2019-2020 Therapeutic Social Skills Groups

2019-2020 Therapeutic Social Skills Groups

ages four into the mid-twenties

(Revised 7/2019)

Since 2012 Dr. Eric Nach and his team of professional therapists, counselors and special educators have been providing “Therapeutic Social Skills Group Classes” for young people ages four into the mid-twenties.

We have 11 different groups that meet on a weekly basis.

  • All groups are based on age, ability and needs.
  • All groups meet on a specific day and time each week throughout the school year.
  • All groups are staffed on a 3:1 basis (only licensed and Master or Doctoral level counselors)
  • All groups include a “Weekly Topic Update” for parents.
  • All groups are selected from a bank of over 90 different topics Dr. Nach has created and re-created over the past 2 decades.
  • All new participants are required to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Nach, to ensure proper placement in our groups.

Join us for the Fall 2019 or Spring 2020 Series

Fall 2019 will meet weekly from the week of September 2nd through December 12th

Spring 2020 will meet weekly from the week of January 13th through May 11th

NEW! Each prepaid Series includes:

*1 free “Therapeutic Social Skills Group” session

*1 free hour-long group meeting with Dr. Nach for (parents/grandparents only) to discuss strategies for your child’s age and ability levels. Exact date of meeting will be predetermined for each specific group session, meeting will be during one of your child’s scheduled groups.

Through BRAINSTORMING, modeling, role-playing, video-modeling and cooperative activities, participants IMPROVE:

  • Making and Nurturing Friendships
  • Flexibility and Frustration Tolerance
  • Attention and Focus
  • Self-Esteem and Confidence
  • Impulse Control
  • Problem-solving Skills
  • Decision-making Skills
  • Conflict Resolution Skills and Relaxation Skills
  • Conversation and Assertiveness Skills
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Smart Phone and Tablet Addiction

Smart Phone and Tablet Addiction

Do you feel like your child is addicted to their “screens”? Learn why this may be the case and what you can do to help restore balance in your child’s life and in your home.

Smart phone and “tablet” addiction can be defined as problematic, dysfunctional use of the mobile phone and/or tablet, with the following characteristics and symptoms:

  • A constant preoccupation to use the smart phone to make phone calls or send text messages or connect with various forms of social media (YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Tumbler, Twitter, etc. and activities associated with those activities.
  • The individuals need to increase the frequency and duration used to make phone calls, emails and sending text and photo messages.
  • Unsuccessful recurring attempts to cease or reduce the number of phone calls made, emails sent, and text and photo messages sent.
  • Withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety and depression associated with attempts to cease or reduce the number and time of phone calls, emails, social media posts and the number of text messages sent.
  • Making longer phone calls, sending a larger number of text messages and spending more time on social media than originally intended.
  • Academic, financial, career, family and social problems caused by mobile phone and/or tablet use.
  • Lying to family and friends to conceal the costs of and the time devoted to social media usage, making phone calls and sending text messages.
  • Use of the mobile phone or tablet as a way of escaping from real problems or as a mood enhancer (to relieve loneliness, anxiety, depression or guilt).

Addiction or over dependency to the mobile phone and/or tablets is not a homogeneous phenomenon, anyone with access to this form of technology can become addicted.

Rarely a day goes by where I do not have a parent telling me how much their child’s smart phone and tablet dependency, or over usage if you prefer, is causing conflict at home and interfering with their child’s emotional, academic and social development. I have done a considerable amount of research on the topic and have spoken to many professionals, parents, siblings and students themselves about the topic. With many years’ experience addressing this challenge, we have created a system and strategies specifically designed to empowered parents and students with the “tools” needed to handle this dilemma of the current day.

You don’t have to go it alone. Contact us today to see how we can help.

 

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.

Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Support for Students Growth Center in Boca Raton

5458 Town Center Rd, Suite 7

Boca Raton, FL 33486

561-990-7305

https://www.supportforstudentsgrowthcenter.com

Experts in improving the social, behavioral, developmental and academic needs of children, teens, young adults and their families.

