❋ Builders Club ❋

While each week has a different theme and challenge, sessions generally follow a consistent structure that helps children know what to expect.

Welcome & Warm-Up (10-15 minutes)
We begin with a quick building activity or creative challenge to help children settle in, connect with one another, and transition into the group.

Weekly Skill Spotlight: Brain Builders (10–15 minutes)
Each week focuses on a specific social-emotional skill, such as flexible thinking, managing frustration, teamwork, communication, or problem solving. Through a brief discussion and demonstration, children learn a new concept before putting it into practice.

Collaborative Building Challenge (25–35 minutes)
This is the heart of the group! Working together either as a whole group or in smaller teams, children complete a collaborative building challenge that naturally requires communication, cooperation, flexible thinking, and shared problem solving. Everyone has an important role, and the focus is on working together—not building the "best" creation.

Reflection & Storytelling (10–15 minutes)
At the end of each challenge, children share their creations, reflect on what happened during the process, celebrate successes, and explore what they learned about themselves and others. Together, we connect those experiences to real-life situations at school, home, and with friends.

Every Session Is Designed to Help Children Practice...

• Communicating ideas clearly

• Listening to others' perspectives

• Working toward a shared goal

• Managing frustration when things don't go as planned

• Solving problems together

• Celebrating individual strengths

• Building confidence through successful collaboration

Because these skills are practiced while children are actively engaged in meaningful play, learning often feels more natural—and much more fun—than sitting through a traditional lesson!

Throughout the group, children will have opportunities to strengthen:

• Communication

• Flexible thinking

• Teamwork

• Problem solving

• Emotional regulation

• Perspective taking

• Leadership

• Apology & Repair

• Self-confidence

• Friendship skills

No. All LEGO® bricks, building materials, and supplies are provided during each session. Children simply need to come ready to build, collaborate, and have fun!

While many of our activities use LEGO® bricks, the focus of the group isn't on collecting pieces or building elaborate models—it's on working together, solving problems, and discovering new ways to communicate, think flexibly, and connect with others.

Many social skills groups focus on teaching children what to say or do in social situations.

Builders Club takes a different approach. Children learn these skills by experiencing them through collaborative building challenges. When plans change, ideas conflict, or teammates need help, those become natural opportunities to practice flexibility, communication, and problem solving with support from the therapist.

Before enrollment, we'll schedule a brief consultation to learn about your child's strengths, goals, and current challenges. This helps ensure the group is a good fit for both your child and the other participants.

Possibly! Builders Club is designed to be welcoming to neurodivergent children, including many autistic children. However, because this is a collaborative group, it's important that each participant is able to engage in a small group setting with support.

Children who are likely to be successful in this group are generally able to:

• Participate in a small group for the duration of the session

• Tolerate taking turns and sharing materials

• Engage in collaborative activities with peers, even when it's challenging

• Participate safely with minimal one-to-one support

• Benefit from practicing communication, teamwork, flexible thinking, and problem solving

Before enrollment, all families participate in a brief screening process. This conversation helps determine whether Builders Club is the right fit for your child's strengths, goals, and support needs, while also ensuring a balanced group where every child has the opportunity to learn, contribute, and be successful.

If this group doesn't seem like the best fit, I'm always happy to discuss other treatment recommendations that may better support your child's needs.

That's okay.

Some children process by talking, while others process by doing. Building together provides a shared activity that often makes communication feel easier and more natural than sitting face-to-face in a conversation.

Children don't need to be especially outgoing to participate, but they should be willing and able to engage with peers in a small-group setting, even if that looks different from child to child. During the screening process, we'll talk about your child's communication style and determine whether Builders Club is likely to be a good fit.

Yes. After each session, parents will receive a brief summary of the week's focus, what the group practiced, and simple ideas for reinforcing those skills at home.

I completely understand that vacations, illnesses, and scheduling conflicts can come up. That said, because this group is built around collaboration and relationships, consistent attendance is important. Each session builds on the previous week, and regular participation helps children develop trust, confidence, and meaningful connections with their peers.

If you're considering this group, I recommend enrolling only if you believe your child will be able to attend at least 9 of the 12 sessions.

Please note that Sullivan Counseling Services' standard 24-hour cancellation policy also applies to group sessions. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice will be charged the full session fee.