Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups in Philadelphia, PA and its Suburbs
Helping neurodivergent kids, teens, adults, and caregivers turn social uncertainty into absolute confidence.
In-person social development groups across four locations around Philadelphia, PA and the Main Line.
Navigating unwritten social expectations in the neurotypical world can be stressful, even exhausting. We make learning social awareness and skills feel safe, affirming, and fun!
Whether you have a child who wants a buddy at recess, a teen who feels out of sync, or tired of masking all day, social life can feel exhausting. Maybe they aren’t sure how to join in, ways to prolong the fun, and how to make and keep friends. Maybe you’re a parent lying awake, wondering, “Will this ever get easier?”
At our four Child and Family Art Therapy Centers around Philadelphia, PA, our neurodiversity support & social skills groups are built on strength-based, neurodiversity-affirming care. We support neurodivergent kids with autism, ADHD, and learning differences, and we equip caregivers and professionals with real tools that work.
Things your child may be struggling with:
- Feeling left out, rejected, or unsure how to make and keep friends
- Not knowing the “unwritten rules” of social life (and getting corrected for it)
- Big feelings that spill over as meltdowns, shutdowns, or avoidance
- Worry or social anxiety around friends, groups, school, or activities
- Behavior struggles, or “getting in trouble,” frequently even when they’re trying
Things you may be struggling with:
- Worrying, “Will this ever get easier?” or, “Will my child be okay?”
- Feeling unsure how to help your child cope and recover after hard moments
- Wanting realistic tools to plan for friendships and social events, not more confusing advice
- Feeling tired, stretched thin, and scared of doing the wrong thing
- Wishing you had a compass for what help to choose and what to expect next
Your child is not defined by their struggles. Their brain is wired differently. That’s the whole story.
Our job is to help you understand it, work with them, and watch them shine.
Introducing the Art of Friendship Social-Coping Program
25 Years of Trusted Social Skills Expertise
The social skills work at Child and Family Art Therapy Center is built on a foundation most Philadelphia families already know and trust: the Art of Friendship Social-Coping Program, created by founder Mike Fogel and recognized as one of the most established neurodiversity-affirming social skills programs in the region.
For more than 25 years, the Art of Friendship has helped neurodivergent children, teens, and adults build the social awareness and skills they need. The program does not try to change who they are. Instead, it makes the unwritten rules visible, makes the practice feel safe, and makes the progress feel real.
The Art of Friendship website is your home base for everything group-related: current openings, group schedules, program details, and the Admission Request Form.
Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups Philadelphia, PA
What Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups Can Do
You and your child deserve a place that appreciates abilities and helps you crack the social code, for fun and for success.
In the neurotypical social world, so much is unwritten. That can create painful cycles at any age: social miscues, negative feedback, anxiety, masking, avoidance, and big feelings that show up as meltdowns, shutdowns, burnout, or pulling away.
At Child and Family Art Therapy Center, we support neurodivergent children, teens, and adults ages 3–103.
In our neurodiversity-affirming therapy and social skills groups, we slow things down and make hidden rules visible. We use our original Social-Coping Curriculum, CBT-inspired coping tools, compassionate social coaching, and practical self-regulation strategies. We also provide parent consultation, caregiver support, and professional training so growth carries into home, school, work, and community life.
Why Choose the Art of Friendship Social-Coping Program?
We have been providing social skills groups and individual therapy for neurodivergent individuals with autism, ADHD, and learning differences since 2000. As regional leaders in neurodiversity-affirming care, we thoughtfully match peer groups and tailor individual therapy so every person can grow at their own pace.
This is not a short-term seminar or a one-size-fits-all solution. Our ongoing format allows for gradual, authentic development without pressure to perform or mask. Participants experience a genuine sense of acceptance and belonging, and many form lasting friendships with fellow group members that carry well beyond the therapy room.
