The Social Ninja’s Group was created for children ages 8-12 years old who may have speech and/or social language delays. This group is designed to help build social skills, social confidence, and independence through discussions and activities that will help facilitate speech and social skills development. This program offers participants a supportive and safe environment to express themselves honestly and work on improving their skills at their own pace. The intention of the group is to foster friendships among participants, build self-confidence, explore independence and find productive, thoughtful ways to communicate with those in their environment.
DATES:
- November 21st at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- November 28th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- December 12th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- December 19th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- January 9th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- January 16th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- January 23rd at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
- January 30th at 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Kids Chat Group (Age 5 – 8)
Led by Heather Tremblay, Speech-Language Pathologist
The Kids Chat Group is designed for children between the ages of 5 and 8 years, who may have speech, language, or social language delays. During this program, participants will engage in activities, games, and educational activities that will help facilitate speech-language development. This group includes:
- A new theme each lesson with specific vocabulary/sound awareness activities and take-home materials
- How to build your child’s language skills through music and songs
- How to build language-learning opportunities into everyday activities and routines
- How to turn books into fun and interactive language-learning time and how to teach your child essential early literacy skills
Your child may benefit if they:
- Do not use as many words or language as other children their age
- Have trouble interacting with their peers
- Have trouble communicating his/her thoughts and ideas
- Leave out sounds in words and/or changes sounds
- Become frustrated when not understood by family and peers
- Have weak pre-literacy (pre-reading) skills
DATES:
- October 1st at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- October 15th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- October 29th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- November 12th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- November 26th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- December 10th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
AAC – Awesome Alternative Communicators (Age 6 – 10)
This group is designed for children ages 6 to 10 years of age and focuses on social interaction and language expansion. With the use of books, songs, and activities, your child will be able to grow their language with the guidance of visual aids (i.e. augmentative and/or alternative communication).
The goals of the group are:
- to help your child socialize with other children
- to help your child expand their language skills
- to provide parent education (including some handouts) regarding social skills, language skills and how to use alternative/augmentative communication to support speech and language development
Your child may benefit if they:
- Do not use as many words or language as other children their age
- Have trouble interacting with their peers
- Have trouble communicating his/her thoughts and ideas
- Become frustrated when not understood by family and peers
DATES:
- October 22nd at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- November 5th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- November 19th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- December 3rd at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
- December 17th at 2:00pm – 2:45pm
Say & Play Group (Age 3 – 6)
Led by Julie Anstey, Occupational Therapist
The Say & Play Group is designed for children aged 3-6 years old, and provides a sensory-rich, activity-based, social interaction program with close aged peers who share similar functional difficulties. Using a holistic approach, the sessions promote social-emotional development and interactive play skills with peers in a safe, structured, and welcoming environment. It also provides an opportunity for children who have had limited social interaction over the past few years a way to ease into learning to play with peers within a small group setting.
The goal is to promote the development of each participant’s functional play and social interaction skills and foster the carry over of these skills into their everyday environments.
DATES:
- October 21st at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- October 28th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- November 4th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- November 11th – NO LESSON
- November 18th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- November 25th at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- December 2nd at 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Adult Social Language Connection: Community Connection Group (Age 21+)
Led by Heather Tremblay, Speech-Language Pathologist & Julie Anstey, Occupational Therapist
This group is designed to support adults with exceptionalities improve their executive functioning and self-monitoring skills. These skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, initiate and follow through with tasks, and manage multiple tasks successfully. The group environment allows participants to learn and practice these skills in a safe environment. The goals of the group are to enable changes in daily behaviours, habits, and attitudes, to result in better outcomes with executive functioning, connecting with community, being effective members of the community/workforce, and relieve frustrations related to these areas.
DATES:
- September 14th at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- September 21st at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- September 28th at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- October 5th at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- October 12th – NO LESSON
- October 19th at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- October 26th at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- November 2nd at 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- November 9th – WINDUP (TBD)
Adult Social Language Connection: Community Engagement Group (Age 21+)
Led by Kara Broks, Speech-Language Pathologist
The Community Engagement Group is designed to support adults with exceptionalities improve their communication and pragmatic language skills. Pragmatic language skills are vital for communicating our personal thoughts, ideas and feelings. Adults with difficulties in this area often misinterpret other peoples’ communicative intent and may have difficulty responding appropriately either verbally or non-verbally. The group atmosphere allows participants to learn and practice these skills in a safe environment. The goals of the group are to help build self-confidence, improve relationships with family/friends/co-workers and to help members make stronger connections within their community.
DATES:
- September 12th at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- September 19th at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- September 26th at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- October 3rd at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- October 10th – NO LESSON
- October 17th at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- October 24th at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- October 31st at 1:00pm – 2:30pm
- November 7th – WINDUP (TBD)