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In-home student services in Boca Raton and surrounding areas

Our Certified Special Education Teachers and Licensed Mental Health Counselors are Highly Qualified and ready to TUTOR/COUNSEL/COACH your child, in your home or in our Boca Raton center. Students who live with characteristics of ADHD, “Asperger’s”, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Social Anxiety, Depression, Communication Disorders, Physical Disabilities, or Behavior will benefit.

Transitioning into Adulthood Training and Coaching

(In home or in our Boca Raton center, ages 16 – late 20’s)

  • Employment Readiness,
  • Life Skills,
  • Health, Hygiene, Wellness,
  • Executive Functioning,
  • Success Skills,
  • Academic Coaching,
  • Independent Living Skills,
  • Technology Addiction and more…

In-Home Tutoring for “Struggling” and “Exceptional” Students

(In home or in our Boca Raton center, ages 4 into the 20’s)

 

·        Subject-area mastery through tutoring in math, science, reading, writing, etc.

·        Homework Completion Skills

·        Basic Academic Skills

·        Remedial Reading and math

·        Study Skills

·        Test-taking Preparation

·        Individually Tailored Academic Enrichment

In-Home “Academic Coaching” and “Executive Functioning” for any student

(In home or in our Boca Raton center, ages 6 into the 20’s)

 

·        Executive Functioning Skills

·        Time Management

·        Organization

·        Prioritizing

·        Goal Setting and Task Completion

·        Problem Solving

·        Managing Anxiety

·        Conflict Resolution

·        Public Speaking

·        School/Work/Life Balance

·        Interpersonal Communication

·        Attention and Focusing Skills

 

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How to help your child make and keep friends

How to help your child make and keep friends

Small children between the ages of 3 and 6 often find it easy to make friends. Past this age, it gets harder for some children to make friends. This is because elementary school kids start being more self-aware. Common interests, social class, and family background dictate whether your child is “acceptable” to a certain clique or to be friends with other kids. This is especially true in the school environment. A parent then ends up worried sick seeing the child come home from school disappointed and in low spirits because she/he does not have any friends.

As a parent or guardian, seeing your child happy is paramount. However, many parents do not know how to help in such a situation. She/he cannot fix and force a friendship. However, these techniques work in helping your child make friends.

  1. Understand the situation

Getting a deeper understanding of why your child has no friends will give you a broader insight on how best to help. Some elementary school kids may need help in developing their social skills. Natural shyness is normal for children. For some, it may be worse especially if the family has a trend of moving homes. Children whose family is always on the move often don’t get to know other kids in school or in the neighborhood long enough to form a solid friendship. With a better understanding of such a situation, you can know how best to help.

  1. Create a wonderful friendship between the two of you first

Being your child’s close friend creates trust and good rapport. Your child will feel freer to talk to you and give you further information on why she/he is having trouble making friends. Friendships create an atmosphere to bond. When bonding, you as the parent have a role to play by listening. Being keen to your child’s story of how his/her day went will tell you more on what the problem seems to be. Nonverbal cues will also help you pick up things your child is perhaps not telling you.

  1. Nurture your child’s social skills

Creating play dates, and practicing to say hello are some of the baby steps parents can take in boosting their child’s social skills. Shy children feel most comfortable at home. Small play dates at home with you will put the child at ease after a lonely day in school. It gives the child a break as she/he tries to work it out on their own.

  1. Expose them to social scenarios

If you have just moved to a new neighborhood, introducing yourself to the next-door neighbor is one way to go. If you’re lucky, your neighbor might have a child too. As the grown-ups develop a friendship, it trickles down to the children too. Also, make it a habit to take your child to public parks where she/he plays among other kids. It won’t take long before the child finds common ground (the fun) with the other kids.

  1. Involve the teachers and coaches

Filling the teacher in on what your child is going through in school (having no friends) will help. Teachers spend a lot of time with children in school. They know how best to handle and encourage friendships in school, even if your child is extremely shy. In fact, they are better trained at how to encourage children’s development. So get them involved.  There may be another child in the class having the same problem.  Perhaps the teacher could encourage a friendship.

