Social Skills Groups

New! LittleStar is excited to announce the expansion of its services beyond solely ABA therapy to include additional supports for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.

Many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have difficulty interpreting social cues when interacting with others, which can sometimes be a challenge when making friends. LittleStar’s new social skills groups are specifically designed for children and teens who struggle to connect with their peers.

Social Skills: Child Group (5 and up)

LittleStar’s social skills group for children is a 14-week social skills intervention for school-age children who are interested in learning how to make and keep friends. During each group session, the children are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice these skills in session during socialization activities. Skills include back-and forth conversation, finding common interests, sportsmanship, sharing, and handling disagreements. Parents attend three separate sessions throughout the course of group treatment and are taught how to assist their children in making and keeping friends. Parents will provide feedback through coaching during weekly socialization homework assignments and will help the children use their learned skills to foster new relationships. Social skills group may be appropriate for children with autism spectrum disorder. Parent participation is required.

Social Skills 5 and UP

Social Skills: Adolescents

LittleStar is now pleased to be offering social skills groups led by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst using the only evidence-based social skills curriculum, PEERS™!

The PEERS curriculum is based out of UCLA in Los Angeles, California and has been used in over 70 countries and translated into over a dozen languages. It was recently featured on the Netflix show “Love on the Spectrum!”

PEERS™ for Adolescents

Children ages 13-18 beginning in March!

PEERS for Adolescents is a 16-week evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle and high school who are interested in learning new ways of making and keeping friends. During each group session, teens are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice these skills in session during socialization activities. Parents attend separate sessions at the same time and are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends by helping to expand their teen’s social network and providing feedback through coaching during weekly socialization homework assignments. Parent participation is required.

In this group, teens will learn how to:

• Use appropriate conversational skills

• Use humor appropriately

• Use electronic communication

• Enter and exit conversations

• Be a good host during get-togethers

• Be a good sport

• Handle arguments and disagreements

• Change a bad reputation

• Handle rumors and gossip

• Handle rejection, teasing, and bullying

REQUIREMENTS

What To Expect

PEERS for Adolescents is appropriate for teens ages 13-18 on the autism spectrum with average language abilities and are motivated to make and keep friends! Teens will meet once per week for 90 minutes with both In-Person (Carmel, IN) and Telehealth options!

We accept most insurance plans with private pay options available.

PLEASE SIGN UP BELOW!

PEERS™ Sign UP

Need More Info?

For more information on our upcoming Telehealth groups for both children (ages 5-13) and adolescents (ages 14-18), click the links below or contact Jennifer Baker at [email protected].

Or call 317-495-5302

Meet our Staff

Jennifer Baker, MA, BCBA

Psychological Services Director

Jennifer is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with 9 years of experience in the field working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental delays. Jennifer oversees our initial assessments for ABA treatment, social skills groups for all ages, and parent training webinars at LittleStar. She received her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Human Sexuality from Indiana University and completed her master’s program at Ball State University in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Jennifer’s background is in community-based services where she consulted with teachers and school faculty across the Indianapolis area to facilitate successful transitions for LittleStar learners to school and community settings. Her clinical interests include interdisciplinary collaboration, social skills training, group and classroom-based interventions, and the fusion of acceptance and commitment therapy with applied behavior analysis. She is a passionate human rights advocate who believes in every learner’s right to live a happy, safe, and independent life.

For more information on our upcoming Telehealth groups for both children (ages 8-13) and adolescents (ages 14-18), click the links below or contact Jennifer Baker at [email protected].

Or call 317-495-5302