Sometimes children call attention to themselves by doing things to gain attention from others. Many times they are gaining the attention in negative ways instead of in a positive way. This may actually push others away from them, leaving the child feeling alone and isolated. Our groups help to identify these negative behaviors and teach ways to gain the attention in a positive way. For some children, it is helpful for one behavior to be replaced with another behavior that may be less distracting to themself or others.

Some children have some knowledge of certain social skills but lack the self confidence to practice them outside of a safe setting, for fear they may be criticized or put down. For example: many children can introduce themselves to another, but can not take the next step to ask questions to get to know more about that person. We break down these skills into small steps that are practiced before moving on to maintaining, joining in, interrupting, and ending conversations appropriately. It is also an important skill to be able to read a variety of non-verbal cues. These incluse facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language.

It is important for children to understand their emotions and how to appropriately deal with feelings such as disappointments, frustration, anger, making a mistake, teasing/ bullying, peer pressure, rumors, losing a game, and accepting no for an answer. We help them to identify the "triggers" to these feelings. We teach the coping skills necessary to calm down when already upset and how to avoid getting upset by dealing with the triggers that may cause them to become upset. 

Anger management affects many children. It can range from temper tantrums, yelling and screaming, rages, violent behaviors, or shutting down completely. Learning how to control anger is a vital aspect of social and emotional development. This group will help children to identify the "triggers" that make them angry. They will be able to become in touch with their feelings and begin to use an anger scale to rate the degree of anger they may feel. By gaining self-awareness, children may begin to decrease their feelings of anger and learn more appropriate coping strategies.

Children with ADD/ADHD and Impulse Control Disorders frequently do things that pop into their heads without thinking of the consequences. They often blurt out the answers to questions before the questions have been completed, or say things that are silly or don't fit the conversation. They tend to repeatedly interrupt or intrude on others and have difficulty waiting their turn for things. They also have difficulty managing their behaviors.

This group will help children with impulsive behaviors to make positive connections with peers by learning to become aware of how their actions have been negatively impacting their ability to make and keep friends. They will learn how to read others' body language and respond appropriately despite urges to say or do something else by:

~ Teaching children the value of impulse control

~Teaching children how to anticipate consequences

~Teaching children how to recognize their own and others' feelings

~Teaching children how to manage their feelings

~Teaching children good problem-solving strategies.

Once these skills are taught, it is important for them to be generalized outside of the group setting. We provide a handout each week of the skills taught,and review them with parents/guardians so that they can be practiced and reinforced on an on-going basis. Sometimes, it may be necessary to "prime" the skill when enforcing them outside of the group.