Friendly Faces
Socialization & Language Groups
For children who need to learn the language of making friends
The ability to make and be a friend does not come naturally to all children. A growing number of youngsters need to learn the language of making and being friends.
Friendly Faces is a community based social skills program for elementary school aged children who may demonstrate a variety of communication and social-emotional difficulties. This includes, but is not limited to, children diagnosed with high functioning autism/Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Integration Dysfunction Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder, Pragmatic Language Disorder and Social Anxiety. This program is also appropriate for children with other developmental delays or those without a formal diagnosis who are struggling to establish and maintain friendships.
Groups are no more than 6 children. This allows for a small, supportive group environment to learn and practice social skills with peers, while still being able to focus on individual goals and needs. It is also a great way for children to establish friendships and connections with peers in their community. The group is run by a licensed and nationally board certified Speech-Language Pathologist with extensive experience in community based treatment, child language development, and child language and learning disorders. An assistant will also be present for all classes.
Group time will include formal lessons targeting specific social language and behavior skills such as eye contact, greetings, joint attention, turn taking, perspective taking, facial expression and body language, expressing emotions, topic maintenance, initiating play/conversation, team play, flexibility, compromise and higher level language skills (ie. Problem solving, inferencing, and critical thinking). These skills are then put into practice and carried over into group craft projects, activities, guided play and group discussion with an emphasis on FUN!
There will be regular parent handouts distributed describing activities and/or skills that are being targeted and home practice/carryover activities. Therapist will also be available for phone consultation during weekly call hours and/or via email if parents would like to discuss individual progress and/or have any questions as the session progresses.
Fall/Winter classes will be running at the Rye YMCA. For more information please contact Hillary Rosenberg, M.S. CCC-SLP at (914) 564-1529
Read about Friendly Faces in the news.