Most social skills programs teach concepts. CONNECT builds experience. Developed through over 40 years of clinical work, CONNECT is a cognitive-behavioral group model designed for kids with ADHD, autism, and nonverbal learning differences. Children with ADHD often know the social rules but can't consistently execute them. Children on the spectrum may be missing the underlying social knowledge entirely. Most programs treat both the same. CONNECT doesn't.
Our therapists use real-time coaching, structured activities, and guided peer interaction to meet each member where they are, then build from there. Kids don't just talk about social skills. They practice them live, with peers, with immediate feedback from a therapist, in a fun environment they actually want to come back to.
Skills Developed
Making and sustaining genuine friendships • Confidence in group settings • Reading and responding to social cues • Managing frustration and emotional regulation • Conflict resolution • Self-advocacy and communication
Is the Summer Intensive a summer camp?
No — and that distinction matters. Summer camps are recreational programs with social components. The KPLA Summer Intensive is a clinical program led by licensed therapists using our proprietary CONNECT model. Group members participate in structured therapeutic activities designed to build real social skills, form genuine peer relationships, and develop emotional regulation. It’s engaging and kids enjoy it. The goal is measurable social and emotional growth.
If it’s a summer program, why does it run through September?
Because summer isn’t the hard part. September is. The first weeks of the school year are when social hierarchies reset, friend groups solidify, and everything your child practiced gets tested. Our groups continue through September so your child has real-time therapeutic support during the highest-stakes social transition of the year. Not just preparation for it.
Why commit to so many sessions? My child can barely commit to one activity.
We understand the hesitation. But the research overwhelming supports 27-35 hours for lasting social growth and change Short-term programs often produce short-term results. Kids learn concepts but don’t internalize them. Our structure gives your child enough time to move past the performance phase and into genuine, automatic social competence where you will see real growth.
Does my child need a diagnosis to participate?
No. We don’t require a formal diagnosis. Many of our group members have ADHD, autism, anxiety, or learning differences, but some simply struggle socially without a specific diagnosis. If your child is having difficulty making or keeping friends, we can help.
My child doesn’t want to come. Should I still enroll them?
This is one of the most common concerns we hear ,especially from parents of tweens and teens. Resistance is expected and normal. Most kids who initially resist end up looking forward to group within a few sessions. We’re experienced at building trust with reluctant participants, and we’ll work with you on strategies to make the transition easier.
How is this different from the social skills group my child already tried?
Most social skills programs are knowledge-based. Meaning they teach kids what to do in social situations. CONNECT is performance-based. We don’t just teach concepts; we create real social situations where kids practice with peers and receive immediate coaching from licensed therapists. Our program ensures skills move from understanding to automatic behavior and growth.
What ages do you serve?
We run groups for three age ranges: children (Pre-K through elementary), tweens and teens (middle school through high school), and young adults (ages 18–30). Each group is carefully composed by developmental stage, not just age, to ensure the best possible peer interactions.
What if my child’s issue looks more like a behavior problem than a social skills problem?
Many behaviors that look like defiance, aggression, or withdrawal are actually maladaptive social strategies. Kids who can’t navigate social situations often resort to controlling behavior, avoidance, or emotional outbursts. During your free consultation, we’ll help determine whether a social skills group, individual therapy, or a combination would be most effective.
What happens during a typical session?
Sessions are structured around real social interaction, not lecture. Group members engage in cooperative activities, structured conversations, and social problem-solving scenarios while therapists provide immediate coaching and feedback. Each session targets specific skills based on the group’s developmental needs and individual goals.
Will my child make friends in the group?
Many of our group members form meaningful friendships that continue well beyond the program. Because groups are carefully composed by developmental stage and social profile, kids often connect with peers who truly understand their experience for the first time. We can’t guarantee friendship, but we can guarantee the environment and support that make it possible.
How do I know if it’s working?
You will be invited to to two formal progress during the group session at no additional charge. You’ll also receive regular updates from your child’s group therapist. Most parents report noticeable changes at home and school well before the formal evaluation. Common things we here from parents include initiating conversations, handling conflict differently, or being invited to social events for the first time.
Can my child join mid-session?
In some cases, yes. This is handle by case and group. Group composition matters, and we occasionally have openings that are a good fit for a new member. Contact us to discuss your child’s specific situation and current availability.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies by program length and group type. We’re happy to discuss the full investment during your free consultation. We accept HSA/FSA, provide superbills for insurance reimbursement, offer weekly payment plans, and can connect you with financial assistance programs that may provide assistance.
KPLA’s socialization groups use the CONNECT model™, a proprietary evidence-informed approach developed through over 50 years of clinical experience, to create real-time social learning with licensed therapists coaching in the moment. Not lecturing from a whiteboard.
