Social Groups

Social Adventurers will focus on building the foundational Social Thinking® concepts for interacting with peers. Concepts include social observation, play skills, perspective taking, being a part of the group, and problem solving. We will share our imaginations going on adventures and completing group challenges. This program uses the We Thinkers!™ Curriculum.

Children will learn the thinking process behind social skills as they begin to understand the importance of thinking about others. Through group activities, they will practice fundamental skills and strategies that will teach them how to participate in a group, read cues to guess thoughts, expand their social emotional vocabulary, understand the perspective of their peers, and adapt their behaviors across settings.

Detectives will explore core Social Thinking® concepts of looking for clues, being aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings, group expectations and more. As they complete challenges and group missions, the detectives will improve their self-awareness and self-regulation abilities. This semester-long group prepares detectives for the next level at the Superhero Training Academy which uses the Superflex® and the Unthinkabots® curriculum.

This group focuses on the Superflex® and Unthinkabots® curriculum. Children will discover their own “unthinkabots” and learn strategies to recognize unexpected behavior, think about others, and self-monitor. Children are taught how to use their “brain powers” to be flexible thinkers, good problem solvers and understand group expectations. Group missions include games, role-playing, video clips, and much more! Superheroes will work together to defeat Rock Brain, Un-Wonderer, Energy Hare-y and others in a fun, interactive way.

Our In the Moment group is specifically designed for children with social learning challenges secondary to a mild language and/or attention issue. Emphasis is on self-regulation, social communication, flexible thinking and problem solving. Strategies to assist them “in the moment” will be targeted through team building activities.

Our Let’s Connect group is designed to meet the needs of our group members who already have some exposure to social thinking concepts. The focus will be on building more advanced conversational skills and problem-solving with others. Participants will be engaged in completing team building and group challenges – all while having fun!

This group is designed to empower children by targeting their self-awareness to improve their social/emotional, self-regulation, executive functioning, and communication skills –all while having fun! Multiple evidence brain-based methodologies will be incorporated, including Brain Talk, Social Thinking®, Zones of Regulation, and Mindfulness. Weekly take home ideas and simple strategies to practice will be provided for both child and parent.

Tweens and teens have much to navigate in their social worlds. This group is designed with their unique middle and high school challenges in mind. Our focus will be on expanding conversational skills, applying self-regulation tools in real time, and fostering positive social interactions through team building and group activities.

YouTube Decoders takes what children and adolescents already love doing: watching movies and YouTube videos, and uses them to study social interaction and relationships. Our film critics will hit the pause button and explore Social Thinking® concepts. Each week we will expand our emotional vocabulary while we focus on the thoughts and feelings of characters and relate to these experiences in real time. Activities also include games, role-playing, and team building activities to practice problem solving, cooperation, and resilience. Anna Vagin’s YouCue Feelings curriculum is the inspiration for this exciting program.

Does your child struggle with self-regulation? This social thinking group incorporates mindfulness and Zones of Regulation to help your child engage in effective communicative experiences.

Mad about science? Join us in the lab where our junior scientists will have fun learning Social Thinking® concepts through cool, interactive science experiments!

Lights, camera, action! Take 1 Take 2 will focus on collaborating with peers, recognizing the perspective of others, thinking creatively, and being flexible. Children will engage in role playing as a means to improve their social understanding. This program uses stories from We Can Make It Better by Elizabeth Delsandro.

Based on the TV show Amazing Race, we will travel to places near and far. This group will focus on team building experiences.

Social Thinking® is based on the innovative work of Michelle Garcia Winner, who created the Center for Social Thinking®. The social thinking curriculum teaches how the social world works and focuses on explicit instruction of key concepts, with an emphasis on using these skills in everyday life. Social intelligence is critical to navigating the world, building meaningful relationships, and solving problems effectively. Learn more about Social Thinking® at www.socialthinking.com.

