Social Skills Groups

At Arbor, our social skills groups help children, teens, and young adults build meaningful relationships, develop communication skills, and feel more confident interacting with others. Through engaging activities and guided peer interactions, participants have opportunities to practice social skills in a supportive environment while connecting with others who share similar interests and experiences.

We serve families from Ann Arbor, Saline, Plymouth, Canton, Livonia, and communities throughout Southeast Michigan.

Making friends and navigating social situations can be challenging. Our social skills groups provide a safe, encouraging environment where participants can practice social communication, build confidence, and develop meaningful connections with peers.

Groups are carefully organized by age, developmental level, and goals to promote positive interactions and successful experiences. Led by licensed professionals, sessions combine fun activities with opportunities to practice communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and friendship skills in a natural and engaging way.

Participants may develop skills such as:

• Making and maintaining friendships
• Starting and joining conversations
• Understanding social rules and expectations
• Taking turns and sharing with others
• Reading social cues and body language
• Building confidence in group settings
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution
• Navigating electronic communication and social media
• Developing age-appropriate social independence

Activities may include games, collaborative projects, storytelling, art, and other social experiences designed to encourage communication, teamwork, and peer interaction

Parents and caregivers play an important role in the development of social communication skills. We work closely with families to identify meaningful goals and provide strategies that encourage children to practice skills outside of group sessions.

Our goal is to help participants build skills that carry over to home, school, community activities, and friendships.

Participants complete an evaluation to help determine the most appropriate group placement. If you'd like to learn more about our social skills groups or determine whether a group may be a good fit for your child or young adult, we invite you to begin the New Patient Intake process.