Friendship Builders
Pediatric Speech Therapy & Social Skills Groups in Orange County
Building social skills, confidence, and lasting friendships, while also offering expert speech and language therapy to support communication development.
Why Choose Friendship Builders?
Social Skills Groups in Orange County
Social struggles are common, but children and teens can learn skills that help them connect with others and feel more confident. Friendship Builders offers supportive, structured social skills groups and speech therapy in Orange County, including Newport Beach and Irvine.
Our warm, welcoming environment helps every child feel safe, accepted, and ready to practice communication and friendship skills. Led by a licensed speech-language pathologist, our small groups support children and teens as they build social awareness, conversation skills, flexibility, and confidence at school, at home, and in the community.
Who Can Benefit from Social Skills Therapy?
Our school-age social skills groups may benefit children and teens who:
Have difficulty making or maintaining friendships
Struggle to start or continue conversations
Find it challenging to recognize social cues or “read the room”
Feel shy, anxious, or insecure in social situations
Experience frequent conflict with siblings or peers
Have difficulty with back-and-forth, or reciprocal, conversation
Have Level 1 autism, ADHD, language delays, or other communication challenges
Small, Supportive Social Skills Groups
Each group has up to five participants, allowing for individual attention and meaningful peer interaction. We thoughtfully match children by their social-emotional and developmental skills to create a comfortable, supportive setting.
Through naturalistic, child-centered activities and guided practice, children and teens work on:
Conversation and listening
Perspective-taking and social awareness
Problem-solving and teamwork
Self-advocacy
Managing challenging emotions
Building confidence and forming friendships
Helping Children Build Communication and Lasting Friendships
Strong communication is an important foundation for friendship. With guidance and practice, children can learn to express themselves, listen to others, and respond to social cues more comfortably. Parents receive regular progress updates and practical strategies to use at home. This helps children apply their skills across different settings, people, and everyday situations.
Friendship Builders provides social skills groups and specialized speech therapy for children and teens in Orange County, including Newport Beach and Irvine. Our goal is to help each child develop genuine connections, grow more confident, and participate more comfortably in everyday life.
Genuine Fun, Progress and Friendships
The Friendship Builders Difference
Friendship Builders provides social skills groups for children and teens in Newport Beach, Irvine, and throughout Orange County, California. Our small, supportive groups are led by a licensed, board-certified speech-language pathologist trained in evidence-based approaches to social communication and friendship development.
We help children and teenagers improve communication, emotional regulation, and confidence while learning practical skills they can use with peers at school, at home, and in the community. With consistent practice and supportive coaching, children and teens can strengthen the skills they need to build friendships and navigate social situations with greater confidence.
Evidence-Based Approaches to Social Skills Therapy
Our speech-language pathologist draws on approaches tailored to each child’s age, strengths, and needs:
Floortime (DIR): For younger children, we use play and each child’s interests to encourage engagement, emotional connection, and social awareness.
PEERS®: For teens, we use strategies from the UCLA-developed PEERS program to teach practical skills for making and maintaining friendships.
Pragmatic language therapy: Children and teens practice the unwritten rules of communication, such as joining a conversation, staying on topic, and responding to unexpected comments.
Real peer practice: Small-group activities provide a supportive place to practice social communication skills with peers, with therapist guidance and encouragement.
Social Skills Groups for School-Aged Children
Our school-age groups use games, guided activities, and hands-on practice to help children develop play skills, cooperation, and positive peer relationships. Children work on:
Joining play, inviting others to participate, and sharing materials
Engaging in pretend play and group activities
Taking turns, following group rules, and working toward shared goals
Improving impulse control and frustration tolerance
Practicing emotional regulation and managing social anxiety
Greeting peers and showing interest in what others enjoy
Recognizing emotions through facial expressions and tone of voice
Handling conflict calmly, solving problems with words, and adapting when plans change
Social Skills Groups for Teens
Teen social skills groups focus on communication and friendship skills for everyday situations at school and with peers. Teens practice how to:
Read social cues by noticing tone of voice, body language, and group dynamics
Consider other perspectives to navigate disagreements and build stronger connections
Have reciprocal conversations by asking follow-up questions, sharing the conversation, and staying engaged
Solve real-life social problems related to school and friendships
Advocate for themselves by expressing needs and opinions clearly and respectfully
Friendships made with music and motion
What Parents are Saying About Friendship Builders
“Social skills as been incredibly rewarding because….”
“We had high confidence in Ms. Molly”
“It wasn’t just the therapy…it was the trust and connection with Ms. Molly”
“Friendship Builders made the social skills groups personalized.”
Let’s Get Started
