Children’s Unified Therapies and Interventions for Excellence - Center for Autism and Related Exceptionalities (CUTIE CARE) at Aria Alessia Kids Health Clinic offers a range of therapy services for children who would benefit from supports in making and maintaining friendships at the Social Skills Assessment and Intervention Clinic.
At Aria Alessia Pediatric Clinic, our social skills programs are grounded in evidence-based and research supported practices. We offer embedded social skills programs within intensive and focused behavioral interventions (ABA therapy) and PEERS Social Skills Groups for a range of age groups.
Our behavior analytic interventions include structured programming incorporating 3-4 play dates each week, along with systematic interventions embedded within our Kids Studio programs.
Social skills development for children with autism involves:
Our PEERS Social Skills Groups provide structured and supportive environments for practicing and learning social skills.
Behavior Analytic Interventions
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→ Learn moreThe skill and fluency with which children manage the often challenging and unpredictable world of interpersonal relationships are key indicators of healthy child development. The extent to which children learn to establish, develop, and maintain positive interpersonal relationships, as well as end harmful ones with peers and adults, defines social competence. Furthermore, their success or failure in these relationships can predict whether they will have positive or negative psychological outcomes in adulthood.
Social competence is essential for psychological well-being because of the importance of establishing and maintaining satisfactory interpersonal relationships.
Many children on the autism spectrum need help in learning and practicing how to navigate different types of social situations. Although they often wish to interact with others, they might not know how to engage friends or may feel overwhelmed by new experiences.
Some common social skills include:
In general, people tend to naturally acquire social skills in the same way they learn language skills: naturally and gradually. Over time, they develop a social "map" that guides them in various situations and interactions with others.
For children with autism, learning and building these skills can be more challenging, often leaving them to guess what this social "map" should look like.
Developing social skills through practice can improve their community participation and lead to positive outcomes such as increased happiness and the formation of friendships.
If you have any additional questions about Social Skills Programming at Aria Alessia Pediatric Clinic that were not answered here, please contact us at CutieCare@ariaalessia.org .