We offer social skills groups serving both children and adolescents. These groups use a combination of empirically validated strategies for teaching social skills, Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking^TM curriculum, and the PEERS curriculum.

Our groups are designed with convenience, flexibility, and effectiveness in mind. We offer one-hour sessions, twice per month, and have an open enrollment. Participants can attend on a regular, ongoing basis - or when they are able to fit it into their schedules. Our model of open enrollment allows for the review of skills, giving our "seasoned" participants opportunities to take on a leadership role by helping new members learn the concepts.

Although these groups are educational in nature, we hope that participants will not feel like they are in a class. Our sessions are designed to be active, natural interactions amongst peers so that the skills learned can be generalized to their day-to-day functioning. Each session is designed with the goal of building participants' skills while they have fun and develop connections to peers. Over the course of the year, we will introduce key concepts in social thinking and practice related skills, adding and expanding on foundational skills.

Groups are offered intermittently throughout the year and summer months. Capacity is limited to 6 participants per session and registration is required for each session 24 hours in advance. For upcoming groups, please see our office calendar.

Group Participants

Who should enroll? Our groups are designed for children who would benefit from learning and rehearsing social skills, social pragmatic skills, and expected social behaviors with similar-aged peers will benefit most from our social skills groups. Participants may have trouble making friends, keeping friends, or connecting with peers. These children may also have difficulty attending in a group setting, following directions from adults, or listening to others. Wouldn't 1:1 intervention be better to meet my child's specific needs? We identify each child's unique behavioral goals based on their difficulty in working and playing with others and set them up with peers so they can get the best practice scenarios. In this way, each group is individually tailored to meet the needs of the children enrolled. If you’re not sure whether your child is a good fit for the group, please contact us so that we can answer your questions on an individual basis. What if my child’s age is outside the group range currently being offered? We offer programs based on demand in each age group. If your child that does not fit into current group age ranges, please contact us to discuss your need. If possible, we will arrange for additional groups.

About Our Groups

How large are the groups? Each group consists of 4-6 children and 1-2 adults. Where do groups meet? Groups meet at our offices; however, in some cases, the group members may meet away from the office (e.g., restaurant, ice cream shop, student’s house), as a reward for meeting group goals and/or to create opportunities to practice skills in a real-world setting. Do I need to stay in the building? Parents of children who are toilet trained are free to leave during the session and return 10 minutes before the end of the session. Parents of children who are not toilet trained are asked to remain in the waiting room to provide bathroom assistance when needed.