Over time, things begin to click. You will find yourself or your child moving from “I don’t know the rules” to “I’ve got this,” feeling more comfortable, more confident, and more genuinely connected.
Our Approach
How Our Social Skills Group Admission Process Works
Use the contact form here or go to the Art of Friendship website to see if we have an available group for your child at a convenient location and time. You can get started with an admission request on the Art of Friendship website.
Connect and Clarify
If your application looks like a strong match, you will be invited to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call with the group facilitator. This is your chance to ask questions, share your hopes, and make sure the program and peer group feel right for your child and your family.
Try It On for Size
Your child will attend an individual Orientation and Assessment Session with the facilitator at the group rate of $90. This one-on-one session lets your child experience the group format in a relaxed, low-pressure setting before joining the full group. If everything clicks, they are in! Ready to build real skills, real friendships, and real confidence.
Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups | Philadelphia, PA and its Suburbs
Our Neurodiversity-Affirming & Social Development Programs:
Great groups start with great matching!
Our philosophy is to match you or your child’s needs with an appropriate peer group to maximize success. Groups are based on chronological age and filtered by developmental level, self-regulation ability, degree of support required, gender, and social goals. Here are some programs we offer:
Art of Friendship Social Skills Groups (ages 4–19)
Weekly, year-round social skills groups for children and adolescents, built around our original, proprietary, and fun Art of Friendship Coping Curriculum, created by founder Mike Fogel and famously used at Camp Pegasus. Children learn the unwritten social rules, receive real-time positive reinforcement of helpful social skills and behaviors, and experience compassionate social coaching for miscues and big feelings.
In a group, children practice social skills through:
- Free play and guided hanging-out practice
- Group art-making and construction challenges
- Team-building and ice-breaker activities
- Game play, turn-taking, and flexible thinking practice
- LEGO building and collaborative projects
- Conversation practice, repair skills, and friendly problem-solving
Camp Pegasus (ages 4–8)
Individual Therapy (ages 3–103)
Free Neurodiversity Support Seminars for Parents and Professionals
Mamriah Community Learning Project
A one-of-a-kind neurodiversity-affirming school within a school. Piloted in 2026, Mamriah (the Hebrew word for flying or soaring) makes Jewish Religious School Sunday school accessible and successful for neurodivergent students.
Consultation Services & Professional Development Training
Ready to Find the Right Group for Your Child?
When you are ready, the first step is completing our Social Skills Group Admission Request Form. Our admissions coordinator reviews every application to assess whether we have a group with the right match for your child before scheduling any consultations.
Not sure if there is an opening for your child’s age and location yet? You can also browse current group schedules on the Art of Friendship Social Skills website before you apply.
Free Neurodiversity Support Seminars for Parents and Professionals
Grab a coffee, bring your curiosity, and leave with tools you can use today!
If you’ve been trying everything and still thinking, “There has to be a better way,” you’re in the right place. Led by Mike Fogel, these free sessions support parents, educators, and professionals working with neurodivergent kids with autism, ADHD, and learning differences. Join live or watch the recording later. Either way, you’ll leave feeling more confident!
Child and Family Art Therapy Center | Philadelphia, PA
Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups: FAQs
Can we observe a social skills group session before we sign up?
For HIPAA confidentiality reasons, our social skills groups cannot be observed. Group members deserve to feel safe sharing and practicing skills without outside observers present. Even small changes, like a visitor in the room, can increase anxiety and disrupt the group dynamic, especially for neurodivergent youth.
We completely understand wanting to know what to expect before enrolling. We are happy to walk you through the group structure, our Art of Friendship Social-Coping Curriculum, and what a typical session looks like, so you can feel confident in your decision. When possible, we can also connect you with a current or former parent who is open to sharing their experience.
Reach out anytime. We love informed, thoughtful parents!
What if my child knows someone from school in the group?
This sometimes happens, and in most cases it is absolutely fine. The only exception would be a known bully and victim dynamic. In that case, we would not place those children in the same group, as emotional safety is our top priority.