  1. Get professional help

If your child is not developing the skills to be able to initiate conversations or maintain a friendship, don’t just wait for them to “grow out of it”, they might not, get professional help. It is a reality that some children lack the skills commonly known as the “hidden curriculum”. The “hidden curriculum” skills manifest themselves as the intuitive way we just figure out how to perform in social situations, often by observing and mimicking others. If your child does not pick up on the skills their siblings or peers do pick up on they may need professional help. Don’t wait, the earlier the better.

At the Support for Students Growth Center in Boca Raton, Florida we offer many social, behavioral, academic, and developmental services for children, teens, young adults and their families including 11 different social skills groups weekly for young people ages 4 well into adulthood. Call us, we may be able to help.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

For more information about Dr. Nach’s Online Resources and how to enroll, visit our website at: http://drnachonline.com/

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Nurture Your Childs’ Confidence

Nurture Your Childs’ Confidence

Children learn things at an incredible rate when growing up. Their main sources of learning are usually their surroundings, and what they see, they tend to pick up quickly. One of the best qualities to have as a child is confidence. The ability to trust in themselves and what they can do, while at the same time accepting failure, is a recipe for them to thrive.

Here are some of the ways that you can nurture your children to turn into confident young adults:

  1. Accept them at their mistakes

Accepting that everyone makes mistakes is one of the best ways to show your children how to be confident. Confidence does not come from not making mistakes, but from learning from those mistakes and becoming a better person.

  1. Be confident in yourself

You are always your child’s first point of reference and being confident will definitely transfer to them. When your children see you tackle things with optimism and preparation will influence them positively. This does not mean that you should act like everything is perfect; you can acknowledge anxiety, but don’t dwell on it. Focus on the positive.

  1. Encourage them to try new things

Encourage your children to try out new things. Once your child already excels at something, it is time to encourage them to diversify and try something else. Attaining a new skill can fill you with the confidence to try out something else or face anything that comes your way.

  1. Allow them to fail

Children learn things through trial and error. In as much as it is natural to try and shield your kids from failure, this is a destructive approach. It stifles both their personal growth and their confidence. The best approach is to teach your child that falling short is not the end of the world. It will motivate your kids to put greater effort.

  1. Help your child to find their passion

Passions are a great way to channel your inner confidence. You are at your most confident when you are doing something you love. Passions also are also good for instilling a sense of identity. Helping your child grow their talents is an amazing way of giving them a huge boost in their confidence.

  1. Set goals

Setting your goals, whether large or small, then going ahead to achieve them makes anyone feel empowered. It also encourages the pursuit of bigger goals. You can help your child make a list of goals and to accomplish them. This will boost their self-confidence in a huge way. You should also help them break down long-term goals into more realistic benchmarks.

  1. Encourage perseverance

Teach your children not to give up at the first sign of failure. They need to learn that it is not all about succeeding, and failure is not the end of the world. Praise them when they go through challenges and when they persevere through a problem.

  1. Celebrate effort

While you have to praise your kids for their accomplishments, it is important to praise effort regardless of the outcome. Praising them for their hard work will help them gain confidence in accomplishing new and bigger things. It will also encourage them to venture into new endeavors.

  1. Show them love

Letting your children know that you love them no matter what, win or lose, bolsters self-confidence. When you let your children know that you think they are great even when you are upset, it fosters an unshakable sense of self-belief.

  1. Teach then to embrace imperfection

As adults, we know that the world is not perfect. Most of the perfection peddled by TV, magazines, blogs, and social media makes it look like everyone is happy. But we all know that that is just a myth. It is important that children understand this message early enough so that it does not interfere with their confidence later on. Let them know that imperfection is to be expected.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

For more information about Dr. Nach’s Online Resources and how to enroll in our online lessons, visit our website at: http://drnachonline.com/

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Prepare Your Teen for the Transition to College

Prepare Your Teen for the Transition to College

Few occasions bring joy to a parent like their kid qualifying for college. You get so hopeful that they will have a bright future. After all, for many, education is the key to success.

