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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Occupational Therapy & Self Regulation Speech & Language Therapy Self-Regulation Early Intervention
1. Q: Can you describe your therapeutic approach? A: Much of our teachings are based on a group of leading specialists in Social Thinking® social communication, and self-regulation including Michelle Garcia Winner (Social Thinking®), Leah Kuypers (Zones of Regulation), Dr. Barry Prizant (SCERTS), Dr. Stanley Greenspan (DIR/Floortime), and our own lessons that we have developed over our years of practice. Michelle Garcia Winner (www.socialthinking.com) is a local groundbreaking therapist and author who specializes in the treatment of individuals with social cognitive deficits. Winner coined the term Social Thinking® to describe the ability of an individual to consider the points of view, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and intentions of others. Winner’s approach, which we embrace and expand upon in our groups, uses very functional ways to break down and teach abstract social-thinking concepts. For example, we support her idea that “our eyes have thoughts” and that a client can determine what others are thinking by following their eye gaze. 2. Q: If there is no delay in speech and language, how can a speech pathologist or occupational therapist and social learning therapy help? A: Those with social cognitive deficits may have developmentally appropriate communication skills yet be unable to successfully apply those skills in the real world. If you or your child has difficulty with self- regulation and/or social learning, there is often a struggle with the use of language and feeling comfortable in social contexts. There may also be difficulties engaging in appropriate social interactions and uncertainty on how to act, or “be” with other people. Our speech and language pathologists are skilled in working with all forms of language, including pragmatic language. Although you or your child may not exhibit a speech or language delay, social learning therapy can help if the need is to support or improve social communication. Our occupational therapists are skilled in working with sensory and emotional regulation. If self-regulation is a struggle, this can often be the source of the struggle. Being social, playing and “hanging out” is one of the most meaningful occupations in life. If someone is struggling with getting along with others, joining in with peers and participating in social events, our speech pathologists and occupational therapists can teach the client to better understand the social environment and how to navigate it with more ease. Clients without a diagnosis or those with one of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS), Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), or other language disabilities including those with undiagnosed social learning challenges or social-cognitive thinking deficits, can greatly benefit from social learning therapy. 3. Q: How can poor social thinking affect academic success? A: Social Thinking®, a term coined by Michelle Garcia Winner is another term for social cognition or the ability to think about being social. Poor social thinking can create difficulties in all areas of life but can severely impact the educational experience. Some of the challenges one might face include:
4. Q: How are social communication groups and social thinking groups different? A: CW offers groups that focus on social communication and/or social thinking. Social Communication groups are for clients that need support with attention and language. These groups focus on goals around the foundational components of social language and social thinking, including joint attention, initiating interactions, engaging in back and forth play/taking turns, sharing imagination, expressive and receptive language, and emotional regulation. Social thinking groups are for clients who are highly verbal and are able to think about thinking. We help them move toward thinking about the thoughts and feelings of others and how their behavior affects others. 
5. Q: I’m not sure if this describes myself or my child. What are some of the signs of social-cognitive challenges? A: The signs of social-cognitive challenges can range from subtle to overt. They may include:
6. Q: How do the concepts and skills learned at Communication Works generalize out of the clinic setting? A: Family involvement is an integral part of our program and helps lead to success. As part of each weekly session, we provide parent/caregiver/partner training during a portion of each session. This involves discussing the vocabulary, concepts and lessons that were introduced each week as well as ideas about how to carry-over skills learned in therapy in other environments. We provide a binder with written handouts to share with other family members, therapists and school personnel. CW actively strives to provide on-going communication and consultation with all family members and professionals involved with our clients. We encourage weekly communication about what is going on at school, work and home so that we can incorporate any concerns or real life issues in our lessons. In addition, CW is committed to incorporating community outings into our programs, during which our clients have the opportunity to practice their new skills in a real-world setting. 7. Q: How old are the clients in social learning groups? A: CW offers a range of social learning services and playgroups that accommodate clients from age 3 to adult. Groupings are determined with great care by our therapists after a consultation and review of the client’s history is conducted. We also provide individual sessions for those who need more direct support. 8. Q: Do you incorporate typical peers into the group sessions? A: CW has a peer mentor program and actively recruits for age appropriate peers to participate, as needed and when appropriate. 9. Q: How are the groups structured? A: Our groups are comprised of two to four (and occasionally five) clients who are matched according to their age, maturity, cognitive level, and level of social awareness. We are very careful to structure our groups to avoid anxiety for the clients involved and to ensure that the lessons are appropriately geared to all members of a group. Each group meets once-twice a week for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on age. Each session concludes with a parent wrap-up during which the therapist goes over the lesson for the week and the concepts to be reinforced outside of the Center. This parental involvement is a crucial component of our approach and another differentiator that sets CW apart from other programs. Groups run from September to June. During the summer months (June through August), special summer programs are offered for clients who need a boost in social learning to get them ready for the fall or continue work from the school year. Additional therapy sessions can also be arranged. 