Social Communication Skills Group Program for Preschoolers, School-Aged Children, and Adolescents
Effective social communication is essential for success in school and life. The ability to interact with others confidently, understand social cues, and form meaningful connections helps children thrive.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Social Communication Group Therapy
Does your child struggle with any of the following?
- Difficulty making or maintaining eye contact.
- Trouble starting or ending conversations appropriately.
- Frequent interruptions or failure to take turns in conversation.
- Limited ability to use body language, gestures, or facial expressions.
- Difficulty understanding jokes, sarcasm, or idiomatic phrases.
- Trouble asking questions or understanding others’ answers.
- Lack of empathy, imagination, or understanding of others' emotions.
If so, our Social Communication Skills Group could be the perfect fit for your child.
Why Is Social Communication Important?
Social communication skills are crucial for building friendships, succeeding in school, and participating in the community. Social Communication skills help children connect with their peers, express themselves clearly, and solve problems.
Our program focuses on the following fundamental skills
- Initiating Conversations: Teaching children to start and engage in conversations, greet others appropriately, and join group conversations.
- Topic Maintenance: Helping children stay on topic, navigate topic shifts, and develop listening skills.
- Asking and Answering Questions: Encouraging children to ask and respond to questions, take turns, and maintain the flow of conversation.
- Nonverbal Communication: Understanding body language, eye contact, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues essential for social interactions.
- Problem Solving: Equipping children with the ability to identify problems, find solutions, and negotiate effectively.
- Empathy and Perspective Taking: Teaching children how to understand and express empathy and take others' viewpoints.
- Apologizing and Seeking Help: Helping children learn when and how to apologize, and how to ask for help when needed.
- Figurative Language and Sarcasm: Understanding jokes, idioms, and sarcasm to better interpret communication in various contexts.
Who Is This Program For?
Our Social Communication Skills Group is suitable for:
- Preschoolers: Laying the foundation for healthy social interactions.
- School-Aged Children: Strengthening communication, friendships, and social problem-solving skills.
- Adolescents: Building self-confidence and refining social communication skills for school, friendships, and beyond.
Social Stars Level 1
Social Stars Level 1 is designed for preschoolers (ages 3-6) to help them build the foundational social skills they need to interact confidently with others. Using Alex Kelly's principles, the program focuses on:
Helping children identify and understand emotions in themselves and others.
Teaching children to express their own feelings in a clear and respectful way.
Encouraging cooperation and kindness through group play and activities.
Helping children understand and follow simple social rules and instructions.
Guiding children in how to initiate and maintain positive relationships.
Providing strategies to manage emotions and behaviors in social situations.
Teaching children how to navigate small conflicts and interact positively with peers.
- Recognizing Emotions: Helping children identify and understand emotions in themselves and others.
- Expressing Feelings: Teaching children to express their own feelings in a clear and respectful way.
- Sharing and Taking Turns: Encouraging cooperation and kindness through group play and activities.
- Following Directions: Helping children understand and follow simple social rules and instructions.
- Making Friends: Guiding children in how to initiate and maintain positive relationships.
- Self-Regulation: Providing strategies to manage emotions and behaviors in social situations.
- Problem-Solving: Teaching children how to navigate small conflicts and interact positively with peers.
Through role-playing, cooperative games, and guided conversations, Social Stars Level 1 provides a supportive environment where preschoolers can develop these vital skills, boosting their confidence and readiness for social interactions.
Social Stars Level 2
Social Stars Level 2 (ages 7-12) is designed to help children enhance their social skills using the principles of Alex Kelly. The program focuses on teaching children how to navigate social situations, understand others' perspectives, and respond appropriately. Our approach emphasizes:
Children learn to consider how others feel and think in different situations, improving empathy and understanding.
Children practice viewing social interactions from others' perspectives, helping them build stronger connections with peers.
We guide children in recognizing how their behavior affects others and how to adjust their actions to fit various social settings.
Children are taught to adapt to changes in social situations, learning to respond with resilience to unexpected events or challenges.
Children identify which behaviors are expected in various social contexts and
Our program helps children understand how to create and nurture friendships based on respect, kindness, and cooperation.
