grow in whatever ways they need to grow.”

According to Dr. Downs, group members come from different parts of the Philadelphia area and their paths likely wouldn’t otherwise cross. “They have found a commonness here. The world for adults with autism is kind of tricky, but the people in this group benefit from just being together,” she said.

The participants aren’t the only ones who benefit from the group. As a teaching clinical facility, SLI also includes current Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology students to help facilitate and receive hands-on training working with the autism population.

A first-year graduate student, Emma Dougherty, worked with the group last fall as one of her clinical placements. She said helping the group members learn life experiences and the best ways to communicate in the world as young adults, has helped her advance her educational and community experiences. “It was great to see them take what we were teaching them and apply it to their interactions with each other,” said Dougherty, of Ambler, Pennsylvania. “And, to experience the impact we can have on them. You don’t even realize how much you’re teaching them.”

Not only that, but Dougherty said working with the group taught her the importance of fostering a supportive environment for everyone where they felt open to sharing their interests and feelings. “As student clinicians, we learned how to be flexible and respect everyone’s differences to create an inclusive space for everyone to feel welcome,” she said. “Overall, we learned that these individuals wanted connection with one another in a space where they could engage and socially interact.”

Moore said the group offers Jordan another outlet, aside from school and work, to learn how to communicate with others. She added that group members have even continued to interact outside of the class and communicate with each other over Zoom calls.

“That to me is so important,” she said. “To have a community, to feel like you are part of something where everybody understands you, it feels good for me as a parent to see it. I want to continue to see the program grow because I know it’s going to get bigger and bigger.”

Contact the Speech-Language Institute (SLI) at 215.780.3150 for information and to join the group.