From Hanging In to Hanging Out: Creative Ways to Support Friendships for Neurodivergent Kids and Teens

Research tells us that having just one or two close friends has a significant impact on building positive self-esteem and independence, as well as coping with stress, depression, and anxiety, yet many neurodivergent individuals face barriers when it
comes to developing social connections.

Join us for a full day of learning as we discuss:

- how to move beyond traditional social curricula and out of the therapy room to help kids build friendships
- how to collaborate with parents and kids to develop meaningful, personalized friendship goals
- neurodiversity-affirming ways to empower parents to be supportive social coaches for their kids in everyday, natural settings
- how to use interest-based activities to help kids and teens connect with like-minded peers

This course provides 6 hours of professional development and is designed specifically for professionals supporting highly verbal Autistic clients or those with ADHD, anxiety or other neurodevelopmental differences.

Morning Sessions: We’ll explore how the research in friendship experiences for neurodivergent individuals is changing and how to use this information to inform your practice. We’ll also dive into how to gather information from families specific to friendship and discuss key pillars in helping younger kids build friendships, including supporting regulation, exploring authentic interests, and creating genuine connections during play.

Afternoon Sessions: We will build on the morning’s themes as we explore specific strategies for older school-aged children and teens. We’ll explore key strategies such as how to help parents plan and coach playdates with their kids’ social goals in mind. The day will finish with a discussion of how to collaborate with teens to establish and work toward their own friendship goals.

*Strategies discussed in this workshop focus on supporting individuals with well-developed verbal language skills.