Much of what we know about communication and interaction comes from our experiences during childhood. Social skills refer to the way in which we communicate and interact with each other. These skills include making eye contact, showing facial expressions, and understanding body language and posture. We use these skills to make decisions and to form relationships.

Some children do not have an adequate understanding of these skills. As a result, they face isolation from peers and disapproval by adults. Children with poor social skills are at risk for being bullied and may encounter poor academic performance. The reason why children lack these skills vary. Some children have difficulties reading social cues and others have not been given ample opportunities to practice these skills.

Fortunately, children with challenges in understanding and/or expressing social skills can learn to do so. Children can learn to understand facial expressions, body language and posture, and to initiate and maintain conversations. Social skills training allows children the opportunity to learn through role play, peer modeling, feedback, and one-on-one training. Training is designed to be practical, fun, and motivational. Our social skills classes are designed for children of all ages.

FEEDING THERAPY

For some children, and their families, feeding can become a stressful event. Feeding challenges in children are usually the result of a medical condition such as prematurity, allergy, and reflux, which may lead to picky eating or food refusal. Children with feeding difficulties may experience chocking, gagging, vomiting, stomach aches, loss of skills associated with feeding, malnutrition, and failure to thrive. We work with the family, and other professionals, to design a plan that is respectful of your child’s personal preferences and ability. We conduct a thorough evaluation including medical clearance, functional assessment, food preference inventory, and reinforcement preference assessment.

We teach basic sign language for toddlers and children. This is a basic introductory program that includes letters, numbers, feelings, greetings, and common terms. Children learn through music, games, and other fun activities. Each child receives a pack of sign language cards, a poster, and a certificate at the end of the program. Therefore, children can continue to practice long after the program has ended. Course is for six weeks.

Behavioral Management

A therapist will come to your home and/or school to assist you in   designing and implementing a behavioral management program. You will learn how to use positive reinforcement to solve behavioral problems. We can also design a program to increase "wanted" behaviors. This program is taught in a simplified manner that makes it easy to learn and practice. 

Parenting Classes

We provide several parenting classes including a divorce parenting class, and special needs parenting. Our classes are fun and practical.