Social Thinking® teaches the thought processes behind social interactions. This unique curriculum helps children understand the importance of using these skills and how to apply them efficiently in their everyday life at home, in school, and when hanging out with friends.

Students who demonstrate social thinking challenges often also exhibit difficulties across all subject areas, especially in reading and writing, as all these subject areas require a solid understanding and application of social thinking concepts. Social Thinking® concepts which are embedded into academic skill areas include (but are not limited to): perspective taking; understanding the “gist” or main idea vs. details of what is read; understanding/making inferences; being a flexible thinker and problem solver, etc. A solid foundation in learning and applying these social thinking strategies is essential for school success.

As children develop, they learn the “rules” for navigating social situations and forming friendships. Some children have more difficulty picking up these cues from their natural environment and are able to be more successful when these skills are explicitly taught in the context of the Social Thinking® curriculum. Our students often have social learning challenges associated with diagnoses of PDD-NOS, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety, and/or social communication disorders. Regardless of a diagnosis, children with social challenges can benefit from this dynamic approach.

Our groups are typically 4-6 children with two Speech-Language Pathologists. Dyads are also offered when indicated and available. If a child isn’t yet ready for a larger group, individual speech therapy focused on social development is sometimes recommended to target their specific needs and/or to prepare them in order to participate in a group.

We conduct weekly groups in the fall, spring, and summer for preschool-young adults. We provide year long groups from October-May that allow for more in-depth intervention and practice of skills. In addition, shorter sessions of 6-8 weeks are conducted to target specific areas. Our summer groups are typically 4-6 weeks and address social, play, and friendship skills.

Each group is led by an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Therapists are licensed by the State of Maryland. Our therapists have participated in ongoing conferences on social thinking and related topics. In addition, our programs have been presented at the Social Thinking® Providers Conference in California.

Our groups are based on the Social Thinking® frameworks and curriculum. Each group has specific objectives that will be shared with you. For children enrolled in year long groups, individual goals will be developed.

An individualized written summary report or conference will be provided for children in year long groups. For groups meeting for 4-8 weeks, parents will receive a summary email that describes your child’s progress.

Parent conferences can be scheduled by request with your child’s therapist for an additional fee.

From our first meeting forward, your input as a parent is valuable. We believe your observations and reflections about your child’s social skills provide us with important insights. Your input will assist us in developing his/her program.

We encourage you to communicate with your child’s therapist by email/phone. Formal consults specific to your child may be scheduled for an additional fee.

Parents receive weekly emails about the concepts targeted during the session. Carryover activities may be provided to assist your child in practicing and generalizing the concepts outside of the center.

Parent coaching provides an opportunity for parents to receive instruction and support in working with their child at home.

This service is offered by the therapists at CCL to assist parents in developing strategies specific to his/her child to promote social learning at home and related environments. Since every child is unique, individual coaching sessions are designed around individual learning styles and comfort levels.

Contact CCL to arrange an appointment for parent coaching.

Thank you for your interest in our social learning groups. Please follow these steps

1. Submit an Interest Form

Begin by filling out our interest form. This helps us understand a bit about your child and their communication needs. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDtNPolA8Y5HTXSjNwcw7UM6qBRZwpeN-h-ssGVeAP9DA3og/viewform?usp=sf_link’

2. Meet & Greet

After reviewing your form, if we are enrolling new children, we’ll reach out to schedule a 15-minute “meet and greet” with your child, either virtually or in person. This session helps us get to know their unique strengths and areas for growth so we can thoughtfully place them in a group where they’ll feel comfortable and supported! If we do not have any openings, we will connect with you and add your child to our waiting list.

3. Thoughtful Group Placement

We carefully consider each child’s language and social skills, willingness to engage, behaviors, sensory needs, and more. Age and gender are factors, but we prioritize creating a dynamic where every group member can thrive.

4. Enrollment

If we have an opening in a suitable group, we’ll send you the enrollment information to get started.