Good Times Groups offers children entering 2nd – 8th grades an alternative to traditional day camp or school-based programs. Good Times Groups offers an enjoyable, highly structured summer component where participates are immersed in exciting daily activities emphasizing social pragmatic development. All lessons are conducted under the guise of more traditional activities such as sports, arts & crafts, hiking, swimming, cooperative games, and music/drama activities. Activities are provided in a structured atmosphere that encourages participation, builds confidence, and makes learning fun.
There are a maximum of 12 children in each group with 4 staff members. Our low 3:1 ratio ensures that every child receives the individual attention necessary to work on his/her unique needs and goals.
Our coed Good Times Group is for students who are typically mainstreamed throughout the school year and have not had previously successful summers in traditional camp programs. The student's primary area of need should be social interactions.
The Good Times Group provides an intensive focus on social skills for students who have communication skills, but have difficulty with utilizing their social skills to their maximum potential. Traditional skills addressed include: initiating and maintaining conversations, perspective taking, reading nonverbal cues, transitioning, obsessive-compulsive issues & rigidity, and issues of executive functioning. |
WHAT DOES A DAY LOOK LIKE?
At the Good Times Group we have three distinct types of days:
- Lesson Days (where the day consists primarily of social skills, self-esteem, and coping skills games)
- Community-Based Practice Days (on these days, the children spend the early morning and late afternoon engaged in fun lessons, while the middle of the day occurs in the community practicing the children’s newly acquired skills.
- Swim Days (where the day consists partially of social skills, self-esteem, and coping skills and part of the day the children swim).
Monday / Thursday (Lesson Days)
8:00-8:30: Morning Orientation
8:30-9:00: Sensory warm up
9:00-10:15: Outdoor Cooperative Games
10:15-10:30: Cash In
10:30-10:55: Snack and Chat
10:55-11:45: Occupational Therapy
11:45-12:15: Special (i.e., Art, Music, Karate, Drama, and Science)
12:15-1:15: Lunch and Free Play Practice outside
1:15-2:00: Pragmatic Lessons / Social Skills Therapy
2:00-2:45: Self-Esteem
2:45-3:30: Coping Skills
3:30-4:00: Wrap Up, daily Rating, Ending Meeting
Wednesday (Swimming Days)
8:00-8:30: Morning Orientation
8:30-9:00: Sensory Warm Up
9:00-10:15: Outdoor Cooperative Games
10:15-10:30: Cash In
10:30-11:00: Snack and Chat
11:00-2:00: Swimming and Lunch
2:00-2:50: Pragmatic Lessons / Social Skills Therapy
2:50-3:20: Coping Skills
3:20-3:30: Cash In
3:30-4:00: Wrap Up, Daily rating, Ending Meeting
Tuesday / Friday (Community Practice Days)
8:00-8:30: Morning Orientation
8:30-9:00: Sensory Warm Up
9:00-10:15: Outdoor Cooperative Games
10:15-10:30: Cash In
10:30-2:00: Field Trip (snack and Lunch on the field trip)
2:00-3:00: Occupational Therapy
3:00-3:20: Pragmatics Skills
3:20-3:30: Cash In
3:30-4:00: Wrap Up, Daily rating, Ending Meeting
Our Pragmatic Summer Program is designed for children entering grades 2nd – 8th grades who have difficulty with social skills (such as with Asperger's, PDD, Anxiety Disorders, and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities). We focus on the development of social skills, coping skills, and self-esteem through a variety of structured activities that encourage participation, build confidence and make learning fun.
Traditional activities include:
- Sports
- Arts & Crafts
- Hiking
- Swimming
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- Cooperative Games
- Karate
- Music
- Drama
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Through our 3:1 ratio, student's programs are designed to meet individual needs.
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SESSION DATES, TIMES, COSTS & SERVICES
Each session costs $1,800.00
Session Dates:
- July 7-July 18 (session I)
- July 21-Aug 1 (session II)
- August 4-15 (session III)
Session Hours:
Optional Hours:
- 7:00-8:00 (option for early drop off) $100 per session
- 4:00-6:00 pm (option for late pick up) $100 per session
Included Services:
- Group Speech Therapy 4 x per week
- Group Occupational Therapy 4 x per week
A-La-Cart Services (for an additional fee):
- Individual Speech $125 per hour
- Sm. Group Speech $95 per hour (2-3 children)
- Individual OT $125 per hour
- Sm. Group OT $95 per hour (2-3 children)
- Individual Therapy $150 per hour
- Wilson Reading ($60 per ½ hour)
- Academic Tutoring ($60 per ½ hour)
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GOALS ADDRESSED
The Good Times Group is unique. We teach children the underlying skills they need to help them understand and acquire complex social skills. These are the abilities that have been lacking and therefore been a barrier to their natural learning process. Many of our students have undergone social skills therapy and learned rote skills, such as when a person says hello, they are able to say hello back, but have difficulty maintaining the conversation. At Good Times Group children not only learn how to say hello, but also learn how to analyze why someone is saying hello in the first place, multiple responses s/he could use, and how to choose the most appropriate response based upon the person's non-verbal cues and inference of the message. In this sense, our children learn to communicate more naturally and with more inherent understanding.
