SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS
Calling ALL Social Stars!
We understand that families have busy schedules and can’t always commit to groups when we offer them. That’s why we have decided to host a variety of social skills groups throughout the year.
I’m thrilled to announce that registration is now open for another round of our social skills group!
If you are interested in registering your child for our group please contact our office at 858-692-4187 //contact@sdkidsfirst.com. We will happily place you on a waitlist to ensure that you receive a notification when a new round of our group is being offered.
Social skills are essential for future success in all aspects of life. In addition to giving your children the tools they need to be prepared for a lifetime of healthy social interaction with others, our group provides children with strategies for developing self-regulation and building a solid core of self-esteem and self-confidence to navigate situations with peers, in the home, and in life.
Your group leader, Alexandra will help your child practice for social situations with siblings, adults, classmates, play dates, playground settings, birthday parties, and more! Alexandra is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst “BCBA” with over 6 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. She specializes in providing behavior analytic and parent enrichment services to empower parents by supporting the entire family. She develops treatment plans as a team to ensure all learning and teaching opportunities embody individual family values.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Three Optional, complimentary, bi-weekly, 60-minute telehealth parent nights!
Parents, you are KEY to your child’s success – and we will give you tools to reinforce strategies at home, and ensure the skills taught in the group are transferring effectively into the home environment.
These parent sessions can be used to go over what your child is learning in the program, their progress, strengths/ weaknesses and techniques to use at home.
The complimentary parent sessions will be held every other week during lunch hours
Please note, all registered families are required to meet with our group leader, Alex once before the group begins and once after to discuss progress and goals! Additionally, attendance for all sessions is required with the exception of medical absences as this is a cohesive curriculum that strongly relies on the participation of all group members
We are so excited to be able to provide this service for you! If you have any questions or would like to join the group, please email or call our office at contact@sdkidsfirst.com / (858) 692-4187 and we will be happy to help you!
ADHD GROUP
Calling all 3rd-5th Graders!
I’m thrilled to announce that registration is now open for another round of our ADHD group!
If your child or student is struggling with executive functioning, cooperation, engagement, organization skills, or socially appropriate responses, then this program is for you!
While kids settle into the new school year and families return to their regular routines, it is common for teachers and caregivers to begin uncovering their children’s academic, emotional, and behavioral potential.
Reconnecting with classmates, adjusting to new classes, and heightened academic and behavioral expectations require children to exert their mental capabilities far beyond their comfort zone. One of the most common aspects that we see students struggling with during these times is the ability to maintain and implement their attention and self-control skills for an extended period of time. Furthermore, large classroom sizes often place a high demand on students to perform in an environment where their individual needs are not being met.
Our five-week ADHD group aims to address these concerns while providing your child with the support and skills they need to succeed at home and in school.
If you are interested in registering your child for our group please contact our office at 858-692-4187 //contact@sdkidsfirst.com. We will happily place you on a waitlist to ensure that you receive a notification when a new round of our group is being offered.
Where: Our office is located in the beautiful Hacienda building at 12625 High Bluff Drive, San Diego, CA, 92130, Suite #204.
Please note, Attendance for all 5 sessions is required with the exception of medical absences as this is a cohesive curriculum that strongly relies on the participation of all group members. Additionally, due to the nature of this program, it will be essential for ALL children involved to know their diagnosis prior to the first session.
If you are interested in learning more about our ADHD group or would like to register your child to secure their spot, please call or email our office at contact@sdkidsfirst.com // 858-692-4187 and we will be happy to help you!
PARENTING GROUPS
A Group for Parents and their Little Ones 24 months and under
Here are some highlights from the group
- Learn tips & tools for enriching your baby’s social-emotional development through play
- Connect with other parents raising little ones like you (you are not alone!)
- Come find new ways to promote overall well-being for your baby and your family during the 1st year
- Engage in interactive social/emotional playtime activities:
- Including sensory-based play, music, and more
- Discussions on practical parenting topics
- Including self-care, routines, co-regulation and more
- Receive midweek take-home tips for parents
Click here to meet your group leader, Priscilla!
MENTOR PROGRAM
After receiving dozens of requests from current and past SDKF families, we are so pleased to announce that we are now offering a mentorship program for children and adolescents!
