Our social skills groups provide a structured therapeutic setting designed to help individuals improve their social interactions, communication abilities, and relationship-building skills. Sessions provide age-appropriate support and activities to help members develop social skills such as active listening, conflict resolution, making friends, problem solving, and more. We strive to provide a supportive environment for learning and practicing social skills while fostering a sense of belonging and understanding among participants.
Unlike our Stepping Stones program, many of our other social skills groups are geared toward individuals on the spectrum. These individuals may experience challenges with communication abilities, social interactions, and development milestones. Our social skills groups create a safe, supportive environment that encourages participants to recognize their own strengths and challenges in how they interact with others.
Groups include the following:
The Early Childhood Program
This is designed to help children in grades pre-K through 1 who are generally socially appropriate but have lapses in their social behavior. For example, they may be socially withdrawn or impulsive. These groups develop basic social skills such as sharing space with others, developing eye contact, taking turns, listening skills, recognizing, and expressing feelings. Parents receive feedback from one of the group leaders in the last 15 minutes of the group to discuss improving communication at home, managing challenging behavior, and building cooperation at home.
LEGO Social Development Groups for Kids on the Spectrum
Based on the evidence-based work of Daniel LeGoff, Gina Gomez De La Cuesta, GW Krauss, and Simon Baron-Cohen, our LEGO Social Development Groups are ongoing therapy groups specifically geared towards neurodiverse youth.
These groups are for children in elementary and middle school who struggle socially unless they are engaged with peers in a high-interest activity, in this case building LEGOs. These group members work together to build group identity and task focus.
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
Minecraft Social Development Groups
In Step’s Minecraft Social development group is intended for children ages 7 and up who love to play Minecraft and are in need of development and practice of social skills with peers. This group uniquely meets children where their natural interests lie in order to sustain their motivation, encourage social reciprocity and team building, and change self-limiting behaviors. This group will address important social skills such as initiating social interactions, collaborating, problem solving, compromising, and negotiating with peers in a virtual environment.
Cooperative Play
This group is intended for children ages 9+ who may be in need of development and practice with social skills and their peers. Children work on being able to play various games and activities together while collaborating, compromising, and negotiating with other peers. The group takes place once a week for an hour
High School High Functioning Autism (HFA)
This group is intended for teens who actively desire relationships with others but have difficulty knowing how to relate to them. Through various modalities such as CBT techniques, role-plays, and mindfulness activities, teens work on interacting with each other while finding common interests and lessening feelings of loneliness and isolation. It meets once weekly for one hour
Dungeons & Dragons
This group is targeted for individuals with ADHD and high functioning autism who enjoy the game of DND. Groups are available for ages 10-18+ and are sectioned off by age. These social skills groups primarily work on cooperating with each other, building patience, and respecting others’ decisions all while working on a campaign together. The groups meet virtually for one hour once a week.