But your kids need more than good grades and pocket money to get through college. The transition from high school to college has its challenges. Your kid needs to know how to harmoniously interact with others, as you will not be there to resolve their conflicts and advocate for them.

They require the right “success skills” to successfully complete college and become successful in their chosen careers. Here at The Support for Students Growth Center, in Boca Raton, Florida, we offer several coaching and counseling approaches, both in home and in our office, tailored for the high-school to college transition. They include;

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills, also known as “success skills”, refer to the attributes that enable us to effectively interact with other people. It is what enables us to read the other person’s emotions and respond accordingly. It is also what enables us to choose the right body language to use when interacting with different people.

In middle and high school, the curriculum teaches them the academic skills.  Many students can pick up on the skills they need to be successful, but not all kids can do this themselves. Productive people need to know how to;

  • Listen actively.
  • Initiate meaningful conversation.
  • Disagree with others in a respectful manner.

Problem Solving

Does your kid know how to find a solution to difficult challenges? In college, they will face many challenges – transitioning between activities, peer pressure, dealing with a noisy roommate, or choosing to ask for help should as they need it. They will need problem-solving skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and decision-making to solve these challenges. Productive people need to know how to;

  • Analyze situations and coming up with possible solutions.
  • Adapting to changes in life.
  • Quick and effective problem-solving.

Conflict Resolution

Just like in middle and high school, your kid will enter into conflicts with other students and teachers while in college. But unlike in high school where conflicts are reported and hopefully resolved by you, the parent, the guidance and counseling of a teacher, in college, your kid will have to resolve the conflicts by themselves. Also, they might have to arbitrate conflicts between other students.

You need your child to have the ability to resolve conflicts. Productive people need to know how to;

  • Advocate for themselves.
  • Come up with options for resolving a conflict.
  • Identify if they are not always on the right side of an argument.
  • Arbitrate a conflict impartially.

How to use body language

During communication, body language does much of the communication. Avoiding direct eye contact during a conversation with an elderly person is regarded as a sign of disrespect, while the same body language when talking to a peer is a sign of shyness. With millennials doing much of the communication behind a screen, it is likely that your kid does not know the importance of body language. Productive people need to know how to;

  • Understand what their body language is communicating.
  • Understand the difference between female and male body language.
  • Make a good first impression with their body language.
  • Interpret the body language of peers.

We are experts in developmental and behavioral changes in children, teens, and young adults. That and the fact that we have a hands-on teaching experience from college and high school makes us experts in transitioning your kid to college.

For more information check out our website or give us a call.

Transitioning services for Young Adults who may have:

  • ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Learning Differences
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Cognitive or Emotional Disabilities
  • Delayed Maturation in Development
  • and many Physical Disabilities

Our Licensed Professional Counselors and Certified Special Education Teachers are Highly Qualified and ready to Train/Coach your young adult, at your home or at our Boca Raton Center.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

For more information about Dr. Nach’s Online Resources and how to enroll in our online lessons, visit our website at: http://drnachonline.com/

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Tips on how to get your message through to Others

Adjusting into the role of adult: Tips on how to get your message through to Others

Communication is a great tool for getting ahead in life. Whether it’s in business, in school, in politics, or even at home, great communication skills will always turn out to be a great asset for you. And this could be why great speakers and orators are very successful. Take for example, former US president Barrack Obama who recently got paid a whopping $400,000 to talk in Wall Street. If you’re having trouble communicating in person, try these tips out and get heard.

See Your Ideas Through to The End

The backbone of every conversation or talk is the idea(s) that you’re trying to convey to your audience. Your message has to have such pillar ideas. And more importantly, you must be able to string your thoughts and words together in a manner that keeps in line with conveying those ideas. Poor speakers often lose their ideas mid-sentence, throwing them into disarray. Have your points well thought out and articulated right to the end in order to avoid that.

