Groups

2011 Summer Programs at the Center for Childhood Development

The Center provides innovative consultation, evaluation, and treatment services to help children and families dealing with neurodevelopmental differences.
For summer 2011 groups, the Center will be offering beneficial group programs in a dynamic approach to improve and enhance overall development.

Becoming a Social Detective

This group will be led by an occupational therapist and a speech and language pathologist. It will use a social thinking curriculum - "Think Social" by Michelle Garcia Winner - which uses meta-cognition (self awareness and self understanding) in teaching social problem solving and social thinking. This group will provide opportunities that will help the children learn how to follow unwritten social rules that help them to fit in better with the social world that we live in.

Friends, Fun, and Fine Motor Skills (ages 4-6)

This group will be led by Occupational Therapist, Elise Dirkse. It will provide fun, sensory-motor based activities to engage children in play and socialization. Activities will focus on enhancing gross motor skills, fine motor skills and sensory integration.

Friends, Fun, and Fine Motor Skills (ages 7-9)

This group will be led by Occupational Therapist, Elise Dirkse. It will provide fun, sensory-motor based activities to engage children in play and socialization. Activities will focus on enhancing gross motor skills, fine motor skills and sensory integration.

Building Blocks - Handwriting Without Tears

These are half hour sessions with occupational therapist, Elise Dirkse. The core components of postural stability and upper extremity strength will be addressed as well as specific instruction in handwriting legibility and letter formation. The sessions will be fun and interactive. Specific activities and homework will be available.

Play it - Say it (ages 4-6)

This group will be led by an occupational therapist and a speech and language pathologist. Activities will focus on helping the children make the transition from concrete thinking to higher level abstract thinking through imaginative play. The group’s focus will also be to help the children learn problem solving skills through natural, everyday experiences. Two different group sessions will be offered.

Play it - Say it (ages 7-9)

This group will be led by an occupational therapist and a speech and language pathologist. Activities will focus on helping the children make the transition from concrete thinking to higher level abstract thinking through imaginative play. The group’s focus will also be to help the children learn problem solving skills through natural, everyday experiences.

Girls Group

Details posted soon!

Adventure Group

This group is designed to expose kids to new experiences and teach skills in a variety of leisure activities.  While the group is adventure themed, all of the activities planned will be intentionally therapeutic in nature.  General areas targeted include those related to interpersonal skills, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and sense of self development.  Examples of specific skills that will be taught will include relating to others, cooperative teamwork, planning, organizing, flexible problem-solving, motor planning, increasing frustration tolerance, gross and fine motor development, and identifying personal areas of strength and growth.  Led by Lauren Hunt, MS OTR and Eric Dykstra, Psy.D.

Social Emotional Groups

Dr. Eric Dykstra of Developmental Enhancement is organizing and running clinical groups for middle and high-school age adolescents with difficulties in social-emotional domains.  These groups are specially designed for individuals with Aspergers Syndrome, high functioning autism, and other neurodevelopmental challenges.  These active, creative, fun groups will focus on improving interpersonal skills, promoting emotional health, enhancing sense of self, managing stress, and maximizing abilities.  Middle school and high school students meet on alternating weeks.

Private Tutoring in Handwriting

Tutoring in handwriting will also be offered by an occupational therapist at the Center. 

Private Tutoring in Reading, Math, and Handwriting

Students who are introduced to a literacy program with these areas in balance should achieve reading success. If your child is in need of developing or enhancing their reading skills, private one-to-one tutoring is available from a Speech-Language Pathologist. We also offer tutoring in math and handwriting. The tutoring is Orton-Gillingham based and uses a multimodality approach.

Pre-Reading and Reading Programs

The Pre-Reading Group is for 4-6 yr. olds who are ready to establish early literacy skills. Sessions will focus on introducing phonemic awareness, pre-phonics, and age level literature comprehension. The reading group will build upon these skills.