Tried two different social skills groups and the results were night and day

My son went to a general 'social club' at our community center for 6 months and barely spoke. Then we switched to a group specifically for autistic teens run by a therapist named Dr. Evans, which uses structured activities and clear scripts. The difference was huge - he made a friend named Alex after just 3 weeks. Has anyone found a similar program in Chicago that works for younger kids?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivers2815d agoMost Upvoted

That visual schedule thing you mentioned, was that the biggest help or was it something else about the new group?

wilson.diana16d ago

What's the name of that first group with Dr. Evans? That sounds exactly like what my nephew needs. The right structure makes all the difference, it's not just about putting kids in a room together. I've seen so many generic groups that just don't get it. You have to find someone who really knows how to build those skills step by step. I hope you can find a similar program for younger kids there.

the_eva16d ago

My kid's first social skills group was basically me paying for him to stare at a wall. The leader kept saying "just let them interact naturally" while my son hid under a table. We finally found a place with actual plans and visual schedules, it was like night and day.