Finding the right group starts with age, timing, and fit. We offer co-ed groups and same-gendered groups across four age levels — children, tweens, teens, and young adults — with two enrollment periods each year: our Summer Intensive and our School Year session. Space is limited and filled by first come first serve. We typically have a waiting list for our groups.
The foundation years.
This is where kids learn that friendship isn't something that just happens to you, it's something you build. At this age, most children still want to connect. They want to be included, to have a best friend, to be picked for the team. The desire is there, but the execution keeps breaking down. They interrupt. They take over the game. They miss the cue that says "it's someone else's turn." Or they hang back, watching from the edge, wanting in but not knowing how to get there.
Some children’s struggles look different than parents expect. Instead of shyness or withdrawal, they try to force connection — bossing other kids around, controlling the rules of every game, or reacting with frustration when things don’t go their way. These aren’t behavior problems. They’re connection problems; a child using the only tools they have to make social interaction feel predictable and safe.
Our youngest groups use play, structured activities, and in-the-moment coaching to help children develop the building blocks of social confidence. The goal is clear: build the foundation before the social world gets complicated. Research consistanly shows, children who develop these skills early have a fundamentally different experience in middle school than those who don’t.
• Recognizing and expressing emotions appropriately • Taking turns, sharing, and cooperative play • Joining group activities without dominating or withdrawing • Handling frustration and disappointment without melting down • Reading social cues and responding appropriately • Building early friendships that extend beyond sessions
Social life gets exponentially harder in adolescence — and the stakes feel enormous.
Group chats, shifting friend groups, unwritten social rules, and the pressure to perform confidence they don’t feel. By middle school, most kids who struggle socially have already been burned...repeatedly. They’ve been left out, misread, rejected, or simply exhausted by the effort it takes to do what seems effortless for everyone else.
By the time families reach us, their teenager has often built an entire system for avoiding the thing that hurts — screens, gaming communities, online-only friendships, or simply convincing everyone (including themselves) that they prefer being alone. Some teens go the opposite direction: they try to force their way into social situations through domination, humor that pushes too far, or controlling behavior that pushes peers away.
Our teen groups are led by therapists who understand adolescent development. This isn’t a lecture series, its interactive and engaging. It’s a place where teens can be honest about what’s hard and get real-time support figuring it out. What often surprises families most is what emerges: teens who arrived reluctantly begin stepping into confidence and leadership roles they hadn’t anticipated.
• Genuine friendships with peers who understand their experience • Confidence in reading and responding to social cues • Conflict resolution and emotional regulation under pressure • Digital communication skills and navigating online social dynamics • Leadership skills and the ability to see their own potential • A foundation for independence and forward momentum
The social skills gap doesn’t disappear at graduation. For many young adults, it gets wider.
The structures that once forced social interaction, school, activities, shared schedules, are suddenly gone, and nothing has replaced them. Social avoidance that was manageable in high school becomes a real barrier to employment, independence, and mental health.
Our young adult groups address the real-world social challenges of independence: workplace communication, building adult friendships from scratch, navigating dating and romantic relationships, managing social anxiety in unstructured settings, and developing authentic self-expression that leads to career advancement and meaningful connection.
This isn’t a program for people who need to be fixed. It’s for smart, capable adults who know they’re leaving social potential on the table and want practical tools to change that and a group of peers to connect with. Participants learn to navigate professional environments, build sustainable support networks, and master the social nuances of adult life that are crucial for long-term success and fulfillment.
• Workplace communication and professional social skills • The ability to build adult friendships and sustain them • Confidence in dating and romantic relationships • Independent living skills and daily social navigation • Strategies for managing social anxiety in real-world settings • A path toward genuine independence and forward momentum
Most summer programs run six to eight weeks, teach a few concepts, and send kids back to school on their own. Our Summer Intensive runs June through September. Because the hardest part isn’t learning social skills over the summer. It’s using them when the school-year starts.
This isn’t a camp. It’s a clinical program led by licensed therapists using the CONNECT model™, our proprietary approach built specifically for kids with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and learning differences. Your child won’t just have a good summer. They’ll be supported through the exact back-to-school transition where most programs have already ended and most kids fall back into old patterns.
Here’s what most social skills programs look like: six to eight sessions. Kids learn vocabulary — “use I-statements,” “make eye contact,” “take turns.” They practice in a controlled room with a leader guiding every interaction. Parents get a handout. The program ends. And within a few weeks, nothing has changed. It’s not that those programs are wrong. It’s that they stop before real social connection and growth can happen.