We focus on helping children manage their emotions and responses, allowing them to interact confidently and calmly in social situations.
Children develop problem-solving skills, learning how to resolve conflicts and engage with peers in a positive way.
We teach children to recognize social boundaries and expectations in different environments, whether at school, home, or out in the community.
- Social Thinking: Children learn to consider how others feel and think in different situations, improving empathy and understanding.
- Perspective-Taking: Children practice viewing social interactions from others' perspectives, helping them build stronger connections with peers.
- The Social-Self: We guide children in recognizing how their behavior affects others and how to adjust their actions to fit various social settings.
- Flexible Thinking: Children are taught to adapt to changes in social situations, learning to respond with resilience to unexpected events or challenges.
- Expected and Unexpected Behaviors: Children identify which behaviors are expected in various social contexts and how to adjust their actions accordingly.
- The Power of Friendship: Our program helps children understand how to create and nurture friendships based on respect, kindness, and cooperation.
- Self-Regulation: We focus on helping children manage their emotions and responses, allowing them to interact confidently and calmly in social situations.
- Social Problem-Solving: Children develop problem-solving skills, learning how to resolve conflicts and engage with peers in a positive way.
- The Social Map: We teach children to recognize social boundaries and expectations in different environments, whether at school, home, or out in the community.
Our Social Communication Skills Group provides numerous benefits for children, including:
- Improved Communication: Building confidence and speech clarity in verbal and nonverbal interactions.
- Increased Self-Esteem: Helping children feel more confident and capable in social situations.
- Enhanced Empathy: Teaching children to recognize and respond to others’ feelings.
- Strengthened Problem-Solving Skills: Providing tools for resolving social conflicts and navigating challenges.
- Improved Emotional Regulation: Encouraging children to manage their emotions and interact harmoniously with peers.
Our experienced speech therapists guide children through engaging, evidence-based activities that address various social communication challenges.
Through interactive role-playing, group discussions, and practical exercises, children receive tailored feedback to practice socializing with their peers, build connections, and develop new communication strategies in a highly supportive environment.
In our Social Communication Skills Group, children will practice:
- Greeting Others and Joining In: Learning how to approach others and start a conversation.
- Dealing with Bullying and Teasing: Gaining strategies for handling teasing or negative behavior in a calm and appropriate way.
- Using Manners: Practicing polite communication, including saying "please," "thank you," and "excuse me."
- Making Conversation: Developing the ability to sustain a conversation and ask appropriate questions.
- Boosting Self-Esteem: Building confidence in social situations and feeling comfortable in peer interactions.
- Conflict Resolution: Teaching children to resolve disagreements and negotiate effectively.
- Sportsmanship and Respect: Learning how to interact with others respectfully, especially in group or team settings.
- Accepting "No": Learning how to accept refusal or disagreement with grace.
Teen Social Skills Group (12- 18 years)
Is your teenager struggling with making friends or navigating social situations? Our Teen Social Skills Group is built on Dr Elizabeth Laughson’s PEERS for Adolescents Program, to help teens practice social skills in a supportive environment.
Your teenager will:
- Build confidence in their ability to initiate and maintain conversations.
- Learn how to deal with social anxiety and feel more comfortable in school and social settings.
- Practice real-world social situations with peers and receive helpful feedback.
What To Expect From Social Skills Group Therapy
- Progress-driven, evidence-based social skills goals and activities grounded in Alex Kelly, Michelle Garcier Winner’s Social Thinking principles and Dr Elizabeth Laughson’s PEERS for Adolescents Program.
- Weekly updates to track your child's progress.
- Empowerment of social skills and increased confidence.
- Building friendships and positive social interactions.
- Support from caring, skilled therapists who are focused on your child’s success.
- Fun and engaging activities to enhance learning.
- Holistic approach addressing both emotional and social growth.
- Lifelong benefits for your child's social development at school, at home, and in the community.
Ready to Get Started?
Our Social Communication Skills Group Program is an opportunity for your child to build the social tools they need for success. We're excited to help your child thrive in their social communication journey!
What To Do
Book a First Consultation! Let's explore whether this is the right fit for your child.
Additional Information:
Complimentary social skills assessment for current clients of The Speech Practice!