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Social Skills Groups

For most of us, interacting with other people comes naturally. However, students with conditions such as High Functioning Autism, Verbal or Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, ADHD, or those with no specific diagnosis but struggle with social interactions, often lack this innate ability to think through and succeed in everyday social situations. For them, social thinking must be learned and practiced.

PSLLC’s cutting-edge Social Communication Groups bring together students of similar ages and abilities for weekly therapy sessions. Students learn ways to engage in conversation, improve perspective taking, and establish and maintain friendships.

Based on the Social Thinking® model developed by world-renowned expert Michelle Garcia Winner, we teach social communication skills ranging from perspective taking, which is understanding that others have “thoughts” separate from our own, to interpreting and responding to the nuances of verbal and non-verbal communication.

Signs of Social Learning Challenges

  • Has trouble making friends, keeps to him/herself
  • Socially anxious
  • Socially awkward
  • Cannot see the “big picture”
  • Has trouble figuring out others’ intentions
  • Cannot “read” body language, facial expressions, context, etc.
  • Is struggling with reading comprehension
  • Has trouble managing his/her time
  • Poor planning and organizing skills
  • Is having difficulty working in a group
  • Does not understand “figurative language”
  • Difficulty initiating conversations and social interactions
  • Does not show empathy
  • Has trouble holding a job
  • Is being repeatedly bullied
  • Is refusing to participate in school activities

Who can benefit from participating in the social communication groups?

Groups are geared for students with average to above average IQ who have social cognitive deficits as a result of High Functioning Autism, ADHD, Non-verbal Learning Disorder (NLD), or those with no specific diagnosis. We work with students starting in kindergarten and, as students progress in school, they gradually move on to more complex social thinking topics depending on their maturity and interest level.

Why Social Thinking® is Different

Social Skills group therapy addresses the thought processes behind social interactions, which helps children and adults carryover and apply social skills to new contexts and environments.

Social Thinking® aims to help individuals understand themselves and others to better navigate the social world, foster relationships, and improve their performance at school, at home, and in the community. Teaching strategies break down complex social concepts (like perspective taking) into understandable and doable parts that can be applied in any setting. The Social Thinking methodology continually evolves based on the latest research and clinical insights.

The highly trained clinicians at PSLLC are committed to providing quality, practical intervention that is rooted in research, built upon naturalistic experiences, and is responsive to the needs of our clients and families.