Asperger's Center
Asperger's Center Programs
The Asperger's Center program at the Groden Center is proud to offer comprehensive social groups for children and adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome. The groups focus on providing children and adolescents with Asperger's with the opportunity to meet and interact with peers who have similar strengths and needs. Skills training focuses on the development of skills needed to promote friendship development and stress management. Grants for the fall program are currently available for families who qualify.
The groups will be run by Dr. Kelley Pistacchio and Kristen Acciari, LCSW.Dr. Pistacchio is a licensed clinical psychologist and director of the Community Support Services program, while Ms. Acciari is a clinical social worker who specializes in Asperger's Syndrome.
Therapeutic Job Club Presentation
a job program for young adults with Asperger's Syndrome
Dr. June Groden, Co-Executive Director of the Groden Network, and Patricia Wisocki, Director of the Groden Network's Therapeutic Job Cllub, recently made a video presentation on the benefits of preparing young adults with Asperger's Syndrome for the job market. You can view the video by clicking here12grams:
pring Gru2012 Winter/Spring Asperger's Group Pr Sign up Today - For Our 2012 Winter/Spring Asperger's Social Programs ograms:
Therapeutic Activity Social Club
This is a community-based group for children ages 8-10 with Asperger’s Syndrome or similar social needs. This group is designed to promote the application of social skills in a variety of different social environments within the community. Group leaders will use natural teaching opportunities during a variety of recreational activities to provide social coaching in the areas of initiating and maintaining conversation, positive peer interaction, making and maintaining friendships and dealing with disappointment. *Some pre-requisite skills are required for participation in this group.
Date/Time: Beginning January 2012. Eight Saturday sessions. Start date to be determined based on the number of referrals received. Maximum of 6 participants for this group. Please call to reserve a spot!
Location: Location will change based on specific activity every week. Children should be dropped off at specific activity location. All activity locations chosen will be in the Providence area.
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW and Melissa Coe, LICSW
Fees: $385.00 membership fee: $195 due prior to first outing, remaining balance of $190 to be paid half way through the sessions. When applicable, parents will also be responsible for activity costs (i.e. admission fees).
Let’s Play!: A Play Group for Young Children
This group is designed for children ages 5 to 7 with Asperger’s Syndrome. The focus will be on teaching children such skills as: how to initiate play with peers, engage in positive interactive play, show flexible thinking and behavior when playing with peers, deal with peer conflict, and deal with losing.
Time: Tuesdays, 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Dates: January 3rd - April 3rd
Clinician: Kelley H. Pistacchio, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Superflex Superhero Social Thinking Group!
This group is for children ages 8-10 with Asperger’s Syndrome will follow Michelle Garcia Winner’s “Superflex Superhero” social thinking curriculum, to address common challenges, such as: getting stuck on ideas, being competitive, distractibility, thinking of others, using humor appropriately, determining the size of a problem, and personal space.
Time: Wednesdays, 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Dates: January 11th, 2012 – April 4th, 2012
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Middle School Social Group
This group is designed to provide support and assistance to young teens/pre-teens in middle school with Asperger Syndrome or related social needs. The focus will be on teaching children skills associated with establishing friendships such skills as: how to initiate conversation with peers, engage in reciprocal conversation, increase flexible thinking and behavior when interacting with peers, and deal with peer conflict. Different topics will be addressed based on the needs of the group (e.g., dealing with teasing/bullying).
Time: Mondays, 4:00 pm– 5:00 pm
Dates: January 9th – April 16th
Clinician: Kelley H. Pistacchio, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP)
This program consists of a series of therapeutic-educational tracks designed to meet the specific needs of individuals with Asperger Syndrome (or similar social needs), ages 15 - 18 transitioning to adulthood. Each track includes community outings to foster learning and application of skills learned in session.
- Winter program track: Service Learning Project. The group will learn and apply the skills necessary for teamwork (communication, compromise, time management, planning, breaking big tasks into smaller pieces, working with deadlines, dealing with disappointment, etc.) by working together on a project to give back to a community organization in need.
Time: Fridays, 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Dates: January 13th – May 11th
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Young Adult Group
This is a therapeutic group for young adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. Group members are actively involved in identifying specific areas of need and topics of discussion facilitated by a clinician to promote social and emotional growth. The group focuses on learning about self and others, relating to others, fostering communication, sharing experiences and supporting each other. This group also includes monthly outings to locations chosen by the group.
Time: Thursdays, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Dates: Ongoing: accepting new referrals for January 5th
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
More information on 2012 Winter/Spring Group Programs
Location: All groups will be held at The Groden Center, 610 Manton Ave., Providence, RI, with the exception of the Activity Club.
Registration: To find out more about any of our programs or to make a referral, please call the CSS Referral and Service Coordinator, Maggie Powers, at 401- 274-6310, ext. 1242 or email mpowers@grodencenter.org. An intake interview will be scheduled with one of our clinicians to determine if the group will meet the needs of the individual. Intake interviews may be covered by insurance. If full capacity is not met for a group, the start date will be postponed or the group will be canceled.
