A group of kids and two teachers make crafts outside.

Social Skills Groups

Spectra Social Skills Groups integrate our "Give thanks" value into programming to emphasize the importance of relationships and reciprocity in our lives. With recognition and understanding of the challenges that children encounter in developing and maintaining peer relationships at school and in the community, Spectra’s Social Skills Groups offer a unique opportunity for students to strengthen their skill level in a natural context, using evidence-based techniques. A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), leads the group.

Program Hours

Spectra’s Social Skills Groups serve children ages 4–17 years. Groups are offered in the winter, spring, summer, and fall with an average of five kids. Each group includes a 60–90-minute session that is held once per week for 10 weeks. Prior to acceptance, consideration is given to a student’s language, cognitive abilities, and / or behavioral concerns to ensure the appropriateness of group services. The Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) places children in groups according to current skills, areas of need, and the appropriateness of other peers available in order to best match and address goals. High importance is placed on compatibility between group members, which may limit immediate placement to ensure the best possible match is made.

Why Spectra?

Friendships can be challenging – particularly if you don’t know or understand the unspoken rules that come with them. Spectra provides a supportive and safe environment where students can develop friendships with the support of a licensed clinician and without the fear of failure. Through naturalistic play, modeling, role playing, and incidental teaching, Spectra’s groups focus on skills such as: meeting new friends, turn-taking in conversation, use and understanding of non-verbal forms of communication, problem solving, sharing, and group cooperation.