After children have completed a basic social skills group, they have learned the “HOW-TOs” of friendship making, sportsmanship, emotion management, anger control, assertive skills, problem solving, personal responsibility, and reputation re-building. Once “acquisition” of these concepts is achieved, children often need more practice to enhance the consistent “performance” of their newly learned skills. One way to accomplish this is for a child to serve as a “peer tutor” in a second semester of basic social skills training. Other advanced group opportunities include:

• Outdoor playground groups for preschoolers – Children meet at the park and practice using good social skills while taking turns on playground equipment and playing games.
• Community adventure groups – Children meet at a variety of locations, such as the park, pizza parlor, swimming pool, shopping center, and each others homes.
• Advanced Social and Sensory Integration Skills Training (ASSIST) – Both a physical therapist and a behavior therapist are present to help children interact positively by monitoring their body speeds, dealing with sensory sensitivities, and coping more effectively with challenges and frustrations.
• Biofeedback dyads – After children have mastered basic stress management relaxation techniques, they are challenged to play games and affectively resolve real life conflicts with a friend. Both children are simultaneously attached to biofeedback equipment to monitor their reactions and progress.

Advanced Groups