The Autism Discovery Institute offers a variety of social skills groups and social pairings that promote social interaction skills, language pragmatics and behavioral development. Curricula are developed in conjunction with our interdisciplinary team, and each group is facilitated by at least one member of the team in consultation with available experts. In addition, most of our groups include a parent-training component and incorporate typical peers into the sessions.

All children will complete an intake appointment with a clinician prior to admittance into the group to ensure appropriate placement and to assist with establishing individual goals. Goals are tracked throughout the duration of the program and recommendations for next steps can be made at the end of each group. We are continually adding new groups, so please contact us for the latest information.

Groups are subject to change based on staffing availability and patient demand. Please contact the group coordinator at 858-966-7453, ext. 246170, for the most current group status and to be put on our wait list.

Social Skills Groups:

Hi Fives – A social skills group for children with autism spectrum disorders at or around 5 years of age. Goals for Hi Fives include: reciprocity in social interactions, flexibility in play, negotiating, joint decision making and making new friends. The group will include a parent-training component at the onset and in the middle of the 12-week group. Click here for flyer.

LINC’d (Listen, Interact, Negotiate, Cooperate) – A co-ed social skills group for children with autism spectrum disorders between 7-9 years of age. Objectives for the group include: learn about the components of friendship, learn to listen to, negotiate and cooperate with others, maintain reciprocal interactions, increase frustration tolerance and learn how to deal wtih teasing and bullying. The group will include a parent-training component at the onset and in the middle of the 12-week group.

PEERS – A social skills group for adolescents ages 12-17 with difficulties making and keeping friends, and their parents. Teens learn to use appropriate conversational skills, find common interests by trading information, appropriately use humor, handle rejection, teasing and bullying, and more. PEERS also includes a parent group equipping parents on how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends, expand their teen’s social network, and provide feedback through coaching. PEERS is open to adolescents with any diagnosis associated with social difficulties, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder and social communication disorder.