Social skills in GA?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2003
Social skills in GA?
1
Sun, 09-09-2007 - 10:44pm

Hi all,

I have a 4th grader who really has done very very well up to this point. However, I have in the past year begun to feel really over my head in terms of being able to work with him or aid him in improving his social skills. Prior to this time, in the younger grades, he's always had an NT best buddy which has been wonderful for him in terms of modeling appropriate social behavior, etc. However, last year his most recent best buddy was in a different section of the grade and they began to drift apart; this was only exacerbated by my son's utter fixation with dinosaurs (he is phenomenally knowledgable). He is intolerant of other kids' interests such as Star Wars or Bionicles, etc., (such games are "stupid") but doesn't understand, then, why he has no one to play with. He feels very sad and lonely. In other words, typical Asperger's issues. He did try out Pokemon because he could tolerate it and understood it was a common social currency in his class. That has helped of late. Then the teacher wanted to ban it (!) and my little guy explained to her privately that it was the only thing that he had to play with his classmates and that he wouldn't have anyone to play with if she did that. Eloquent but heartbreaking. I am looking for help with social skills and I do not know where to turn. Got real depressed one night when I did some internet searches for "social skills +Georgia", etc., and nothing worthwhile came up. Anyone in Georgia or East Alabama who knows of any hot leads for me? I have good books, but they only take us so far... I'd even happily try to run a social skills group if I could find a training course, if that's what it takes. I know my son isn't the only one with this need and it seems to be unmet in this area or anywhere in a 100-mile radius.

Thanks,
HB

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-28-2007
In reply to: hbgb
Sun, 09-09-2007 - 11:09pm

Hi HB,

I live around 50 mins north of Atlanta (Cherokee co.). There is a place called Reinforcement Unlimited which is in Woodstock. They offer social skill groups as well as suport groups for parents. If that's too far for you; if you call them then I'm sure they may very well have connections for you.

http://www.behavior-consultant.com/

Have you tried the GA Autism chapter too, they have good links. Failing all that I have a 2nd grader and 4 year old , both spectrum, we'd be more than happy to connect:)

Dee

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