Group Therapy
Working Toward a Common Goal
During group pediatric occupational therapy, a dyad or small group of children work together with one or more occupational therapists. In addition to supporting the goals of individual therapy, the group process goes beyond supporting the child’s individual sensory, motor and emotional profile to address moment-to-moment social interactions between children that occur in the child’s daily life. By doing so, we are able to promote self-regulation, shared engagement, reciprocity and emotional thinking – all of which are integral for the child’s success in the family, school and community.
Wanna Play Together?
Playing with peers – siblings, friends, classmates, cousins, and neighbors – is an integral and joyful part of childhood. Many lifelong friendships, memories, and skills develop naturally during everyday play experiences. Instinctually, we learn by doing, and children learn through play, including social-emotional skills.
For that reason, AZ+A tailors group therapy for kids to meet the specific developmental needs of our clients through a play-based format that takes advantage of natural, spontaneous interactions.
Our team of highly attuned occupational therapists and psychotherapists take great care to create dyads or triads that support each child’s sensory, motor and emotional profile. The process for group sessions begins, deliberately, with each child meeting with their therapist separately to assess overall needs for group placement. We then mindfully pair peer matches and enjoy group activities supported by the therapists to promote self-regulation, shared engagement, reciprocity and emotional thinking.
This group process allows our highly attuned care team to address moment-to-moment social interactions between children that mimic those that occur in the child’s daily life. Doing so can help each child strengthen the essential skills needed for success in their family, school and community.
Will you be in my group?
Playgroups for toddlers or group therapy for school-aged children can help with the following:
- Tuning into and reading peers’ cues
- Cooperative play
- Social problem solving
- Impulsivity
- Maintaining a ‘just right’ arousal state for social interaction
- Increased flexibility/decreased rigidity
- Sharing and listening to others to create joint ideas
- Increasing assertiveness
- Decreasing aggression/reactivity toward peers
- Staying in relationship while angry, frustrated, or sad
- Navigating social interactions
Interested in Group Therapy?
- AZ+A begins with individual therapy. Schedule a consultation or screening today!
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