Therapeutic Group Descriptions
Fall 2013
The Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic in partnership with the Neurobehavior HOME Program is offering the following therapy
groups for people with Autism and other developmental challenges. Please call us with questions or to get registered for a
group.
801-587-8020
Children’s Groups (Age 8-12):
Social Skills Group (Social Skills Training, Skillstreaming, and Superheroes Social Skills Curriculums)
This is a social skills group for children ages 8-13 years. This group focuses on critical skills that all children need to interact
with peers and adults, and to develop and maintain friendships. This group is designed to enhance your child’s social
foundational skills such as basic interactional skills, conversational skills, specific friendship skills, emotional and social
reciprocity, and problem solving skills through discussions, role-plays, and activities. Children will also be encouraged to
practice skills learned each week at home with siblings, peers, parents, etc. This group is run by the Neurobehavior HOME
Program and is not exclusive to people with Autism. This group meets weekly throughout the school year.
“Unstuck and On Target”
An executive function group to improve flexibility for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). For children with ASD,
problems with flexibility and goal-directed behavior can be a major obstacle to success in school and in life. But flexibility and
goal-setting can be taught just like any other skill. This group will help kids (ages 8-12) with ASD: effectively and calmly
manage unexpected events; cope with disappointment and frustration; keep an open mind; navigate disagreements with
friends; set and achieve goals; learn how to compromise; create a Plan B when Plan A doesn’t work; and more! This group
meets weekly between the end of September and June.
Teen Groups (Age 12-18)
Social Skills Group (PEERS Curriculum)
This co-ed social group meets the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related conditions, ages 13-18. We
use an evidence-based curriculum, the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills (PEERS)
curriculum that was developed at UCLA. The curriculum includes a parent education group that teaches parents ways to
promote their teens’ practice of skills they are learning in the group. Group sessions are run by graduate students in
Educational Psychology and alternate weekly between age-appropriate community outings and lessons in our offices using
role playing and other hands-on activities. The group runs weekly from September to May.
Expressive Therapy Group
Expressive Therapy groups for teens ages 13-18 with ASD and are lead by an Art Therapist, Music Therapist, and/or
Recreational Therapist. These therapeutic groups are used to promote physical, social, emotional, cultural, recreation, health,
and wellness needs of the clients. Experiences or interventions depend on the modality and focus on specific goals that the
individual client is working on, such as: social functioning, coping skills, self-esteem, personal awareness, and expression of
feelings. This group will be ongoing throughout the school year.
Adult Groups
Adult Social Skills Group (Coed)
This adult social skills group is for adults 17 years of age and older. The focus of the group is to provide a safe and supportive
environment where adults can meet and interact with other adults while working on conversational skills, ways to develop
and maintain friendships, problem solving and conflict resolution skills, emotional reciprocity, identifying and managing their
own emotions, etc. The group is an open group held two times a month. The first group of each month will meet at the
Neurobehavior HOME Program clinic and the second group is an activity in the community. This group is run by the
Neurobehavior HOME Program and is not exclusive to people with Autism. This group meets every other week.
“Greatest Gals” (Women’s Group)
The Greatest Gals Group is a social skills group for women with autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of the group is to
develop social skills through friendship and client driven activities/outings. Group members will choose specific topics that
are relevant to their experiences (i.e. how to join a conversation, how to handle disagreements, practice job interview skills,
etc). The group meets twice a month. Once every other month this group will have a scheduled “party” to interact and socialize
with the members of the coed adult social skills group. This group meets every other week.
Book Club (Not a therapeutic group, but social gathering)
This group provides a creative outlet and social opportunity for adults on the autism spectrum. Each month, members
nominate books they would like to read. Due to the size of the group and varying preferences, we democratically select two of
the nominations to read that month, and each member can choose which book they prefer. We begin for the first 30 minutes
as a large group in a conference room for socialization and eating (pizza and soft drinks provided). We then split into two
smaller groups to discuss their respective books for the next hour. We regroup after the discussion to nominate and select the
books for the next month. The book club meets once a month.