Social behavior can only be learned in a social context. Sometimes children don’t learn social skills from environmental cues and experience, and they require direct teaching and practice. Children can be coached in social skills development in the context of a small group where specific skills are taught, practiced and reinforced. Children learn how to initiate social contact, how to maintain mutually satisfying contact and how to enhance the quality and scope of interaction.

At FriendSmarts we serve a wide variety of children with a wide variety of needs. We work with kids in small groups of 4-5 children, and we try very hard to put children with others whom they might actually choose as friends in the outside world. In order to do this we screen kids very carefully, both via an initial consultation session as well as through a comprehensive parent evaluation form.

FriendSmarts operates in two 12-week sessions. The fall session generally starts in September and runs until winter break. The spring session goes from February through May. We also offer a small number of modified summer groups. All groups meet once a week for an hour.

For additional information about the program, please see the "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs).

Download our FriendSmarts Social Skill Groups for Kids brochure here.