The curriculum was created by Alex Michaels and Laurie Smith and is based upon cognitive-behavioral psychology and principals of Neuroscience (Bateson Therapy). Through our unique curriculum, students first learn skills, then put the information into practice, and finally teach the information to others. We find by utilizing this full circle approach, students truly understand what they are being taught and are better able to generalize the information.
- General Socialization & Communication:
- Initiating, monitoring, maintaining, and disengaging from conversations
- Joining conversations or joining games already in progress
- Spontaneously greeting adults and peers
- Using a combination of questions and comments when interacting with peers and adults
- Cooperating, compromising, and negotiating with peers and adults
- Non-Verbal Cues:
- Identifying non-verbal cues based on facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and posture
- Recognizing emotions of both peers and adults
- Maintaining eye contact for an appropriate length of time
- Theory of Mind:
- Understanding another's perspective
- Altering comments based upon what a peer or adult is thinking/feeling ("being sensitive")
- Identification of Feelings:
- Labeling emotions based upon facial expressions, tone of voice, and body posture
- Responding appropriately to "Why?" questions in regard to feelings peers are experiencing
- Coping Skills:
- Recognize signs of stress/anxiety in themselves and others
- Find solutions to anger management
- Learn to better regulate his/her sensory systems
- Increase knowledge of problem solving skills
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost?
The cost of the program is $1800 per session. Children have the option of attending some weeks or the entire program. Each session has different lessons, so a child who attends all 6 weeks will not have lessons repeated.
Session Dates:
- July 7-July 18 (session I)
- July 21-Aug 1 (session II)
- August 4-15 (session III)
Session Hours:
Optional Hours:
- 7:00-8:00 (option for early drop off) $100 per session
- 4:00-6:00 pm (option for late pick up) $100 per session
Is there parent involvement?
- YES! We welcome parents to visit during the summer, and also welcome them to accompany us on field trips and swimming days. Parents are always welcome at Good Times Groups.
Is there swimming?
- Absolutely. One day per week we go swimming at a nearby facility
How are the children transported to and from field trips?
- We provide bus service for all outings. Accompanying parents may travel on our buses if space allows.
Who staffs the program?
- The program is directed by Alex Michaels, Executive Director of Milestones, Inc.
Who provides transportation to and from our program?
- Transportation is provided by families (or family carpool) or as stipulated in IEP.
What should families provide and what should my child bring to our program?
- One snack and lunch per day, and a change of clothes.
Can my child's teachers/therapists visit during the summer?
- Absolutely! We encourage visits. To schedule a visit to our program, please contact our main office at 781-895-3200
What is the student to staff ratio?
- 3:1 is the ratio with a maximum of 12 children in each group.
Do you have a neurotypical sibling program?
- Siblings entering grades 2nd -8th are eligible to come to group as peer models. The fee is $1400 per session.
Do you provide measured progress and IEP goals?
- Based upon group members needs, each group has their own collaborative goals which is based upon record review and our intake process. Children will also have individual goals. Our goals are based upon social skills, executive functioning, coping skills (sensory skills), and self-esteem. Goals are measured through formal and informal processes including observation and data collection. Each week parents can log on to the student’s private website page and check on their child’s progress. Additionally, at the end of the summer you will receive a detailed report about your child’s goals and progress.
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APPLICATION & ADMISSION PROCEDURE (click here for application)
- Download and fill out the application. Send the application along with a $35 non-refundable application fee, your child’s most recent IEP and other records that you feel would help us get to know your child better (i.e., speech evaluation, neuropsychological evaluation, etc.). Please fill out our questionnaires which are attached to the child’s application.
- Once we receive your child’s application our application committee will determine if your child is a good match. If s/he is a good match, we will invite you and your child in for a free intake assessment. This process takes between ½ hour and 1 hour and we are generally able to let you know that day if your child is accepted into our program.
- Once your child is accepted, we require a 50% deposit to hold a spot for your child (or signed consent from the town if they are paying. You can find this consent form in the application). Children are accepted on a first come first serve basis and our program fills quickly – we start taking applications September 1 for the following year.
- By March 1st the remainder of your child’s tuition is due. If your child’s town is paying for our program we will make financial arrangements with them (you do not need to be involved in this process other than having the town sign the initial consent form).
- By June 7 you will receive information about our program including a social story, calendar, and names/addresses/phone numbers of fellow group members (this is a good way to make carpools!)
- From 9:00-11:00 on the first morning of each session start is an optional family orientation which teaches you more specifically about our program and how to access your child’s progress while at our program. Additionally, you will get to meet all of the staff involved in your child’s program.
July 7th, summer programming begins! |
