
Social Skills & Focus Groups
As part of our commitment to providing families with evidence-based, family-centered treatments, we offer a variety of small group interventions to meet the needs of our clients. These groups provide an opportunity to acquire, practice, and generalize skills in a small group format with peers, enabled by an experienced, trained facilitator under the supervision of Dr. Hansen.
Groups vary in focus, age and content according to individual and group needs. Our office currently offers five focus groups, each found below along with detailed descriptions.
Please inquire about a group that may be a good fit for your child’s needs.
Current group offerings include:
Click above to learn more about each specific group.
As part of our commitment to providing families with evidence-based, family-centered treatments, we offer a variety of small group interventions to meet the needs of our clients. These groups provide an opportunity to acquire, practice, and generalize skills in a small group format with peers, enabled by an experienced, trained facilitator under the supervision of Dr. Hansen.
Groups vary in focus, age and content according to individual and group needs. Our office currently offers five focus groups, each found below along with detailed descriptions. Please inquire about a group that may be a good fit for your child’s needs.
While there is no one formula for a Social Skills Group, the model is to bring a small number of similarly aged and/or challenged children together to create and foster a safe, social environment where each member can practice and develop his or her social skills on a regular basis. Under the guidance of a qualified professional, the members of the group receive necessary and immediate feedback; can be redirected for continued learning; and can be praised and reinforced when they succeed, especially when they succeed together.
Central principles for Social Skills Groups include:
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Making the abstract concrete, while providing structure and predictability
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Grouping children by language capability to maximize their interaction and reduce fear of failure
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Focusing on multiple and varied activities, particularly those that are achieved as a pair, a team or a group, rather than individually
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Selecting relevant social goals and progressing toward them sequentially and progressively
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Providing opportunities to practice learned skills beyond the group setting
For more information about Social Skills Groups, please access:
The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Research Findings: Social Skills Groups