Social skills in a nutshell.

So, I must say that it was a bit of a drive and a weekly scheduling challenge at the time but it was so wonderful to finally have my son in a social skills group. I knew nothing would change overnight but I felt such a sense of relief that I was at least helping get much needed guided peer to peer social interactions for him. He worked with this particular program for just over a year (until we moved-yes, again!) and I did see that the work he did there combined with the social skills group work he was getting at school was tremendously helpful. I hope this helps anyone who is considering seeking out a social skills group in their area. I can tell you that I was updated each week on the particular skill they were working on in the group during each session and was given suggestions on what we could do to reinforce these topics at home. In addition to that, I also got feedback on how he was doing within the group which was also very helpful. So, I would suggest asking if this information would be provided to you with each session if you are trying to figure out if the program you are looking into may be a good fit for your child. It seems too over simplified to say that they guide the children in play but it is an intricate and gentle instruction during their play. For example, they point out subtle non-verbal cues they may be missing or explain why it is important to ask how someone is feeling when they withdraw from play time. There are so many everyday things that kids do during play with each other that do not come naturally to some children on the autism spectrum and certainly did not for my son. Things we take for granted as obvious cues to how someone is feeling were not obvious at all to him. This is where social skills classes helped him learn how to navigate all the hidden challenges that can come up when just trying to play with friends. Again, there is so much more to this topic but I hope this helps explain a little bit about what a child might gain from joining a social skills group. Don’t forget to check to see if your insurance covers the services. Fortunately, our insurance at the time did pay for at least part of the cost of the sessions. Please don’t miss an opportunity for your insurance to cover your costs; find a few minutes to inquire with an insurance representative regarding coverage for services you are seeking and what type of codes they need when items are submitted to the insurance company for payment. They may even be able to provide you with a list of facilities in your area.