Use Examples to Elaborate Your Points

Examples can be the spice to your words and sentences. That is, they’ll help bring out the gist of your argument or ideas. And one idea can help expound and solidify what would have taken you a lot longer to get through. So feel free to use examples often. However, the examples should be in line with your argument, lest you shoot yourself in the foot.

Keep It Simple

The trick to communication, and this should be self-evident, is simplicity. The goal is for other people to understand you. And you have much better chances of doing that when you keep it simple. Forget people who communicate using big words or complex analogies. Keep your ideas and sentences as simple as possible. Even your examples should be simple and basic. When you communicate in a simple manner, you are likely to get through to your audience better. You also won’t strain when talking or explaining ideas.

Be Calm

When you are communicating, the audience takes in everything you do and how you do it. Remember that they have their full attention on you. They even notice what you’re wearing and how your hair is done. Keep their focus trained on your message by being staying calm. The moment you lose your cool, your audience will start to focus on everything else but your message. Yes, they will notice the beads of sweat forming on your forehead or the creases on your brow – but not your message. So keep calm and let your words and ideas have the show, especially if you’re participating in public speaking.

Use The Right Body Language

Communication and body language go hand in hand. When you talk to people, your body language should be reinforcing that message to drive the point home, not the opposite. Even the way you’re seated or standing says a lot about your message. Too much body language also, e.g. a flurry of hand gestures, will confuse your audience. Use selected body movements to complement your words.

These tips may not exhaust every aspect of communication but applying them will significantly improve your engagements and your life as well.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

For more information about Dr. Nach’s Online Resources and how to enroll, visit our website at: https://drnachonline.comhttps://drnachonline.com/

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Transitioning Training and Coaching for Young Adults

Transitioning Training

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Summer Services 2019 Ages 16-Adult

Summer Services 2019 adult

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How to become effective at Public Speaking

How to become effective at Public Speaking

Public speaking has become a major requirement practically in every career you can think of. Many people rate speaking in public as their greatest fear. Watching pastors, politicians and motivational speakers going about their business may make you think that only those born with the gift of public speaking can be so eloquent and confident. However, all great public speakers gifted or not, had to train to be so effective. The learning does not stop but it is a lifelong exercise at learning new methods and building on your delivery to be more effective. To start you off, here are the essential principles of public speaking that will help you be confident and effective whenever speaking to a group.

  1. Stop Trying to be a Great Speaker While on Stage

When you get an opportunity to give a speech or presentation, stop trying to come of great as it will put too much pressure on you which will show. Focus on speaking and not on the audience in front of you and proceed as you would in a conversation. Talk directly to the audience and when you are relaxed and at a comfortable pace you will give a great speech.

  1. Do Not Focus on the Mistakes You Make in a Speech

Most of the time you will not be reading word for word so you will be the only one who notices the mistakes more than anyone else. Unless the mistake was grave changing the content of your speech or offensive, do not stop to apologize. Carry on as you would in a natural conversation. The audience are not there to listen to a perfect person but a real human being with interesting content. Fretting over a slip can harm your chances of great delivery.

  1. Have Regular Practice

There is no perfect public speaker. However, with practice you can be an effective public speaker. The idea is to have the message understood by the audience without tiring them but rather having them enjoy the whole delivery session. You will need to practice alone and with people in different circumstances in order to perfect the handling of different audiences and building your confidence.

  1. Make it Personal and Descriptive

Audiences react better to communication that is personalized and drawn or related to personal experiences. Whenever you can put a face to your presentation, use it. Tell stories and even more effective give it a personal touch. There is much to draw from other people’s stories of triumph and tragedy as well as humorous little anecdotes which can liven up your speech.

  1. Always Leave the Audience Anticipating for More

You want your audience to be hanging on to your every word but you can easily lose them with a long winding speech. With public speaking less is more and you do not have to use all the time allocated to you. Get your content into the major points. Talk about them clearly and briefly and even allow yourself to restate some statements. Pace yourself well so that when you are done the audience still anticipates more.

For more information about Dr. Nach’s Online Resources and how to enroll, visit our website at: http://drnachonline.com/

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

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