*Accepted insurance: For Dr. Kelley Pistacchio, the following insurance coverage will be accepted: Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, United Behavioral Health, Neighborhood Health Plan and Medicaid. For Kristen Acciari, LICSW, Medicaid, United Behavioral Health, and Neighborhood Health Plan will be accepted. BC/BS anticipated by February, 2012
p Programs Winter/Spring Asperger's Group Programs:
Therapeutic Activity Social Club
This is a community-based group for children ages 8-10 with Asperger’s Syndrome or similar social needs. This group is designed to promote the application of social skills in a variety of different social environments within the community. Group leaders will use natural teaching opportunities during a variety of recreational activities to provide social coaching in the areas of initiating and maintaining conversation, positive peer interaction, making and maintaining friendships and dealing with disappointment. *Some pre-requisite skills are required for participation in this group.
Date/Time: Beginning January 2012. Eight
Saturday sessions. Start date to be determined based on the number of referrals
received. Maximum of 6 participants for this group.
Please call to reserve a spot!
Location: Location will change based on specific activity every
week. Children should be dropped off at specific activity location. All activity
locations chosen will be in the Providence
area.
Clinician: Kristen Acciari,
LICSW and Melissa Coe, LICSW
Fees: $385.00
membership fee: $195 due prior to first outing, remaining balance of $190 to be
paid half way through the sessions. When applicable, parents will also be
responsible for activity costs (i.e. admission fees).
Let’s Play!: A Play Group for Young Children
This group is designed for children ages 5 to 7 with Asperger’s Syndrome. The focus will be on teaching children such skills as: how to initiate play with peers, engage in positive interactive play, show flexible thinking and behavior when playing with peers, deal with peer conflict, and deal with losing.
Time: Tuesdays, 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Dates: January 3rd - April 3rd
Clinician: Kelley H. Pistacchio, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Superflex Superhero Social Thinking Group!
This group is for children ages 8-10 with Asperger’s Syndrome will follow Michelle Garcia Winner’s “Superflex Superhero” social thinking curriculum, to address common challenges, such as: getting stuck on ideas, being competitive, distractibility, thinking of others, using humor appropriately, determining the size of a problem, and personal space.
Time: Wednesdays, 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Dates: January 11th, 2012 – April 4th, 2012
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00 per session. Insurance accepted
Middle School Social Group
This group is designed to provide support and assistance to young teens/pre-teens in middle school with Asperger Syndrome or related social needs. The focus will be on teaching children skills associated with establishing friendships such skills as: how to initiate conversation with peers, engage in reciprocal conversation, increase flexible thinking and behavior when interacting with peers, and deal with peer conflict. Different topics will be addressed based on the needs of the group (e.g., dealing with teasing/bullying).
Time: Mondays, 4:00 pm– 5:00
pm
Dates: January 9th –
April 16th
Clinician:
Kelley H. Pistacchio, PhD, Clinical
Psychologist
Fees: $35.00 per
session. Insurance accepted
Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP)
This program consists of a series of therapeutic-educational tracks designed to meet the specific needs of individuals with Asperger Syndrome (or similar social needs), ages 15 - 18 transitioning to adulthood. Each track includes community outings to foster learning and application of skills learned in session.
- Winter program track: Service Learning Project. The group will learn and apply the skills necessary for teamwork (communication, compromise, time management, planning, breaking big tasks into smaller pieces, working with deadlines, dealing with disappointment, etc.) by working together on a project to give back to a community organization in need.
Time: Fridays, 3:45 pm – 5:00
pm
Dates: January 13th – May
11th
Clinician: Kristen
Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00 per
session. Insurance accepted
Young Adult Group
This is a therapeutic group for young adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. Group members are actively involved in identifying specific areas of need and topics of discussion facilitated by a clinician to promote social and emotional growth. The group focuses on learning about self and others, relating to others, fostering communication, sharing experiences and supporting each other. This group also includes monthly outings to locations chosen by the group.
Time: Thursdays, 3:30 pm – 4:30
pm
Dates: Ongoing: accepting new referrals for
January 5th
Clinician: Kristen Acciari, LICSW
Fees: $35.00
per session. Insurance accepted
More information on 2012 Winter/Spring Group Programs
Location: All groups will be held at The Groden Center, 610 Manton Ave., Providence, RI, with the exception of the Activity Club.
Registration: To find out more about any of our programs or to make a referral, please call the CSS Referral and Service Coordinator, Maggie Powers, at 401- 274-6310, ext. 1242 or email mpowers@grodencenter.org. An intake interview will be scheduled with one of our clinicians to determine if the group will meet the needs of the individual. Intake interviews may be covered by insurance. If full capacity is not met for a group, the start date will be postponed or the group will be canceled.
*Accepted insurance: For Dr. Kelley Pistacchio, the following insurance coverage will be accepted: Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, United Behavioral Health, Neighborhood Health Plan and Medicaid. For Kristen Acciari, LICSW, Medicaid, United Behavioral Health, and Neighborhood Health Plan will be accepted. BC/BS anticipated by February, 2012.
