This service is for those
children and young adults who have language and reading skills,
but lack peer-appropriate social skills. All interventions are preceded
by an 1 ½ hour assessment, which involves both the child and the
caregiver(s). The assessment consists of a caregiver interview as
well as activity-based interactions with the child. Parents and
teachers (sometimes young adults) are asked to complete two specially
designed questionnaires about the child's social behaviors prior
to scheduling the assessment. Many different dimensions of social
competence, such as understanding other people's feelings, initiating
interactions, and responding to the social overtures of others will
be evaluated. Results of the assessment will be used to identify
specific social skills objectives for the child, as well as to form
groups of children who have compatible goals. Caregivers will be
given a written summary of the results of the assessment, with recommendations
that may be used for educational planning.
Interventions that can
be received after the evaluation are group, individual, or family.
Groups are formed when enough caregivers with relatively same-aged
children are interested. Group goals are formed from the child's
assessment and caregiver concerns (e.g., social problem solving,
conversational skills). However, many caregivers choose to receive
individual or family therapy while their child waits to be placed
in a group.