Group Hours 1–10:
Every group member arrives with a version of themselves they’ve learned to present. Shyness, over-eagerness, shutting down, or dominating the room. In a short program, therapists spend all their time managing these surface behaviors. In CONNECT, our therapists expect this phase and work with it. By session 8 or 9, the protective strategies start to soften because they’re no longer necessary, group memeber feel comfortable and feel trust. The real child struggles begin to emerge. That’s when the actual work starts.
Hours 10–20: Real relationships form , often for the first time.
Group members stop being strangers doing exercises together and start becoming people who actually know each other. They develop inside jokes. They have disagreements. They get annoyed with each other. And that’s the point. Because now they’re navigating real social dynamics with real stakes., just like they would in the real world. Our therapists coach through these moments live, helping members practice repair, vulnerability, and conflict resolution with peers.
Hours 20–30: Skills stop being performative and start become refelexive
There’s a massive difference between knowing what you should do before reacting and actually doing it when it matters. By this phase, group members aren’t thinking about the skills anymore. They’re using them, they are developing skills they've struggled to have. Less prompting, more real world connection. Group memember begin to feel confidence at this stage.
There’s a massive difference between knowing you should take a breath before reacting and actually doing it when it matters. By this phase, group members aren’t thinking about the skills anymore. They’re using them. Therapists start seeing moments that surprise everyone — the quiet child who speaks up for someone else, the impulsive kid who pauses before reacting, the isolated teen who checks in on another group member without being prompted.
There’s a massive difference between knowing you should take a breath before reacting and actually doing it when it matters. By this phase, group members aren’t thinking about the skills anymore. They’re using them.
Hours 30–35: Social Growth Emerges
After enough experiences of genuine social success that is not manufactured praise, but real moments of connection and belonging, group members begin to revise their approach in social situations.. The child who believed “nobody wants to play with me” starts choosing to join in. The teen who was certain they’d always be on the outside starts to see themselves as someone who belongs and may be taking new chances. That shift in self-concept is what makes the change durable long after the group ends.
CONNECT consolidates years of "trying" into a single, sustained process with licensed therapists, real peer relationships, and a proven model specifically designed for how neurodivergent kids actually learn and grow. IIt’s the right time, structured the right way. Maybe for the first time.
There’s a massive difference between knowing you should take a breath before reacting and actually doing it when it matters. By this phase, group members aren’t thinking about the skills anymore. They’re using them. Therapists start seeing moments that surprise everyone — the quiet child who speaks up for someone else, the impulsive kid who pauses before reacting, the isolated teen who checks in on another group member without being prompted.
Hours 30–35: The story they tell about themselves changes.
After enough experiences of genuine social success — not manufactured praise, but real moments of connection and belonging — members begin to revise the narrative they’ve been carrying. The child who believed “nobody wants to play with me” starts choosing to join in. The teen who was certain they’d always be on the outside starts to see themselves as someone who belongs. That shift in self-concept is what makes the change durable long after the group ends.
CONNECT consolidates scattered years of trying into a single, sustained process with licensed therapists, real peer relationships, and a model specifically designed for how neurodivergent kids actually learn and grow. It’s not more time. It’s the right time, structured the right way — probably for the first time.
From first call to first session, we make it easy. And if CONNECT isn’t the right fit, we’ll help you find what is.
Step 1
Express Interest
Call or fill out our contact form. You’ll hear back within 24 business hours from a real person — not an automated system. Space is limited, and first come/first served
Step 2
Free Consultation
We will schedule with you to meet with one of our licensed therapist to discuss your child’s specific challenges, social history, and goals.
We’ll explain the CONNECT model and help you decide if it’s the right fit.
Step 3
Group Placement
Based on age, developmental stage, and social goals — not just availability. Every group is carefully composed for the best outcomes.
Step 4
Ongoing Check-ins
Two progress evaluations are included at no additional charge. You’ll always know how your child is progressing and what’s coming next.
If CONNECT isn’t the right fit, we’ll help you find what is. No pressure, no obligation.
KPLA’s social skills groups are private-pay. This is a deliberate choice — it allows us to maintain small group sizes, hire and retain experienced therapists, and deliver the kind of individualized attention that insurance-funded programs simply can’t.
We provide superbills after each session that you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Many families recover a significant portion of the cost. We also accept HSA and FSA accounts, offer payment plans, and connect families with financial assistance through Rocky Mountain Health Services.
Our pricing is transparent — no hidden fees, no surprise charges. We’ll discuss the full investment during your free consultation so you can plan accordingly.
At a Glance
✓ Superbills provided for insurance reimbursement
✓ HSA & FSA accounts accepted
✓ Flexible payment plans available
✓ Financial assistance through Rocky Mountain Health Services
✓ Transparent pricing — no surprises
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