(201) Family August 2017 | Page 42

SPECIAL PARENT time to be social YOUNG ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS MAKE THE SCENE IN LYNDHURST O n a Thursday afternoon a group of young adults meet up to do karaoke while others cook dinner at Lyndhurst’s newest club, which offers independence and social interaction to those with special needs. The Social Scene Club, tucked away on Riverside Avenue, opened early this year and meets five times a week. It aims to fill a hole that could lead to isolation for the young adults after they graduate from high school. 40 AUGUST 2017 | (201) FAMILY People without special needs have the opportunity to meet up with friends for dinner or a movie or head to the gym after work. Lauren Turiello believes special needs adults should be able to do the same. “This is an opportunity to do things as adults without Mom and Dad, and unwind after a long day with their friends,” Turiello, co-owner and president of The Social Scene Club, says. “We ask them, ‘What do you want to do?’ How often do they get asked that question?” SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT Members (clockwise from left) Nikki Thiess, Timothy Branchick, Julia Glenbowski and Christina Tattoli, along with staff members, enjoy karaoke night at The Social Scene in Lyndhurst.