General FAQ

The S stands for Social Skills! We provide group and individual support for neurodiverse people that are interested in improving their social skills. Our services include therapist-led groups and private coaching.

  • The participant in the program creates their own social goals
  • You can access S Groups from anywhere in the United States – all our classes are online
  • We only use a curriculum that is evidence based and ecologically valid which means we teach what works from research
  • We include curriculum from the PEERS – one of the only evidence based social skills curriculum
  • Emphasis on social skills to make and keep friends and coping strategies to cope with negative situations, feelings, and thoughts
  • Is structured like a class, not a therapy group
  • Breaks down social skills into understandable steps taught in an effective way
  • Builds in the generalization of skills to “real life” settings
  • Teaches skills that transfer your life
  • We use a strength based approach
  • Includes parents as social coaches

We work primarily with neurodiverse clients. Many of our clients have a diagnosis for Autism, ADHD, and other conditions. S Groups may be appropriate for adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression or other social and behavioral disorders.

Relationships – Having one or two friends correlates positively with self esteem and independence.

Coping Skills – We teach self regulation and coping strategies to get out of negative thought loops and manage stress and anxiety.

Self Confidence – Being a part of a small, supportive group where everyone is working on similar social goals creates a sense of belonging.

Small Group Size – We create a safe and supportive environment by keeping our groups small in size, allowing for increased interaction among peers and personalized attention.

Meet from Anywhere – Seeing the same peers each week helps you feel comfortable. There is a comradery that forms in the group that inspires motivation and encouragement from your peers.

Real World Application – Our programs incorporate structured lessons on specific topics, role-playing, uses visuals, and gives participants opportunities to practice their skills with peers in a safe, low-risk environment before applying the skill outside of the group.

Authenticity – We teach skills that empower individuals to navigate social situations and to reach their desired social goals, while remaining authentic and true to themselves. We do not promote masking to fit into societal norms.

Evidence Based – We teach ecologically valid and evidence-based practices that have been shown to enhance social skills, promote social engagement, and learn how to cope with negative feelings, thoughts, and situations.

Highly Trained Therapists – Our therapists are empathetic, experienced, highly trained, and hold advanced degrees. Most importantly they care about helping you make meaningful change in your life.

Inclusive Environment – We encourage self-expression and affirm the identities of all participants, including those who identify as LGBTQ+. Our group is a safe and supportive space for individuals to explore and express their identities.

Each group therapy session includes instruction, modeling, coaching, and ongoing feedback. Teens and young adults learn skills through in-group rehearsal and homework, which helps build confidence and solidify new skills.

Separate, concurrent classes are held for parents, guardians, or a mentor in the teen or young adult’s life, whose involvement is integral to their child’s success with the program. In these groups you learn the skills being taught to participants so that you can serve as a social coach in your child’s everyday life. At S Groups this is not a requirement but is highly recommended.

We work with motivated adolescents in middle and high school and adults between 18-38 years.

Yes! Our instructors are extensively trained and hold advanced degrees in applied behavior analysis, psychology, special education, or related fields.
  1. Initial Consultation – Get started by scheduling a free 15-minute online consultation so we can learn more about you.
  2. Intake Evaluation – Complete a 90-minute intake evaluation to determine placement for groups and private coaching.
  3. Social Success Group – Join your small online social skills group at the same time each week.
  4. Additional Groups – Join other groups with specific topics and themes for social skills development.
Yes! Private coaching may be a better fit for you if you have specific goals that can be better addressed in a one on one environment. There are instances where group therapy may not be a good fit yet. Oftentimes we can work together one and one to support your individual goals and then join the group at a later time. During our free consultation call we can explore which option will best suit your individual needs.
Tracking progress is an essential part of determining whether the program is working and maintaining quality control. We use several standardized assessments of social functioning as a pre and post test assessment of social functioning, and as an evaluation of treatment outcome.
You can join an S Group anywhere in the United States. All of our S Groups meet virtually online using a HIPAA compliant platform of Zoom.

Yes! Findings demonstrate telehealth results in significant improvements in social skills knowledge,social responsiveness, overall social skills and problem behaviors, and social engagement. Telehealth outcomes are relatively equivalent and found no significant differences between telehealth and in-person delivery (Estabillo et al., 2022).

 

 

A social coach is someone in your life that will learn the skills that you are being taught also, so that skills can more easily generalize to other settings and improvements will be more durable over time. For adolescents social coaches are most often parents. For young adults social coaches could be parents, adult siblings, other family members, job coaches, life coaches, friends, partners, and peer mentors. Social coaches will learn how to help coach you in coachable moments, assist with weekly homework assignments, and help you find a source of friends outside the treatment setting. Having a social coach is not a requirement to be in SGroups but will likely improve the effectiveness and generalization of skills outside of the program. 

 

 

Pricing FAQ

Groupswe have separate groups for our clients and their caregivers. Caregiver participation is optional.

  • Clients: $999 for 12 weeks (3 payments of $333)
  • Caregivers: $750 for 12 weeks (3 payments of $250)

 

Private Coachingavailable for our clients and their caregivers

  • 60-minute sessions for $400 per month
  • 30-minute sessions for $250 per month
  • Drop in sessions for $250 per session (60-minute sessions)

 

Please see our pricing page for additional information.

We do not bill your insurance. There’s a chance your insurance provider will reimburse you.

We are not an in-network provider for insurance companies. We do not accept single case agreements or EOP benefits. We can provide you with a superbill that you may provide to your insurance company.

We are an out of network provider which means we do not bill your insurance companies directly. Your services may be eligible for reimbursement through out-of-network benefits or health care savings accounts.

A superbill is a document that we can provide to your insurance company. It has a detailed summary of services rendered. Your health insurance company may reimburse you partially or fully for the services we provide, however every health insurance company is different so we suggest you check with them first.

S Groups Terminology

Ecologically valid means we teach what we know works from research, as opposed to what we think works. The PEERS® curriculum included in SGroups teaches social behaviors that are naturally used by those that are socially accepted.