Social Smarts Groups
Winter-Spring 2025 Group Information
Miss Maria is happy to share information for the Winter-Spring 2025 Social Smarts Groups. See our current available groups and request interest to join.
Preschool
3 – 4 year olds
This group will work to learn and apply the concept of being ‘We-Thinkers’, focusing on Group Thinking, Thinking with our Eyes, Whole Body Listening, Flexible Thinking, and Cooperative and Collaborative play. Foundational conversation skills including shared topics, and thinking and wondering about others will be targeted weekly as well.
Meets on Thursdays from 8 – 9am. Winter/Spring Session dates include: February 6, 13, 20; March 6, 20, 27; April 10, 17, 24; May 1, 8, & 15, 2025
NO GROUP on February 27, March 13, April 3, 2025
Rate is $75.00 per session. Registration is required. For children new to the practice an Initial Consultation is required.
Lower Elementary
Children will work to learn and apply the social 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. Conversational engagement and collaborative decision-making and problem solving are critical elements of the group. Language processing, including organization of language, word retrieval, and phonemic processing, will be embedded.
Meets on Fridays from 4 – 5pm. Winter/Spring Session dates include: January 24 & 31, February 7, 14, 21; March 7, 21, 28; April 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9, & 16, 2025.
NO GROUP on February 28, March 14, April 4, 2025
Rate is $75.00 per session. Registration is required. For children new to the practice an Initial Consultation is required.
Elementary
Students will focus on understanding and practicing concepts that guide social thinking, in lessons, games, and play. The group places an emphasis on understanding and integrating the foundations of being a ‘We Thinker’ through developing growth in perspective taking. Flexible thinking for collaborative engagement is promoted. Learning and growing in skills for concepts with People Memory and People Files is emphasized, supporting engagement in conversation and discourse, as well as foundations in friendship and relational development. Communication, collaborative thinking, problem solving, and flexible thinking are critical elements of this group.
Meets on Mondays from: 5 – 6pm. Winter/Spring Session dates include: January 27, February 3, 10, 24; March 17, 24; April 7, 14, 21, 28; May 5 & 12, 2025
NO GROUP on February 17 & 28, March 3, 10, & 31
Rate is $75.00 per session. Registration is required. For children new to the practice an Initial Consultation is required.
Upper Elementary
Students will focus on understanding nuances in social thinking to support judgment and problem solving, based on situations with classmates, friends, teacher/classroom expectations, and home expectations. Growing friendships, as well as managing relationships with classmates, teachers, teammates, coaches, and family members is emphasized. Continued work with nuanced perspective-taking and collaborative thinking with problem-solving are strong components of this group. This group also works through challenges with managing shifting expectations with age, including responsibilities, resiliency, and emotional regulation.
Meets on Tuesdays from: 5 – 6pm. Winter/Spring Session dates include: January 21 & 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 18, 25; April 8, 15, 22, 29; May 6 & 13, 2025
NO GROUP on March 11, April 1, 2025
Rate is $75.00 per session. Registration is required. For children new to the practice an Initial Consultation is required.
Middle School
Students will focus on conversational skills and social engagement through game play. This includes shared topics, managing talk time, and collaborative work. Discussion and problem solving of middle school challenges will be addressed. This includes developing positive relationships with classmates, development of friendships, the power of ‘neutral,’ distinguishing mean actions and bully behavior, and navigating differences while building positive relationships with teachers. Growling expectations with responsibilities, trust, judgment, and emotional regulation are embedded in the group.
Meets alternate Fridays from: 5 – 6pm Winter/Spring Session dates include: January 24, February 7, 21; March 7, 21, 28; April 11, 25; May 2, 16, 2025
NO GROUP on January 31, February 14 & 28, March 14, April 4 & 18; May 9, 2025
Rate is $75.00 per session. Registration is required. For children new to the practice an Initial Consultation is required.
To participate in a group, your child must have participated or must currently be participating in assessment or therapy with RVA Pediatric Therapy & Consulting, OR they must participate in an Initial Consultation to ensure that the group matches your child’s level/needs and to support the development of a plan. Participation in an Initial Consultation does NOT guarantee that the group will fit your child’s needs. The Initial Consultation will provide feedback accordingly with recommendations for next steps, which may or may not include the group.
