Tel: 604.370.ASLP (604.370.2757)
Fax: 604.448.0176
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Socal Improv Group Info
Social Improv Group
Social Improv Group
Hosted by Mike Fenner, R.SLP, S-LP(c)
Next Available Sessions – Four consecutive Saturdays: July 18, 25, August 1, 8.
A unique aspect of our social group is the method and style in which we work on social communication. By taking advantage of the performing background of an SLP at our organization, this group uses acting and role-playing to target many areas of communication including listening and attending to other, theory of mind, expressive communication tailored to the communication partner, problem-solving, prosocial behaviour, collaboration, and increasing the motivation that fosters independence rather than prompt-dependence.
Dynamic interactions:
Through the creation of relevant scenarios that our group members find challenging in their daily interactions, we target individualized communication aspects that are useful to our participants and applicable to their lives.
Appropriate Impulses > Impulse Control:
All children display inappropriate behaviours at times and the common strategy to work on reducing inappropriate behaviour is to suppress the child's impulses by discouraging those behaviours. This can often lead to a child who doesn't trust their instincts and can become reluctant to engage altogether, leading to poor self-image and the belief that they are incapable of appropriate behaviours. Creating a structure that is free of punishment and encourages following impulses without the fear of being reprimanded allows us to work on developing appropriate behaviours rather than simply stifling impulses altogether with the goal of reducing unfavourable behaviours. In our group, failure is embraced, and we are able to practice what appropriate responses are rather than instilling the implicit belief that to remain silent is the best option. We don't improve in areas we don't practice. In our group, we have fewer constraints and children are able to practice and develop many social aspects that they commonly don't get to such as taking risks without fear of failure.
Collaboration, Motivation, Independence:
Engaging in fun activities, structured in a way that necessitates using good listening and clear communication to be successful, the participants are naturally motivated to work on social skills together. They are naturally motivated to collaborate so they can succeed in the activities, which motivates them to attend to each other and use language that is understandable to their specific partners. They build intrinsic motivation which is not dependent on praise or retribution.
Breaking the limiting self-judgement:
In this group participants often choose to play characters that do not have the limitations they believe themselves to have, working on skills that they commonly do not have opportunity to work on, such as quiet, reserved children putting on outgoing, gregarious characters that initiate interactions and aren't afraid to fail so that they can see themselves with incredible potential rather than the limitations they and others have judged them to have.
Contact us now, to register your interest in the Social Improv Group.