This program matches your child with a high school or college-aged student who has volunteered their time to invest in mentoring a child or peer! ALL mentors are supervised by a clinical staff member at San Diego Kids First to ensure that your child is receiving optimal guidance, leadership, and overall enrichment. Furthermore, your child will be paired with a mentor based on their individualized needs, interests, and preferences!
HOW YOUR CHILD CAN BENEFIT BY BEING PAIRED WITH A MENTOR!
When asked to comment on San Diego Kids First’s new mentorship program one of our colleagues, Katie Dominguez, MS, PA, at Scripps Coastal Pediatrics, Encinitas stated:
“I believe mentor programs are a valuable resource for children with emotional, social, or behavioral challenges by providing a vital support system that complements medical care and therapy. Mentors offer children with developmental weakness a safe space to express themselves, improve confidence, and develop crucial life skills while enjoying the companionship of a caring volunteer in their community. “-Katie Dominguez, MS, PA, Scripps Coastal Pediatrics, Encinitas.
Parents: Here are some of the social, emotional, or behavioral challenges that research has shown mentors to be helpful with:
-Conversational skills
-Interacting with same-age peers
-Self-advocacy or communicating with adults
-Handing and coping with negative feelings in a developmentally appropriate way/.emotion regulation
-Self-confidence
-Self-esteem
-Feeling of ‘belonging’ and connectedness
– Relationship building
Situations a mentor can help your child successfully navigate:
– Tantrums around particular non-preferred activities (piano lessons, chores, etc.)
-Friendship making skills
– Learning FlexibilityResistance and/or avoidance of homework or other tasks
-Focus and/or endurance with tasks
-Handling disappointments or conflicts with siblings or peers
-Feeling ‘ lonely’, ‘unlikeable; or ‘friendless’
FROM OUR TEEN MENTOR LEADER:
Local Torrey Pines Junior, Natasha, is spearheading our program by helping to solicit, screen, and match motivated teens and college students with children in need. Here is a word from Natasha:
“Hi! My name is Natasha and I am a Junior at Torrey Pines High School. I’ve been passionate about working with children and youth and helping kids with various challenges for several years. This year I decided I would like to bring my passion for helping children to San Diego Kids First by starting a new mentorship program! In this mentorship program, we will be matching high school and college students with individual children or teens with various needs in order to provide guidance, modeling, emotional and social coaching, and companionship!”
Details:
COST: $25/hr
Commitment: Mentors will honor a 6-month commitment with your child. The frequency of meetings is arranged on a case-by-case basis with you and your child’s mentor.
High school and College Students: Do you have a passion for working with children and want to help a child in need? Please contact San Diego Kids First and submit your resume, and cover letter, along with one reference letter from a teacher to contact@sdkidsfirst.com.
We are so excited to offer this new service to our community! If you have any questions or would like to sign your child up for our mentorship program, please contact our office manager, Jenaya at 858-692-4187 // contact@sdkidsfirst.com and she will be happy to help you!
SEASONAL OFFERINGS
This program mirrors our traditional social skills groups and has been redesigned to fit families on the go!
DETAILS
—
Who: 3-12 year olds. Your child will be placed in a small group of closely aged-peers.
When: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Duration: Each Social Skills intensive session is one week in length. 4 Days (Monday-Thursday)
Dates: A new round will be offered at the beginning of each week, starting the first week of June and ending the last week of July. The week of July 4th will be excluded from these dates.
If your child or student is struggling with social skills, cooperation, engagement, friendship-making skills, or socially appropriate responses, then this program is for you!
One of the most common aspects that we see children struggling with throughout their development is the ability to maintain and implement social skills with same-aged peers. Large classroom sizes and new friendly faces place a high demand on students to begin interacting with others in a new way.
To accommodate children ages 3-12 who may not feel ready for larger social skills groups, we’ve created Social Pairings for more in-depth, individualized, goal-focused sessions between two peers. First, we form our social pairings by conducting a brief intake with caregivers to discuss their child’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Then, we will individually select another peer enrolled in the program who best matches your child’s needs. The overall goal is to form a pairing between two peers who will complement and support each other’s social abilities.
Our behavior specialists, Alexandra Padilla, BCBA, and Nicolette Herrera, BCBA, will tailor and conduct each session to accommodate and challenge the pairing’s skillset. Through this pairing, your child will begin learning and practicing new skills in a safe and controlled environment! And who knows, maybe they will make a friend in the process 🙂