Relationship building and social thinking are developed through social skills lessons and guided therapeutic play.

Courses Include:

Bridging Friendships I & II

This course is adapted from our elementary level Catching On To Getting Along course for those who cannot yet read. Social understanding is the core of the class with concepts like introductions, play, offering help, compliments and apologies being taught and practiced weekly.

Building Friendships Through Play and Imagination I, II & III

This course teaches friendship development skills of greeting, sharing, joining in, asking someone to play, and cooperating while guiding the client from functional play to pretend play.

Developing Friendships Through Play I, II & III

Through the use of symbolic and pretend play, demonstration, modeling, and practice, participants’ positive social communication and interaction increase, transfer and generalize, resulting in increased academic and social success.

Facilitated Play Group

Participants develop and generalize appropriate play, communication, emotional awareness, and social interaction skills by practicing them in a natural setting. Each session includes a play skill of the day, circle time, and guided play.

Friends and Feelings I, II, & III

This course begins working with perspective taking, problem solving, and beginning conversation skills with a continued focus on interactive play.

Understanding Our Friends Through Conversation and Play I & II

Perspective-taking, problem solving, and beginning conversation skills with a continued focus on interactive play.

Social understanding and skills are developed through direct instruction, modeling, guided practice, role plays, and generalization to other environments.

Courses Include:

Catching On to Conversation I, II & ITC

Participants increase basic conversation skills with instruction in starting and ending conversations, conversational manners and active listening skills and perspective-taking and social understanding to drive relationship and friendship success.

Catching On to Getting Along I, II & ITC

Parents and teachers report that it has been the catalyst for ongoing social, emotional, and behavioral successes. Focusing not only on crucial skills, the course also provides the social understanding and extensive practice under a variety of conditions to motivate and help participants generalize and add new skills with greater ease.

Fabulous Feelings I, II & ITC

This class prepares kids to develop skills to manage uncomfortable emotions, understand the feelings of others with sympathy and empathy and use verbal and non-verbal communication to identify and express feelings.

Fitting In at School I, II, III & ITC

“Fitting in at School” addresses the social language and thinking skills students need to make them academically and socially successful. We focus on listening, understanding and following written and unwritten rules, asking for help, communicating appreciation for help and more!

Getting Along with Friendship I, II, III & ITC

This course introduces “Friendship Seeds” (ways to grow friendships) and, “Friendship Be-Gones” (actions that hurt friendships), and helps develops skills and techniques for meeting, making and keeping friends.

Managing Anxiety and Stress I, II & ITC

This class helps kids recognize and manage personal signs and triggers of anxiety and stress and explores a wide variety of strategies and relaxation tools to develop their confidence for entering new situations.

Moving On With Friendship I, II, III & ITC

This course focuses on strategies for social problem-solving, empathy, perspective-taking, bullies, non-verbal communication skills and “hidden” or “unwritten” rules of friendship. Designed for those who with awareness and success in basic conversations, comprehension of emotions, and understanding of friendship “types” and “levels” and behaviors that foster or impede friendships.

Notable Needs I & II

This course helps participants recognize and value their own and others’ needs so that they can interact, work and play successfully. Participants also develop empathy, self-advocacy, compromise and brainstorming skills for managing conflict with peers and adults.

Slick Self-Control I, II & III

Participants increase their ability for self-control over the desire to have their own way, to have everything be predictable and the same, and to be right and win in every situation, so they can enjoy the long-term benefits of self-management.

Social Understanding and Self Management I, II & ITC

This dynamic course facilitates dramatic changes in social and behavioral success by providing a framework that guides social thinking, self management, perspective taking and vital, unwritten social expectations and rules with greater emphasis on social understanding.

“Kids Chat & Chill” — Social understanding and skills are developed through direct instruction, modeling, guided practice, role plays, generalization to other environments, and therapeutic recreation.

“Teens Talk Teens Rock” — Individual and group social behavior skills are developed through instruction in social thinking and understanding, perspective-taking skills, social communication and interaction skills, successful social experiences, and therapeutic recreation.

Courses Include:

Cracking Current Communication Codes I, II & III

Reports indicate that only seven percent of the emotional meaning in language is actually expressed with words. Through instruction, demonstrations and extensive practice, participants develop, increase and expand their ability to navigate the world of body language, non-verbal cues, facial expression and other forms of non-verbal communication.

Conversations in the Community I

This course increases meaning and motivation for becoming effective communicators in the community and improves basic communication and interactive skills by developing and expanding competencies in all social language skills, verbal and nonverbal, expressive and receptive, literal and interpretive.

Developing Relationships Through Communication

This course explores the reasons, components and strategies for “Starting a Friendship” while developing social understanding and social thinking skills. Participants will learn and practice a variety of social and conversational responses, and consider the reasons for different types of conversation, small talk and “getting to know others” communication.

