Social Skills Groups at Friendship Builders

Speech and Language Pathologists reading a book about impulse control with children in social skills group

Teens playing charades in a social skills group working on perspective taking

Children in social skills groups working on emotional regulation and impulse control at Friendship Builders

Four boys laughing and making friendships in social skills a group

Social Skills for Children

Building the Foundations for Friendship

At Friendship Builders in Newport Beach, we combine the best of play-based speech therapy with proven, structured techniques to help your child grow. Our goal is to provide a clear path for parents wondering how to help their child improve social thinking, emotional regulation, and impulse control required for real-world success.

Core Developmental Goals

Our social communication therapy helps children master:

Emotional Regulation for Kids: Learning how to manage big feelings in the moment.
Frustration Tolerance: The ability to stay calm and keep trying when things are difficult, boring, or don't go their way, rather than giving up.
Impulse Control: Thinking before acting to make better social choices and use a "social filter."
Flexible Thinking for Children: Being able to "go with the flow" when things don't go exactly as planned.

Why Join a Social Skills Group in Newport Beach?

For younger children, our social skills groups for children in Orange County focus on developing the building blocks of interaction through play-based speech therapy. From practicing good sportsmanship to helping a child make friends, our groups make learning feel natural and fun.

Your child will learn to:

Take turns, share space, trade, and share: Vital for any child not taking turns during peer play.
Start and respond to conversations: Utilizing pragmatic language therapy to bridge the gap between speech and connection.
Understand emotions and social cues: Learning to "read the room" and understand non-verbal communication.
Join group activities: Overcoming child social anxiety to participate confidently in school and extracurriculars.
Build confidence with peers and adults: Fostering the self-esteem necessary for lasting friendships.

Regional Support for Your Child

Whether you are looking for social skills therapy for your “shy” child in Orange County or a specialized pediatric speech therapist in Newport Beach, we offer an engaging environment designed for growth. Our social skills groups near Newport Beach also serve families in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna, and Huntington Beach, providing the social communication therapy your child needs to form genuine connections at school and at home.

“Academics matter, but so do friendships, confidence and connection. Here’s why we chose Friendship Builders”

Social Skills for Adolescents and Teens

Supporting Confidence, Communication, and Independence

Two young women hugging and smiling at the camera in an outdoor patio setting. They are socializing outside.

As children grow, social expectations become more complex. Adolescents often face unique challenges with peer relationships, group dynamics, and self-confidence. At Friendship Builders, we offer specialized social skills groups for teens that provide a natural, organic, and respectful space to practice these vital life skills.

Whether your teen is looking to overcome child social anxiety (which often persists into the teen years) or simply needs help navigating the "hidden rules" of middle school or high school, our social skills therapy offers a clear path to independence.

Why Choose Social Skills Groups for Teens?

Unlike traditional 1-on-1 sessions, our group therapy for kids and social skills for teens allows for real-time practice with peers. Our approach utilizes pragmatic language therapy in Newport Beach to help teens gain insight and feel more confident entering novel and familiar social situations.

Our teen groups focus on:

Navigating Conversations: Learning to start, maintain, and end interactions while "reading the room."
Building Lasting Friendships: Providing the tools to help teens make friends in Orange County and maintain those connections over time.
Social Expectations & Boundaries: Understanding the nuances of group dynamics and personal space.
Perspective-Taking: Developing flexible thinking to understand others' points of view and improve problem-solving.
Managing Social Anxiety: Building self-confidence to reduce the stress of social encounters.

Expert Guidance in Orange County

Led by Molly Stuckey, expert speech and language pathologist in Newport Beach, our sessions bridge the gap between clinical speech therapy for social skills and real-world application. We understand that for an adolescent, a "social filter" and emotional regulation are key to navigating everything from classroom projects to weekend hangouts.

We offer convenient support for families across the region, including:

Social skills groups in Irvine and Costa Mesa
Social skills therapy for “shy” teens in Orange County
Speech therapy in Huntington Beach and surrounding areas

If you are looking for a speech therapist near Newport Beach who specializes in the social-emotional needs of adolescents, Friendship Builders is here to help your teen reconnect and thrive.

Social Skills Group Therapy

Using a warm, encouraging approach and easy-to-use tools, we help your child or teen grow in confidence and build real friendships in a safe, supportive space. As experts in social communication therapy, we focus on helping children first understand their own feelings and actions (self-awareness) so they can learn how to manage them (self-regulation). This essential "first step" gives children and teens the foundation they need to comfortably start conversations and keep friendships growing.

At Friendship Builders, our goal is to provide your child or teen with functionaleasy, proven strategies that work in the real world. By helping them "read the room" (social awareness) and learn how to "go with the flow" (flexible thinking), we give them the tools to feel confident and successful in any social situation.

“I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends”

At Friendship Builders, we bring kids and teens together in small, comfortable groups led by therapists who truly "get it." We’re here to help your child navigate those tricky feelings of social anxiety, learn how to think before they act (impulse control), and find their footing when things get tough or frustrating (frustration tolerance).

kids having fun at a social skills party at Friendship Builders wearing st. Patrick's day themed costumes

Four children playing legos and sharing during social skills

From the start, our mission has been simple: to create a warm, welcoming space where children and teens can move past social anxiety and find the confidence to be themselves. By blending child-led approaches like Floortime (Greenspan) with world-class, evidence-based programs like PEERS (UCLA), we provide the gentle guidance and practical "social tools" your child needs to build genuine, lasting friendships.

A group of children sitting on a carpeted floor playing Uno cards while a woman helps them. The room resembles a small play kitchen with a toy stove, sink, and small kitchen accessories, and backpacks and chairs are against the wall.

At Friendship Builders, we’ve created a warm and encouraging home base where kids can find their voice and build real, lasting friendships. Our social skills groups in Newport Beach are thoughtfully designed for children navigating speech, language, or social communication challenges. Using a natural, play-based speech therapy approach, we help your child feel comfortable and confident as they learn to connect with others in a way that feels like fun, not work.

We know that making friends doesn’t always come easily, and we want you to know that’s okay. Our social skills therapy in Newport Beach is a proven way to lift your child’s self-esteem and give them the "social tools" they need to feel confident. By helping them build healthy relationships now, we set them up for success at school and beyond, turning social challenges into a lifetime of meaningful connections.

How Our Groups Work: A Warm & Structured Path to Confidence

At Friendship Builders, we do more than just teach lessons, we help children and teens find the confidence to use their new "social tools" every single day. We provide specialized speech therapy and social skills groups in Newport Beach, serving families from Irvine and across Orange County who are looking for a clear path to social success.

Each of our small, therapist-led groups includes:

Learning Together: We start by simply explaining a specific social skill in a way that makes sense.
Play & Practice: We use play-based speech therapy and fun activities so kids can try out new skills in a safe, supportive space.
In-the-Moment Coaching: We provide gentle, real-time feedback and social communication therapy to help your child or teen navigate interactions as they happen.
Real Connection: Every session offers plenty of time to practice with peers, helping your child turn "skills" into genuine friendships.