What are People or Social Communication Skills?
Social communication and pragmatic language refer to how we use our language to connect with other people. For many people, with social communication differences, such as autism or ADHD, this can feel like a struggle. You may feel misunderstood, left out and anxious in social situations.
Please know that there is nothing inherently wrong with any type of communication style!
We do not teach masking, i.e., trying “seem neurotypical”. Instead, we work individually or in groups to empower and provide opportunities for you to explore your own communication, learn about neurotypical communication styles and norms, learn how to establish positive peer relationships and how to advocate for yourself. We trust you to know who you are and who you want to be and will support you as you build skills that feel authentic. Self advocacy skills are at the core of everything we discuss.
We are trained in established and evidence-based programs, such as Social Thinking, UCLA’s PEERS® Social Skills Program and AUsome Training. However, our program is approached from the participants’ perspective with respect for their communication style.
Some People Skills that may be addressed depending on your needs:
-
Difficulty reading or understanding other people
-
Confusion about the seemingly “unwritten rules” of the social-professional world
-
Social anxiety stemming from uncertainty about how to interact with people
-
Difficulty making meaningful, lasting personal connections
-
Feeling like people just don’t make sense to you
-
Difficulty with small talk and conversation in general
-
Being unsure of how to make friends
-
Feeling like people misunderstand you frequently
Social Skill Groups
Who are the groups for?
High school juniors or seniors who are getting ready to embark on their college journey, and college students.
How are the groups and sessions organized?
The curriculum for each group will be adjusted to suit the participants, with a specific skill targeted each week. Sessions include a combination of explicit instruction, role-play, real-life application, as well as “game and play time” to allow for some relaxed time to engage with the other group participants.
The groups are run by a speech and language therapist with a high staff to student ratio. Depending on the group, peer-mentors participate as well to engage in social interaction. The group size is 3-6 students to allow for peer interaction, as well as individualized attention.
When are the groups offered?
-
The groups are offered a couple of times per year, please contact us for the next start date
-
The groups meet for 90 minutes once a week for 10 weeks
Are the groups in person or virtual?
Please note that we currently offer only virtual sessions.
How do we get started?
-
Set up a Free Phone Consultation, during which we will answer any questions you have.
Individual Social Skills Therapy
If a group is not right for you, we offer social communication skills services on an individual basis as well. During individual therapy, we will target many of the same topics as during the group sessions, but with the added advantage that your individual needs are in focus.
Perhaps you want to focus on preparing for how to make friends when you start college, how to speak with professors, how to communicate using text, or digging deeper into what parts of social communication your struggle with.
We will develop your goals together!