Social Skills Training

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile...
it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The goal of this program is to teach social and nonverbal communication skills to children, adolescents, and adults in a fun and engaging way. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that the ability to develop and maintain relationships is critical to social and emotional growth and development. Since most social and nonverbal communication skills are not formally taught, people are expected to learn them on their own. When, for a variety of reasons, people do not develop these skills, they experience difficulties. It is our job to figure out what gaps they have and to begin teaching the needed skills. Our curriculum is designed to actively engage students in the learning process, giving them a wide variety of opportunities to develop, practice and fine-tune their skills.

Social Skills Assessment

Generally, children are referred to Friends Club because an adult in their lives has concerns about their social development and their ability to handle social situations. Our assessment consists of a number of components. During the initial appointment, a teacher meets with the parent(s) and the child to discuss the basic reasons why the child has come for the appointment. This meeting also provides an opportunity for the teacher to begin to get to know the child. The parents are interviewed regarding their specific concerns about the child. The parents' perspective on their child's needs is critical to developing a successful plan for a child. The next phase of the assessment involves having the parent and the child's teacher complete a series of questionnaires regarding the child's strengths, areas of difficulty, and social skills. All of the information is then interpreted and a follow up appointment is held to discuss the results and make recommendations for services.

Treatment Options

Following the evaluation all available information is collected and interpreted to determine the child's needs and possible treatment options. Social Skills training can take several forms. Many children have deficits in their knowledge of basic social skills and have difficulty either interpreting or accurately sending nonverbal messages. For most of those children, social skills classes where they can learn and practice skills with other children under the guidance of a trained teacher is the best way to provide assistance. For other children, working one on one with a teacher is a better approach. Other children are best served in either individual therapy or in a group therapy setting led by a psychologist.

Educational Services

Social Skills Classes – 45-Minute after school classes with a focus on basic social skills and nonverbal communication skills. Children are placed in groups of four to six according to shared age, developmental level, and skills needs, and they meet with two trained teachers on a weekly basis. Goals and curriculum are based on initial and ongoing assessment. Teachers encourage reading others' nonverbal cues, provide feedback on the accuracy of students' nonverbal messages, and break down basic skills, such as listening and joining in, into simple steps. In addition to verbal instruction and coaching, students regularly practice the skills as they form relationships with their peers.

Individual Tutoring – 45 minute sessions of one-on-one social skills tutoring.

Summer Programs – Three-week sessions of one-hour social skills classes. Classes consist of 3-6 students and one teacher. Students participate in role-plays, discussions, games, and other creative exercises with a focus on developing basic social skills and nonverbal communication skills.

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