Social Skills Groups Social Skills Training and ACT Groups
ABT provides Social Skills Training and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) groups to children, teens, young adults and adults. ACT is an evidence-based therapy which uses the principles of behavior analysis to target social anxiety by increasing an individual’s psychological flexibility. ACT suggests that the keys to psychological flexibility can be found by examining how we relate to our world through language. ACT groups will teach individuals to be aware of and responsive to what is happening right now in the present moment. In addition, ACT programs focus on teaching an individual to accept painful thoughts, memories, emotions and physical sensations as a normal part of life, rather than something to avoid. Individuals will learn to be open to new experiences, and ultimately, engage in committed actions that are consistent with his or her values.
Social Skills Training and ACT groups occur 2x per week in either office or community settings. Each week, participants are taught social skills and ACT using an evidence-based behavioral approach. Group activities are designed to incorporate the specific skill(s) taught that session and each group member meets fluency of the targeted ACT and social skill(s) prior to leaving the group in most instances. Each participant receives take-home parent and teacher handouts reviewing the skills taught in the group with specific instructions to target generalization of the newly acquired skills to new people, places and settings for the child. Parents drop off children to the group, and then return approximately 5 minutes prior to the group ending to receive on-site parent/family training on the skills taught that group, as well as an overview of the child’s data from that group session.
All social skills training and ACT groups and parent trainings are led and conducted by a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst. Each round of social skills and ACT groups include an intensive parent training with a take-home workbook for all families who attend. Social Skills and ACT training groups run year round, and generally follow the Washoe County School District schedule for breaks and holidays. This parent/family training takes place during a regularly scheduled group time in the office so that the parent/family may attend the class while their child is in social group.