10. Q: Do you have a schedule for when groups start and end? A: Groups start in the fall and the summer. Please refer to our group calendar for specific start weeks. However, CW can also accommodate starting mid-year group sessions if there are openings in current groups or a need to start a new group. 11. Q: How do we join a social learning group? A: Communication Works does not require a formal assessment for a client to enroll in a social learning group. However, in order to place each client in the most appropriate group for his or her needs, we schedule a 20-30 minute “meet-n-greet”. In this meeting we perform a brief, informal social observation that can help us match them in the best placement and determine the appropriate roadmap of services. We can also perform a more extensive evaluation, school observation or consultation that can provide information and recommendations regarding the areas of social or self-regulation strengths and challenges and the need for various supports. The prerequisites for a client participating in a group of three or more clients include:
12. Q: Do you provide individual social communication therapy? A: Therapy increases in complexity across the years and is dependent on the cognitive, language and perspective taking level of the applicant. We recommend that you schedule a consultation with our directors so that we can best assess the individual’s readiness for either individual, dyad or group sessions. 13. Q: What if I or my child am not ready for a social thinking group? A: We can help you determine your needs after doing an initial consultation.For some clients, it is helpful to start with individual sessions so they can learn some of the core vocabulary and concepts before they jump in with their peers. back to questions 14. Q: My child hates social groups. How do I get him to attend or participate? A: We provide a safe, supportive and fun environment that most students find reinforcing and enjoyable. We incorporate individual motivators and interests, as well as humor, into each lesson. Our clients practice their new skills in engaging and interesting ways, including games, role-play, acting, watching movie clips, and going on community outings. Inevitably there will be “boring moments” in our weekly sessions, just as there are in life (and especially in school). We teach our clients how to get through these moments as well as the importance of attending during these moments. Our therapists enjoy their clients and the clients enjoy their therapists! 15. Q: What if my child has behavioral challenges when sharing space with peers or do not stay with the group? A: If behavior is impacting a child’s ability to work with a group, we work to tailor the support for that student so that he or she is able to find successes. This may some include individual work on self-regulation as well as additional consultation with parents and teachers/professionals who work closely with the child and team. 16. Q: What is the cost of the programs offered at CW? A: Our rates vary depending on the number of clients in a small-group or individual session. For more information, please contact us to discuss your needs and availability for placement. 17. Q: Are we charged for the group if absent? A: Our therapeutic approach rests on a commitment from all group members to be present on a regular basis. Lessons build on previously learned skills and often need to be practiced in a sequence for a client to be able to successfully generalize those skills. Thus, weekly attendance is crucial for making progress. However, we understand that the real world can intrude. To make life easier for busy families, CW allows two absences per school year. Each additional missed group will be billed at our standard rate. If we do not receive payment for a missed group, we cannot guarantee the client’s ongoing participation in that group. This policy is in place not only to encourage continued and committed participation, but also because we continually have a waiting list of families requesting for social learning group services. back to questions 18. Q: Does CW accept insurance? A: CW is unable to bill insurance plans directly. However, our monthly invoices provide both a billing code (CPT) and diagnosis code (if provided by your child’s physician). You can submit these invoices to your insurance provider for reimbursement, as many plans will reimburse for group therapy by a licensed speech and language pathologist or occupational therapist. Please contact your insurance provider directly to establish whether you are eligible for reimbursement. For more information follow this link. 19. Q: How long has CW been facilitating social groups? A: In 2001, CW started running private groups one afternoon a week in a rented classroom space in Berkeley. Based on the great feedback and word of mouth, we have expanded our services and relocated to our own dedicated space in the Oakland Hills in 2008. We are continuing to expand at our Center and various school sites in order to fulfill the need for our services. 20. Q: What other services does CW offer for social thinking or related social skills? A: We offer a wide variety of additional services, including:
If you are interested in a service not listed here, please contact us to inquire about availability. 21. Q: What makes Communication Works (CW) therapy different from programs of other organizations? A: While many other organizations aim to improve social skills, Communication Works believes in a deeper approach that includes teaching and developing the critical thought processes that underpin all social interactions. As Lao Tzu said, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” We believe that if a person learns how to think about thinking and how to be social in his play, classroom, home, job, and community, the social skills he develops will serve him in all environments. In addition, we emphasize the role of the parent/caregiver/partner as a crucial and integral part of our approach. This involvement is a key factor in a client being able to carry over his new skills to all situations. |
Communication Works • 4400 Keller Avenue • Oakland, California 94605 • ph 510.639.2929 © 2011 CW Speech and Language Pathologists, Inc. |
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