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Social Groups & Skills

* This listing should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation either by the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix or its Board of Directors. It is merely a collection of individuals/entities/resources that have been deemed helpful or recommended by consumers. Please notify us if any information needs to be updated.

Social Groups

The Bista Center
Social Skills Groups are offered throughout the school year (Aug-May).
Locations in Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe and Tucson
 Website: www.Bistacenter.org

 
 

Foundations Developmental House
Address: 4100 S. Lindsay Road Suite #113 Gilbert, AZ 85297
Phone: (480) 219-3953
Website: www.fdhkids.com

Higher Octave Healing
Music therapy based groups
Address: 200 E Curry Road, Room 307 C
Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: (480) 965-1082
Website: https://higheroctavehealing.org/services

MORIAH Cooperative
Inclusive Social and Communication Programs in Support of Children with Special Needs
Phone: (480) 779-9011
Website: www.moriahus.org/us

Pediatric Speech and Language Specialists
Locations in Chandler and Scottsdale
Phone: (480) 991-6560
Website: www.pediatricspeech.net

Simply Psychology
Ages 5-17 years old. Offering Selective Mutism/Social Anxiety Social Group and Social Emotional Learning Groups.
Address: 2930 E. Northern Avenue A-105, Phoenix, AZ 85028
Phone: (602) 428-2838
Website: www.simplypsychservices.com

Touchstone Behavioral Health
Family Centered Autism Program Groups 
Address: 15820 North 35th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85053
Phone: (866) 207-3882
Website: www.touchstonehs.org

Out & About
A community group for people who use Alternative/Augmentative Communication (AAC), including their families, friends, therapists and mentors. We welcome AAC users of all ages, using any communication device or language system. We meet in-person at various locations across the Valley and virtually!
Visit our private Facebook group here. See below for our group contacts.

West Valley
Caroline Musselwhite: carolinemusselwhite1@me.com
Patty Ashby: communicatepatty@gmail.com

Central Valley
Mary Anne Barno: barno.mary@gmail.com

Virtual
Brandi Wentland: brandiwentland@gmail.com

PEERS

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is world-renowned for providing evidence-based social skills treatment to preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems. First developed at UCLA by PEERS® Clinic director, Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, the program has expanded to locations across the United States, has been translated into over a dozen languages, and is used in over 125 countries across the globe.

Creative Therapy Solutions
Offering PEERS for Teens (10-17yrs old)
Address: 7950 E Acoma Drive Suite 105 Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: (480) 923-8226
Accepting BCBS, Private Pay and ESA funding
Click here for more information



DBT Arizona
Offering PEERS for Teens
Locations in Tempe and Phoenix
Phone: (480) 566-2342
Click here for more information

The Melmed Center
Offering PEERS for Teens & Young Adults
Address: 4848 E. Cactus Rd. Ste. #940, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 443-0050
Click here for more information

Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)
Offering PEERS for Adolescents and Young Adults
Address: 2225 N. 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 
Phone: (602) 340-8717
Click here for more information

UCLA PEERS Clinic
Phone: (310) 26-PEERS
Email: peersclinic@ucla.edu
Click here for more information

Useful Links

Books

  • Social Skills Activities for Special Children – Darlene Mannix
  • It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend – Richard LaVoie
  • Social Behavior Mapping: Connecting Behavior, Emotions & Consequences Across the Day – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Worksheets for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Comic Strip Conversations – Carol Gray
  • Solving the Relationship Puzzle – Steven Gutstein, Ph.D.
  • Navigating the Social World – Jeanie McAfee, M.D.
  • That’s What’s Different About Me! – Kathryn Robbins
  • The Hidden Curriculum – Brenda Smith Myles
  • Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME (2nd Edition) – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Sticker Strategies to Encourage Social Thinking and Organization – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students (2nd Printing) – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Inside Out: What Makes a Person with Social Cognitive Deficits Tick? – Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Building Social Relationships – Scott Bellini
  • TalkAbility – Fern Sussman
  • The Social Skills Picture Book – Jed Baker
  • Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communications Problems – Jeb Baker
  • Raise Your Child’s Social IQ: Stepping Stones to People Skills for Kids – Cathi Cohen
  • The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends – Natalie Madorsky Elman
  • A is for Autism, F is for Friend – Joanna Keating-Velasco
  • The Incredible 5-Point Scale: Assisting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Understanding Social Interactions and Controlling Their Emotional Responses – Kari Buron Dunn, Mitzi Curtis