❋ Junior 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 & Check-In
We start with a snack and a quick check-in, such as sharing a high and low from the week. This gives everyone time to settle in, connect, and transition into the group.

Skill of the Week
We introduce or revisit one friendship or teamwork skill like communicating clearly, listening, being flexible, compromising, or repairing after a disagreement. This is brief and interactive so we can get quickly to practicing it!

The Building Challenge
Most of the session is spent building. Kids work in pairs or as a group on a LEGO® challenge designed to naturally bring the week's skill into play. I coach and support along the way as real opportunities come up to communicate, compromise, manage frustration, solve problems, and work together.

Wrap-Up/Clean-Up
We finish by sharing what we built and briefly talking about what worked, what was tricky, and what we noticed about working together. The kids all help clean up together.

The goal isn't to talk about social skills for an hour. It's to give kids a fun, supported place to actually practice them with other kids!

Throughout the group, children will have opportunities to strengthen:

• Communication

• Flexible thinking

• Teamwork

• Problem solving

• Compromise

• 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!

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

Junior 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! Junior 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 Junior 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 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 Junior Builders Club is likely to be a good fit.

Yes. After each session, parents will receive a brief emaail summary of the week's focus, what the group practiced and built, and simple ideas for reinforcing those skills at home. I will also include an individualized “progress report” with notes about your child after each session.

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 5 of the 7 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.