Formulas for Social Success

For ages 11 to 15. Social understanding, social thinking and the ability to recognize and honor others’ perspectives provide the key ingredients for social success. Participants develop skills and motivation to combine these ingredients to make good impressions on others and establish positive reputations as they think about others, what others think of them, respect authority and respect themselves.

Girls Self-Awareness I, II & III

This course focuses on building a healthy “self” by exploring relationship dynamics, both friendship and romantic; a beginning awareness of basic reproductive health needs; harassment; nutrition and physical fitness; building and maintaining positive self-image; and exploring how adapting some of our own behaviors can improve our reputation with others.

Making the Most of Middle School

Coping with change and knowing how to seek out and manage new opportunities are necessary for making successful adjustments to the middle school, another new school or just a new school year. This course is designed to build on clients’ strengths and previously learned skills to help them feel even more comfortable at school, so they are confident and prepared to manage new friendships, make great and lasting impressions on teachers and peers and seek out and engage in even more meaningful experiences and opportunities.

Moving On to Middle School I & II

This course is largely based upon the DVD “Moving On To Middle School,” developed specifically for adolescents on the spectrum, and is told through the eyes of children who voice their opinions. Topics range from dealing with physical education, staying organized, getting involved, being bullied and teased, hallway etiquette, etc. Lessons highlight the benefits of getting involved in school activities and maintaining a positive social reputation.

Notable Needs I, II & III

“Notable Needs” helps kids recognize and value their own and others’ needs, so that they can interact, work and play with others successfully. They will also develop empathy, advocacy, brainstorming, compromise and negotiation skills to manage conflicts with peers and adults.

Peer Relationships I & II

This course is ideal for the child/teen in need of practice dealing with both friendly and non-friendly peers. Responsibilities of self and peers are explored as well as relationship maintenance, conversation skills, sarcasm, conflict and more.

Peer Relationships in the Workplace I & II

Employee relationship skills, work skills, job site behavior and time management skills will be taught through direct teaching, facilitated practice, and a hands-on work experience. Each participant will create an individualized work portfolio.

Self-Advocacy and Self-Management I & II

Using the 5-Point Scale to define and analyze socially appropriate behavior, participants will learn about advocacy by honing listening skills and learning about conversation repair strategies, reputation and being assertive. Participants develop an understanding and motivation for demonstrating mature behaviors related to responsibility, self-management and assertion to promote social success.

Slick Self-Control I, II & III

Participants increase their emotional and behavioral skills and motivation for exercising self-control over the desire to have their own way, to have everything be predictable, and to be right and win in every situation, so they can enjoy the long-term benefits of self-management in relationships and self-esteem.

Social Boundaries and Self-Management I, II, III & IV

Adapted from Kari Dunn Buron’s A 5 is Against the Law! and including Michelle Garcia Winner’s work, this dynamic course facilitates dramatic changes in social and behavioral success with a framework that guides social understanding, social thinking, self-management, perspective-taking, and vital, unwritten social expectations and rules.

Social Understanding and Self-Management I, II & ITC

This dynamic course facilitates dramatic changes in social and behavioral success by providing a framework that guides social thinking, self-management, perspective taking, and vital unwritten social expectations and rules with greater emphasis on social understanding.

SUCCESS (Strengthening, Understanding, Connecting, and Coaching Executive Skills for Success) I, II & III

This course is designed to help clients with executive functioning deficits understand how the brain works, study paths to future success, study work and learning behaviors and get motivated to use and pursue skills they possess and paths they desire. It is also designed to be a practical, “hands-on” type course. Clients will practice using strategies and systems for organization, time management and planning skills.

Teens Tame Technology I & II

Social media abounds and holds limitless possibilities for teens to develop online social relationships with peers, engage in online gaming activities, share talents and ideas, and practice their social skills from home. This course informs participants about practicing safety, social understanding and promotes expected behaviors online.

Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships I & II

This is a two-part course for teens who are ready to develop a broader understanding of the social world. In this curriculum we will discuss The Ten Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships as they are explored in the book written by Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron. Some of the topics explored will include the idea that rules are not absolute, everyone makes mistakes, and honesty is not the same as diplomacy.

Young Adults Group

This group provides a venue to address personal and social-related issues through a guided discussion format. Group members work together to develop topic and community outing ideas. The dynamic operation of this group facilitates the self reflection and goal setting necessary for independent living and also helps develop the flexibility and compromise skills required for getting along with others and developing and maintaining relationships with friends.

Transition “Young Adults” — A venue to address personal and social-related issues through a guided discussion format. Group members work together to develop topic and community outing ideas. Also called "Young Adults Group." Participants learn and develop a wide variety of skills such as independent living, self advocacy, coping and self-management, emotional understanding and regulation, friendship skills, behavioral management, recreation and leisure, and social Skills.

Courses Offered:

“Meet & Mingle”

High school graduates through 30-year-old individuals will increase social understanding, perspective taking and social communication and interaction skills. The format of this group allows for group input and collaboration for discussion topics and community outings. Participants meets at a specific location for discussion and activity with highly-trained WMLC staff facilitators.