Frequently asked questions

We currently offer two groups: Early Elementary for children ages 5–7, and Upper Elementary for children ages 8–11.

Age is one factor in placement — but social learning level matters more. The Social Thinking® framework recognizes that social cognition develops in stages, and that where a child is in that journey is more meaningful than their birthday. A child who is still building foundational awareness of what others are thinking belongs in a different group than a child who has that foundation but is struggling with the more nuanced demands of upper elementary friendships — even if they are the same age.

Every placement is made thoughtfully, not automatically.

Every session is built around one question: what does this child need to understand about the social world right now?

The first 50 minutes are direct group time, and the structure varies by age. But across both groups, sessions are built around a few core Social Thinking® ideas:

Thinking about others. Before kids can navigate a social situation, they need to develop the habit of thinking about what the people around them are thinking and feeling. We call this perspective taking — and it is the foundation of everything else.

Expected and unexpected behavior. Rather than labeling behaviors as right or wrong, we help kids understand whether a behavior is expected or unexpected in a given context — and what effect it has on others. When a behavior is unexpected, it creates uncomfortable feelings in the people around us. When it is expected, it creates comfortable ones. This framing is far more useful than a rule, because it gives kids a way to think through any situation, not just the ones they've been taught.

Hidden rules. Every social situation has unwritten expectations — things everyone seems to know but no one has ever said out loud. The lunchroom has hidden rules. The playground has hidden rules. A group project has hidden rules. We help kids discover and understand these hidden rules so they can make informed choices about how to engage, rather than feeling blindsided by expectations they didn't know existed.

Size of the problem. One of the most practically useful Social Thinking® concepts for families. We help kids develop the ability to match the size of their reaction to the actual size of the problem — distinguishing between a small glitch (someone took their seat), a medium problem (a friend said something hurtful), and a big problem (something that genuinely requires adult help). When kids can accurately size a problem, their emotional regulation follows.

Flexible thinking. Social situations rarely go exactly as expected. Flexible thinking — the ability to adapt when plans change, when someone does something unexpected, or when a situation is ambiguous — is one of the most important skills a child can develop. We work on it explicitly and consistently, in both groups.

In the Early Elementary group, all of these ideas are explored through play, games, storytelling, and guided activity. In the Upper Elementary group, the same concepts are applied to more complex social territory — navigating group dynamics, building reciprocal friendships, handling conflict, and understanding the increasingly nuanced social landscape of middle childhood.

The final 10 minutes of every session are dedicated to parent education. Stephanie shares what was covered, what to look for at home, and specific strategies to keep the social thinking going beyond the group room.

Early Elementary (ages 5–7):

At this age, we are building the foundational social thinking skills that make everything else possible. Kids this age are learning to be aware that other people have thoughts and feelings separate from their own — which sounds basic, but is actually the cornerstone of all social connection.

Concepts we work on include whole body listening (using eyes, ears, body, and brain to show someone you are with them), thinking about others (what is the person next to me thinking right now?), the group plan vs. my own plan (understanding that being part of a group means considering what others need, not just what I want), making a smart guess (using context clues to figure out what someone is thinking or feeling), size of the problem (matching reactions to the actual size of what happened), and managing unexpected feelings (what to do when big emotions show up in social situations).

Upper Elementary (ages 8–11):

At this age, the social world gets significantly more complex. Friendships deepen, group dynamics shift, and the unwritten rules become more nuanced and more consequential. We work on more sophisticated social cognition — the kind that helps kids navigate real friendship challenges with awareness and flexibility.

Concepts we work on include perspective taking (understanding what someone else is thinking and feeling, especially when it differs from your own experience), expected vs. unexpected behavior and its effect on others, hidden rules (the unwritten social expectations of different environments and relationships), flexible thinking (adapting when things don't go as planned), size of the problem, self-advocacy (knowing when and how to ask for what you need), reading the room (tuning into the social temperature of a group before and during an interaction), and building reciprocal friendships (understanding that strong relationships require awareness and effort from both people).

Because social thinking can only be developed through real social experience — and that means real peers, real moments, and real feedback.

One-on-one therapy with an adult is valuable for many things, but it cannot replicate the complexity of a peer group. In a group, a child has to manage their own thinking while simultaneously tracking what multiple other people are thinking and feeling. They have to navigate disagreement, wait their turn, join conversations that are already happening, and figure out the hidden rules of the specific group they are in.

All of that is the work. And none of it can happen without a group.

This is one of the core insights of the Social Thinking® methodology: the group is the therapy. Every session at Connection Club is designed so that the peer interactions themselves — not the instruction around them — are where the real learning happens. Stephanie facilitates, guides, and reflects. But the group does the work.

Every child in a Connection Club group is there because they are actively working on social thinking — there are no model peers placed in the group to demonstrate correct behavior.

We believe kids learn to think socially best when they are practicing alongside others who share similar challenges and goals. A group of neurotypical models doesn't create the kind of shared understanding and authentic peer connection that actually helps. It creates performance pressure.

Our groups are a low-stakes environment where every child is a learner — where it is safe to try things out, notice how their behavior lands, get honest feedback, and develop the flexible social awareness that transfers to real life.

That is the whole goal — but it requires intention.

Here is something the Social Thinking® framework makes very clear: behavioral generalization doesn't happen automatically. A child who learns to take turns in a group room will not automatically take turns in the lunchroom unless the underlying social thinking transfers with them. That transfer is the hardest part — and the most important.

This is why parent involvement is built into every session. At the end of each group, Stephanie shares not just what was practiced, but what the social thinking concept behind it is — and how to create opportunities at home and at school for the same kind of thinking to happen. A child who is learning about the size of the problem in group needs adults around them who are using the same language, asking the same questions, and creating the same kind of reflective space.

The group is where kids build the understanding. Home and school are where it becomes real.

Social cognition develops in stages — and moving through those stages takes time, real peer practice, and repetition across many different social situations.

The Social Thinking® framework describes a progression from basic social awareness (knowing that others have thoughts and feelings) to more sophisticated social cognition (flexible thinking, perspective taking under pressure, self-regulation in complex social situations). A child doesn't move through that progression in a few sessions — and rushing it produces the same surface-level skills that every other program produces.

Most families commit to at least one full program cycle. That gives children enough time to build genuine familiarity with their peers — which is itself a prerequisite for the kind of authentic social practice that produces real growth. We will always be honest with you about where your child is in their journey and what continued participation would realistically offer.

Parents drop off their children for the group session. Children do their best social thinking when they are with peers, not when a parent is in the room. After each group, Stephanie connects with parents and caregivers directly to share what social thinking concepts were covered, what to look for at home, and specific strategies to keep the learning going between sessions.

The best first step is to reach out. We will follow up to learn about your child — what they're good at, what they're finding hard, and what you're hoping for. We will be honest with you about whether Connection Club is a good match and, if it is not, do our best to point you toward something that is.

There is no pressure and no commitment required to have that conversation. We would rather help you find the right fit than enroll a child who isn't ready or wouldn't benefit.