Social Skills Group with Parent Group

Monthly Social Skills Group for Twice-Exceptional Children with a Concurrent Free Parent Support Group A collaborative program hosted at The Gifted Collective Program Overview This program offers a monthly, evening social skills group designed for gifted and twice-exceptional children whose social-emotional development lags behind their intellectual ability most often children on the autism spectrum, but also children who show autism traits without a formal diagnosis and children with another diagnosed learning disability (such as ADHD, dyslexia, or a specific learning disorder) alongside giftedness. General social-skills programming rarely accounts for this combination. This group pairs clinical expertise in autism and social-emotional development with a specialized understanding of gifted development, giving children a consistent space to build social skills alongside peers who share similar developmental and social profiles. The group is co-facilitated by a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with autistic and gifted children and families, and by Adam Laningham, owner and founder of The Gifted Collective, who specializes in special education and working with gifted students. A free, concurrent support group gives parents and caregivers their own space to connect and gain support while their child is in group. Program Goals • Social skill-building: Build explicit, developmentally appropriate social communication and perspective-taking skills. • Peer navigation: Practice navigating friendships, conflict, and social misunderstandings in a supportive setting. • Emotional regulation: Strengthen self-regulation and emotional awareness within social situations. • Peer connection: Foster genuine connection with same-neurotype peers, reducing isolation and social anxiety. • Self-advocacy: Support self-understanding and self-advocacy around being autistic and gifted. • Family support: Equip parents and caregivers with community, tools, and support through the concurrent parent group. Who This Group Serves Children generally ages 8–13 who are gifted or twice-exceptional and who have an autism diagnosis, show autism traits without a formal diagnosis, or have another diagnosed learning disability (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or another specific learning disorder). A brief intake conversation with the facilitators is required before enrollment to confirm fit and give each child the best chance of success in the group. If enrollment is high, the group can be split into two age bands (e.g., 8–10 and 11–13) or by profile to keep developmental levels and needs close within each cohort. Expanded eligibility: the group is not limited to children with a formal autism diagnosis. • Undiagnosed autism traits: Children who show social-communication differences or autism-spectrum traits — including those currently in the evaluation process or on a waitlist for one — may enroll without a formal diagnosis. Because the curriculum draws on autism-informed strategies, intake will focus on whether the group's approach is a good match for the child. • Other diagnosed learning disabilities: Children with a diagnosed learning disability other than autism (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or an executive functioning disorder) who are also gifted or twice-exceptional may enroll, provided intake confirms that their social-emotional and communication needs fit the group's format and peer group. • Fit determines placement, not label: Eligibility is based on whether a child can meaningfully engage in a group built around autism-informed social skills strategies, not on diagnostic label alone. The LPC facilitator makes the final determination at intake and may recommend a different resource if this group isn't the right match. Program Structure • Format: Closed cohort: the same group of children meets each month for continuity and trust-building. • Duration: 8 sessions across the school year, held once each month in September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and May (no session in December, June, July, or August). • Session length: 1 hour per session (children's group and parent group run concurrently). • Group size: Limited to 6–8 children so each child gets individualized attention and coaching. • Location: The Gifted Collective. Sessions Session 1 -Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Session 2 - Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Session 3 - Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Session 4 - Tuesday, January 12, 2027 Session 5 - Tuesday, February 9, 2027 Session 6 - Tuesday, March 9, 2027 Session 7 - Tuesday, April 6, 2027 Session 8 - Tuesday, May 11, 2027 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM Facilitation Team Stephen Sommers, LPC — Clinical Facilitator A Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in autism and giftedness/twice-exceptionality. Brings clinical training in social-emotional development, evidence-informed social skills curricula, and group facilitation experience with autistic and gifted chil