Often, having classmates in the same group is actually a benefit. Kids practice skills together, build confidence with familiar peers, and apply what they learn in their natural school and social settings. Whether they are already friends or simply acquaintances, shared group experiences often strengthen positive connections.
Confidentiality is always addressed directly with the group. Members agree not to share who attends, which helps create a safe and respectful space for everyone.
Can we attend every other week if that works better for our schedule?
We know family life is busy. However, our social development programs require weekly attendance to be effective for both your child and the group as a whole. You decide how long your child participates, but once enrolled, weekly attendance is expected. Sickness, vacation, and weather cancellations are always understood, of course!
Social learning happens through repetition and real-time coaching. When a child attends every other week, they miss shared lessons, in-the-moment practice, and the group’s evolving shared language. This makes it harder to keep up and to benefit fully.
Consistency also provides the emotional safety that many neurodivergent children genuinely need. Predictable attendance helps everyone feel secure, connected, and ready to engage. Irregular participation can increase anxiety and interfere with social learning for the whole group.
Will I receive feedback about my child’s progress?
Yes, and then some! Parent support and training are built right into our model.
During the final ten minutes of each session, parents are invited into the group room for highlights and a review of that day’s social skill. We teach you how to reinforce the lesson at home. Many parents take photos of the visual tools to keep the lesson alive, or share them with teachers to support carryover at school.
We also offer periodic parent consultation meetings for deeper progress conversations, goal-setting, and updates. Collaboration with parents and schools is a core part of our neurodiversity-affirming care approach, especially if you notice new social challenges your child would love support with. We take requests!
You are not on the sidelines. You are part of the team.
How long do kids stay in the social skills program?
Our social skills groups use an ongoing, relationship-based format rather than a short-term seminar model. Growth happens gradually, and every child’s journey is different.
Some children are immediately captivated by our social lessons and memorable catchphrases, begin practicing right away, and show noticeable improvement within 8 to 12 weeks. Others benefit from more repetition, coaching, reinforcement, and individualized support to help them remember and apply skills at home and at school. Those families stay with us longer, at their own pace and request.
Deciding when your child is ready to complete the program is almost always driven by you, the parent. We stay in close communication through brief check-ins at the end of each session and periodic parent progress meetings. Together, we monitor growth, adjust goals, and plan for what’s next.
When you feel your child has gotten everything they need, we plan a thoughtful graduation goodbye session so your child can say goodbye to their buddies feeling confident, successful, and proud.
Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups | Philadelphia, PA
The Difference Neurodiversity Support & Social Skills Groups Can Make
Over time, you may notice:
- Stronger social skills and conversation skills that feel natural, including at lunch, recess, parties, and everyday moments
- Better executive functioning: planning ahead, following through, and thinking flexibly
- An easier time making and keeping friends, with less social anxiety and more self-trust
- Greater ability to self-advocate, communicate needs, and negotiate with peers
- Improved self-regulation and calming skills, including the ability to recharge social batteries before burnout sets in
- More confidence and success in unstructured social situations that once felt overwhelming
- A genuine sense of belonging and a growing feeling of "I've got this."
This is what we mean by Clinical Love in social development.
We meet neurodivergent individuals exactly where they are, not where the world thinks they “should” be. We respect their wiring, their effort, and the invisible load they’ve been carrying in a fast-paced neurotypical world.
Then we get to work. We make hidden social rules visible. We practice in real time. We use creativity, coaching, and structure to build skills and create a path forward with more confidence, more connection, and more belonging.
Child and Family Art Therapy Center
How To Get Started
When you’re ready to help your child ease social anxiety, engage more confidently, and feel genuinely connected, we’re ready too.
Begin by completing our Social Skills Group Admission Request Form. We carefully review each application to ensure the group you’re considering feels like a strong, supportive match for your child.
Questions? Send Us a Message