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Research by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center has concluded that well‐developed soft and people skills constitutes as much as 85% of career success. Social skills help your child make more friends, deepen their existing friendships, and improve their interactions with family members. They also help your child better relate to teachers and work supervisors which is essential to great recommendations, mentorship, and other opportunities.

 

During Level up for Social Success, we will utilize UCLA’s widely-used, evidence-based social skills intervention PEERS®. PEERS® provides an excellent foundation to introduce and practice the subtle basics of social interactions. However, our class will also go a step further by integrating additional, more in-depth programs to help learners of all levels navigate the dynamics of: improving friendships, groups, sports/work, and authority figure relationships to help your child level up for social success. Classes will include games to keep the sessions fun and engaging!

 

• Level up for Social Success – Level 2

 

This class is recommended for students whose social skills are impacted by: Introversion/shyness, Giftedness, ADHD, Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Depression, executive functioning challenges, and/or weaknesses in auditory processing.* This class IS suitable for students who occasionally misunderstand peers, teachers, or bosses and/or are misunderstood, but often enough that it impacts their overall social success. This class is NOT appropriate (will not provide the right support) for students with severe behavioral or social challenges (see below).

 

We will cover and practice: 

• Making and keeping friends

  • Pacing, interacting, and investing to deepen friendships

  • Navigating gossip, rejection, teasing and bullying

  • Being a good host

  • Succeeding during in-school group situations such as: lunch, recess, P.E., bus, etc.

• Being the type of conversationalist people want to talk to 

  • When, where, and how much to talk

  • How to listen and what nonverbal cues to look out for

  • Entering and exiting conversations in ways that maintain and deepen your relationships

  • Navigating humor to build lasting relationships 

  • Managing arguments and disagreements

  • Adapting electronic communication to a variety of contexts

• Being a great sports teammate and demonstrating coachability

• Being a great classmate and building a great relationship with your teacher

• (H.S. and young adult) Being a great work colleague and building a great relationship with your boss

• (H.S. and young adult) Dating etiquette

 

•  Level up for Social Success – Level 1

 

This class is recommended for students whose social skills are impacted by: Autism Level 1 (verbally fluent and independent in daily living) and students who have difficulty putting themselves in other people’s shoes. This class is beneficial for students who have trouble predicting social situations or responses. These students frequently misunderstand, and/or are misunderstood by, peers, teachers, or bosses. This class IS suitable for students with significant social challenges, but NOT appropriate (will not provide the right support) for students with severe behavioral challenges.

 

In addition to introducing the subtle basics of social skills, we will also work on directly remediating and practicing perspective-taking and predicting social responses and situations. We will also introduce and practice:

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• Making new friends

  • How to find your group

  • How to initiate conversations

  • Handling rumors and gossip

  • ​Being a good host

  • Managing in-school group situations such as: lunch, recess, P.E., bus, etc.

• Using conversational skills to deepen friendships

  • Using and understanding humor 

  • How to listen and what nonverbal cues to look out for

  • Using and interpreting electronic communication

  • Entering and exiting conversations smoothly

  • Managing arguments and disagreements

  • Navigating rejection, teasing and bullying

• Being a great sports teammate and demonstrating coachability

• Being a great classmate and building a great relationship with your teacher

• (H.S. and young adult) Introduction to building a great relationships with your boss and work colleagues

• (H.S. and young adult) Introduction to dating etiquette

   

 *Level II may also be appropriate for some High-functioning students with Autism Level 1 who have mastered the basics of social interactions, are making friends readily, are able to put themselves in others’ shoes, but need help with sophisticated social navigation and in deepening relationships. Please call us to discuss placement if you have any questions: 571.297.9006. Prior to the start of classes, we will also be contacting participants to do an intake, answer any questions, and confirm placement.​​​