Benefits

Who would benefit from The Play Group…?

Children who struggle with starting, maintaining, and ending conversations
Have difficulties understanding nonverbal cues/body language
Are confused by idioms, humor, and sarcasm
Do not understand safety issues
Are unaware of who is friendly vs. who is a bully
Lack the ability to discriminate social situations
Are rigid
Are unable to successfully apply skills in a group setting such as at birthday parties, school playgrounds, and group play dates
Children with limited language
Have difficulties with pretend play
Lack interest in peers
Do not have body boundaries
Need to strength their pragmatic social language
Have not moved beyond parallel play
Acquiesce to peers in order to fit in
Struggle with social anxiety
Have difficulties with parent separation
Are unable to form friendships
Struggle with expressing emotions and understanding emotions
Have difficulty understanding how to play games, including but not limited to board games, sports, and playground games
Struggle with self-regulation and coping skills

( The aforementioned list is not all inclusive of the types of children who would benefit from a social skills group. )

How would a social skills group benefit my child…?

We can teach your child how to interact successfully in small and large group settings. We can break down a social interaction into meaningful parts, so that your child can participate with his or her peers in a happy purposeful manner.

Many times, a social skills group is the first place where a child feels accepted and understood by his or her peers. This feeling of acceptance can increase a child's self-esteem and self-confidence.

As a result, she or he will feel more capable of using the skills taught in the group. A child often uses their new skills in his or her community settings. A social skills group is also a safe place where your child can practice his or her newly learned skills. It is a safe haven, an environment that is non-judgmental, but rather is encouraging and nurturing.