Our philosophy

We believe that success in life is determined through our relationships at work, at school, in our friendships, and within our families. Our goal at ProSocialThinking is to move individuals beyond the rote memorization of social skills, to thinking the thoughts behind the skills, and thinking about the ways ones actions influence others. We teach meaningful strategies that can be integrated into daily routines. We teach the practice of hidden social rules and expected behaviors in a variety of environments. In essence, we teach how to think and be social!

Our approach is based upon Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking regimen.

The Social Thinking team

Our groups are directed by a New York State certified and licensed mental-health counselor and a New York State certified special education teacher. Bonnie Watson and Marybeth Fussa have extensive experience working with children and adolescents in the area of social learning. We work collaboratively with school teams, occupational therapists, behavioral consultants, psychologists and physicians to ensure that children have the highest quality of service.

A Fun and Creative Setting

By combining the Social Thinking concepts developed by Michelle Garcia Winner, and techniques adapted from experts in the field such as Stanley Greenspan, Serena Wieder, Carol Gray and Tony Attwood, we provide a fun, socially-enriching experience to help children and adolescents interact and discover the fulfillment of positive social relationships.

Our groups are designed by bringing together children of similar ages and social abilities for weekly sessions that run for one hour, with an additional 15 minutes of parent education in order to facilitate the generalization of skills.

People who can benefit from our Social Thinking Groups

People with challenges in social thinking may be diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, high-functioning autism, non-verbal learning disorder, attention-deficit disorder, or related disorders. They may have no formal diagnosis.

People who exhibit social thinking challenges often:

Struggle to interpret body language.
Have difficulty conversing.
Lack self-control or emotional regulation.
Exhibit a short attention span.
Have trouble thinking flexibly.
Have difficulty working in a group.
Cannot easily understand the perspectives of others.

Learning to Interact with Thought and Purpose

Children and adolescents with social-cognitive challenges often struggle to interact appropriately with others. They may have trouble developing friendships, have difficulty with academic skills such as reading comprehension and writing, isolate themselves during social activities, or become the target of bullies. With assistance, individuals with these invisible disabilities can improve self-esteem, find greater success in school and work, and avoid isolation.