Services
Social Skills Groups
The groups focus on verbal and non-verbal communication skills that may enable students to improve in their abilities to;
- Read social cues and identify another's perspective
- Make eye contact and greet peers appropriately
- Initiate and maintain conversation with peers
- Take turns and share with peers
- Identify and verbalize feelings
- Deal with negative feelings and peer teasing
- Make connections between feelings, thoughts, and behaviors
- Make and keep friends
- Stop and think before responding
Through modeling, discussion, role-playing, and cooperative, therapeutic, and non-competitive activities, students may work at developing and improving;
- Flexibility and Frustration Tolerance
- Attention Span
- Self-esteem and Confidence
- Impulse Control
- Problem-solving Skills
- Decision-making Skills
- Conflict Resolution Skills
- Coping and Relaxation Skills
- Conversation Skills
- Assertiveness
Group Composition
- Students are grouped according to similar age, level of functioning, and needs.
- For Preschool through 12th grade.
- Group size usually varies between 4 and 6 children per group.
Group Format
- Groups typically meet for six-week or eight-week sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the year, including summers. Groups meet from 4:00-5:15, 5:30-6:45, and 7:00-8:15 pm.
- Groups meet for 70 minutes.
- Structured, therapeutic groups begin with student 'check-in/talk time', practicing conversations, brainstorming solutions to problems and giving each other feedback, problem-solving/coping strategies, discussion topic, role-play, activity/game, and lastly, "BEST" contract and group review.
The elementary students work together at being their "BEST" and learn how to display active listening and respect for others, and share feelings and thoughts in a cooperative, give and take manner with their peers. "BEST" Contract: B= Body Language & Bubble Space, E=Eye Contact, S= Speak Nicely & Share, T= Tone of Voice & Take Turns. Once students meet their group goals and their behavioral contract, the children can earn a 'party' during the last group.
Middle and high school students also work on being their "BEST" through positive non-verbal communication, tone of voice, and active listening geared toward their maturity level. There is typically more discussion about developmental concerns and problem-solving methods at this age.
Immediately after each group, Linda Price will typically remind students of their 'homework' for the week and highlight the skills that were taught during the session so parents can follow-up at home. Informational handouts will often be distributed for group carryover.
Specific Group Methods
may include the following based on the individuals' needs and number of sessions completed:
Students practice reading others' facial expressions and body language and learn to identify their own feelings by recognizing what their bodies feel and look like when experiencing various emotions. They are assisted in identifying their peers' feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, so they may see another's perspective. In addition, they may be better able to envision how others will react to their behaviors and to inhibit inappropriate responses on their part. They are taught to stop, relax, and to think of appropriate responses, rather than acting impulsively.
They are taught appropriate assertiveness. They are taught how to approach peers, even when they may feel shy and/or anxious. In addition, students are taught to verbalize feelings, particularly when they are agitated or upset with someone. Instead of withdrawing or causing someone to feel defensive by blaming them, they learn to express their feelings clearly.
Students practice role-playing situations, such as how to start, join in, maintain, and end conversations with each other in group. They learn how to generate appropriate topics, how to show active listening and interest, how to switch topics, and how to ask questions to find common interests. They are encouraged to practice these skills each week at school with various acquaintances, such as during lunch or recess.
They work on problem-solving strategies; how to identify a problem, brainstorm possible solutions, weigh the pros and cons of each solution, and then to make a plan and check how it worked.
The students work on decision-making and participate in giving each other useful feedback about actual peer conflicts. They discuss and role-play positive methods for responding to peer teasing, such as confidently standing up to peers, walking away, ignoring them, finding someone else to play with, making a joke or laughing it off, and staying calm by breathing or counting.
Students are asked to identify positive coping strategies that they can utilize when upset or frustrated in order to calm themselves down, such as physical outlets, drawing, writing in a journal, listening to music, talking to a caring adult, and taking a bath.
They often practice relaxation exercises during group, including specific breathing techniques that can lift their mood or calm them, flexing and relaxing muscle groups, visual imagery, and saying positive self-affirmations. Then, they can attempt these relaxation exercises on their own at home, such as before they go to sleep at night. With practice, they may also be able to use these strategies to stay calm during stressful situations.
Self-esteem is addressed by focusing on their individual strengths and they are asked to bring items to group that they feel proud of and want to share with each other. They also are taught how and why we give compliments and to make positive statements to others. They are encouraged to give others compliments outside of group, as well.
Students play cooperative games together to better learn how to be a 'good sport', to be less competitive, and to take turns while enjoying one another. Creative movement, basic postures, and art can be utilized for expressing themselves and for sensory integration.
Most importantly, students often realize that they are not alone in their struggles and positively connect with their peers in a social and safe environment. Independently, parents may wish to talk with other parents during group time and set up 'supervised play dates' outside of group to help nurture these relationships.
Linda Price can be reached at 603-943-2124 or lindaroseprice@adelphia.net. She will attempt to contact parents by the last group session to review concerns, any progress, observations made during the groups, and some possible strategies to try at home and in school. After this conversation, parents make a decision about whether their child will continue in the next social skills session. This phone review is for about twenty minutes. If interested in further consultation, Linda Price is available at an additional fee to meet on an individual basis with parents and children to assist with group carry-over, behavior management, coping strategies, reaching personal goals, and parenting skills.