Social Skills Programs

Winter 2010 Social Skill Groups
Ages 4-12

Learning and then consistently using appropriate social skills can be very difficult for individuals on the autism spectrum. We know that it can be stressful for parents to arrange social opportunities for their children and finding social skills groups can be equally difficult. SPARC offers 3 different social skill programs.

Peer Buddy Program - Ages 4 - 6

Children on the autism spectrum oftentimes have extreme difficulty engaging in social interactions. Many times these skills are taught via an adult, however are not generalized to a peer. Thus, the goal of SPARC's peer buddy program is to provide typically developing peer models to facilitate social interaction, imitation, and play skills.

The set up of the program differs from traditional adult prompting models, in that in the peer buddy program the adult prompts the typically developing child to prompt the child on the spectrum, allowing the adult to fade out. Each session of the peer buddy program has a teacher and 5 groups consisting of a child on the autism spectrum, a typically developing child, and an adult. The session is designed to target academics, pre-academics, play skills and social interactions.

Families can sign up a peer to accompany their child to the program or SPARC will assign a peer. Typically developing siblings of children on the spectrum, between the ages of 4-6, can enroll as a peer to another child on the spectrum. Siblings are generally split into separate groups to meet the goal of increasing peer social interactions.

The following is an example schedule: arrival, free play, circle time, art and crafts, group game, snack, outdoor play, closing circle, and dismissal.

Peer Buddy classes meet three days per week, two hours per day for eight weeks. We offer both morning and afternoon time slots.

Social Skill Groups - Ages 3 - 12

Groups are designed to teach individual goals in a small group setting and generalize mastered skills with typically developing peers. Our social skills groups are organized so children are matched with 2-3 other children demonstrating similar skill levels. In a small setting the children learn and practice new skills. Programming for skills consists of direct teaching, contingent reinforcement procedures, plan for generalization, systematic prompt fading, and strategies with minimal adult-mediated prompts.

Social skill goals are taken from the child's current IEP as well as derived using a social skill curriculum survey (contact our office to have this survey mailed to you). The team will review the survey and IEP, determine initial goals, develop lesson plans to teach the skill, and collect data during each session to monitor progress and modify lessons if needed.

After the completion of the program, you will receive a data based report on your child's progress on all goals. This report can be used with your child's school program to help shape further goals.

Groups are run in eight-week segments and occur throughout the year. Classes last one hour and meet once per week. However, you can enroll your child in multiple classes to have twice weekly sessions. All social skills classes are run from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

NOTE: A number of schools have paid for our social skills program. Check with your child's school today!

Peer Mentor - Ages 13 - young adult

The goal of our program is to provide adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum with social opportunities with peers in a non-therapy setting. Our peer mentors are West Chester University students from all majors and backgrounds. We have a large pool of students to choose from, and we carefully select our peer mentors to find a good fit for your son/daughter.

Once a student is selected, we provide initial training for that student on what it means to be a peer mentor. Please keep in mind that our peer mentors are WCU students and are not trained therapists. They do receive initial training and ongoing weekly supervision with our senior clinical staff. However, they should not be considered “trained therapists.” Our goal is to provide quality social interactions not formal therapy or skill training. At this time, we cannot take any clients into the Peer Mentor Program who exhibit severe behavioral problems such as aggression.

Activities should be determined by you, your child, and the mentor and can change weekly. Current peer mentor pairs are going to the YMCA, ACAC (fitness club), bowling, mini golf, movies, playing basketball, and going to restaurants. We also have the ability to use certain features of our campus here such as music rooms, art rooms, and gyms. It is our goal to help you design social activities centered on your son's/daughter's interests/needs. Sessions last approximately one hour. Please note – WCU students are not allowed to transport anyone in their car, therefore you must bring and pick up your son/daughter from the activity.

This program has a rolling admission. Generally, we follow the academic calendar for this program as the University students are often not available during breaks. However, this program does run in the summer.

Contact SPARC today for an application packet at 610-430-5678 or download the application online today (go to forms on the home page). Please call the office for times, days, and dates of programs.