Therapists work closely with parents and understand our child's needs. My child is eager to come and play and enjoys attending PCDA each week. I appreciate the genuine service attitude and caring of the therapist. He loves his and enjoys being around them. This program has benefited my child. I am confident it will benefit others.![]()
Friendships develop as children play together and discover their common interests. Sharing ideas and solving problems together are aspects of social-emotional development essential for peer relationships. PCDA is unique in offering a spectrum of social skills services for children, ages 2-12, who are having difficulty in play, communication, and/or social behavior with peers.
We believe that children develop the capacity for complex social interaction, first, through interactions with parents and other special adults, and later, through social experiences with peers. To address different needs, we offer individual social skills intervention, parent-child groups, and 'peer' social skills groups. A social skills assessment helps us to recommend the best starting place for your child.
A peer group provides opportunities for your child to play, practice and master social skills with up to six peers and two facilitators. We carefully group children with complementary interests, personalities and social-emotional skills. Specific groups are designed to include parents, siblings and/or typical peers.
Our individual social skills program is ideal for children who are not quite ready for a peer group. If your child still needs to develop social skills through interactions with an adult, we work individually with you and your child to address his/her needs, with a gradual transition to a group.
Our expertise in social-emotional development provides the framework for our services. We use play-based, "FloortimeTM" strategies to foster your child's capacity for meaningful relationships with others. We use your child's interests and introduce new experiences to help your child understand and manage his/her own emotions and behavior, develop imaginative and abstract thinking in play, and problem-solve together with others. All of our social skills services are provided at the PCDA office.
Our facilitators are Developmental Interventionists (DIs) and Child Development Specialists. They provide skilled facilitation with you and your child to expand his/her capacity to engage in social interactions and develop meaningful friendships.
Program Specialists - Jennifer Aceves (626) 793-7350 x222 or Denise A Rugg x221
Program Assistant - Felicie Standley x257