Private Therapy:

Private therapy sessions are one-to-one sessions with your child and their speech pathologist (and, as noted above, include the parent(s)/caregivers, especially for younger children, and/or other professionals, as appropriate). They are also referred to as individual therapy sessions. A child receives maximum one-to-one attention and multiple opportunities for practice and reinforcement of their targeted communication goals. This paradigm allows for more intensive intervention.

• Semi-Private or Small Group Therapy:

Semi-private sessions are with two students and a speech pathologist and small group sessions are with three to four or five students. Small group sessions may include an assistant, as needed. Group sessions for speech/language therapy may be offered if a child needs assistance in transferring or generalizing their skills with peers. Group sessions may also be provided if a child would benefit from the motivation of interacting with peers.

• Social/Play Skill Development Groups:

Who benefits from Social Skill Groups?

Our social skills group program is referred to as “Kid Talk.” This program is for those children who have difficulties developing social skills and peer relations. They are intended to assist children in developing and/or maintaining peer friendships and interactions, and participating in family, school, and community social events. The groups facilitate overall verbal and nonverbal (e.g., appropriate facial expression, body language) communication as well as foster improved social interaction and play skills.

The social groups are intended for children ages 4 through 12 years of age. In order to benefit from the program, students need to have an established foundation for listening, turn taking, and simple reciprocity in interaction and conversation. They also need to be able to attend and take instruction in a small group and demonstrate readiness for cooperative learning. Further, the groups are for those interested in others and motivated to be with peers and make friends.

Group Objectives:

In general, the program is intended to assist with several areas of social development. Such areas include developing and expanding play skills, improving turn taking and sharing across activities/interactions, initiating appropriate peer interactions (e.g., asking someone to play, joining a group), and making and maintaining friendships. Game playing skills are also emphasized (e.g., following rules, knowing how to win and lose). The group also targets improving a child’s ability to participate and work cooperatively in a group setting. This would include such skills as staying with the group, taking an interactive role, being a leader and a follower (as appropriate to the situation), and taking an active role in planning and carrying through with cooperative group and/or play activities.

Further skills include assisting children with expressing ideas, understanding and expressing emotions, respecting individual differences, and understanding and using appropriate body language. We emphasize improving the use of successful communication strategies and language during play and conversation. We also work on improving skills in decision-making, problem solving and negotiation with peers. This may include assisting children with their ability to understand and avoid or resolve conflicts and “work things out.”

Although group goals are established as part of the curriculum, individual goals are also established for each student depending on their needs. These are determined through discussion with the parent(s)/caregivers and other professionals, as appropriate.

Group Format and Schedules:

Each group consists of 3 to 6 students, and is lead by a speech pathologist and an assistant. Children are grouped according to age ranges, strengths, areas of need, and interests. The groups meet once a week for approximately one hour (this time may vary upward toward 90 minutes depending on the activities and parent educational component for the week). Group formats may vary depending on the theme of the day, as well as the students’ needs and age ranges. An example of a general structure for group follows:

Table Talk
Greetings for children not present in the waiting room during greeting time.
Conversation and sharing
(Children may share thoughts and ideas, toys/books from home/school, and/or activities or events that have happened during the week.)

Social Skill Introduction
Discussion of the social theme for the week.
Introduce and discuss the “how” of the social skill(s) to be targeted (pictured/written steps to accomplish goal).
Use of role-playing, social problem solving pictures/activities, and/or children’s literature/social story to accompany the theme.

Cooperative Group Activity/Play
Students are encouraged to plan, organize and prioritize group and play activities with increasing independence depending on age and skill level. We make use of planning boards to write lists and prioritize and group discussion/decision-making to organize the day.

Cooperative group activities include:

Snack Time
A time to participate in making/serving snacks as well as conversation.
(Usually after a cooperative group activity and/or before play time.)

Play Time
Play is encouraged at all levels, depending on age, abilities, and interests. Social skills are rehearsed and practiced during play. Play may include:

(Cooperative group activities and play may alternate or both may be included in a session depending on the emphasis for the week.)

Closing
A time to discuss the day, think about next week (possible interests/activities) and say goodbye.

Instruction includes tabletop and floor activities, as appropriate. Teaching makes use of visual aids (e.g., charts, pictures and diagrams of appropriate behavior with social skills broken down into sub-skills), role-playing, praising of successful performance to encourage peer modeling, and direct feedback in a positive environment. Role-playing is an important tool used to assist the children in practicing and learning targeted skills as well as to facilitate carryover into functional environments such as home, school and the community.

Teaching for both the student and parent includes use of social story dramatizations on CD, videotape feedback of the sessions, and social stories. Parent involvement is encouraged. Parents receive a course curriculum. They are given feedback on their child’s progress, specific social skill development, and techniques for carryover of skills.

Current Schedules for Kid Talk

(Specific ages may vary slightly depending on a child's individual needs and skill level)