Friendship Groups

TherAbilities’ Friendship Group is a therapeutic environment fostering social relationships and self-regulation skills for children and youth.

Groups are designed to enhance the social awareness and interpersonal skills of children with developmental challenges. Social language and social cognition are central elements of this program. Friendship Group schedule includes developmentally appropriate play, cooperative and recreational activities, and facilitated discussions.
Parent meetings explain our curriculum and help ensure carryover of skills to be practiced in home/community settings.

Click here to DOWNLOAD Friendship Group objectives (PDF)

Intake:

First-time applicants must schedule an intake appointment to determine group readiness. Intake fee is $55.

Cost:

$425 fee for each 8 week session of Friendship Group. Payment is due on or before the first group meeting.

Registration:

Applicants are registered in the order received. Group size is limited.

Cancellation:

Please give at least one week’s notice of cancellation. TherAbilities reserves the right to cancel a group and will notify applicants as early as possible if this should be necessary.

Summer Day Camp

TherAbilities’ Therapeutic Summer Day Camps are designed and co- led by our early childhood educator, occupational, physical, and speech therapists. Children socialize with peers while working intensively on their personal therapy goals. Children who have previously enrolled at TherAbilities will receive first priority. A preregistration interview is required for any children new to TherAbilities’ programs.

Summer Camp Objectives Include:

Self-Regulation and Emotional Awareness
Sensory Discrimination and Exploration
Motor Coordination and Strengthening
Listening and following directions
Learning about social expectations
Using manners, sharing, helping skills
Problem Solving
Using memory skills
Critical thinking skills
Vocabulary development
Articulation practice

Speech-Language Groups

LATE TALKERS

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

AGES 18-32 MONTHS

AGES 4-7 YEARS

AGES 7-12 YEARS

Objectives:

Beginning speech sound development
Use of a variety of word combinations to increase length and complexity of spoken language
Expansion and development of vocabulary
Comprehension skills, including following directions that include a variety of concepts (e.g. color, shape, location, etc.)

Objectives:

Social interaction skills with peers, including greetings, conversation skills, social eye contact, and body language
Listening and attention skills
Understanding of emotions
Expressive language skills
Functional communication skills, including taking turns, sharing, helping skills, following multi-step directions/ information
Following group activities and reducing behaviors that interfere with successful participation in peer group interactions

Objectives:

Communication skills such as staying on topic, asking for assistance, initiating and maintaining conversation
Understanding social boundaries
Coping with unfamiliar situations
Being a good friend and a good sport
Creating and maintaining positive social relationships
Apologizing
Using appropriate body language
Problem solving techniques
Hygiene skills needed during peer interactions