Member Children

Defining Children Who Will Be Successful At The Meeting House

Our groups are designed to benefit children who have strong skills in most areas but need additional support with social skills and communications development.  The Meeting House provides a fun-filled and safe environment where youngsters can actively participate in a series of recreational after-school classes.
Most of the children who attend our groups are succeeding in inclusion classrooms and special programs or are doing fine in general-education settings but would benefit fromthe small group structure of an after-school program designed and run by specialists who canhelp further socialization and communication skills.  Most of the children will have been involved in individual therapies, such as speech, occupation and social skills.  Activities at The Meeting House are designed to improve their ability to form friendships and build community in a recreational group setting.
Children who are appropriate for the program are those who:

  • Can successfully participate in a group with a teacher-to-student ratio of 1 teacher to 8 children
  • Are ages 6 - 12
  • Need to work on specific social skills in small group setting such as:
    • Improving eye contact (initiating, sustaining and maintaining)
    • Staying on topic in a peer setting
    • Appropriate use of gesture
    • Taking and waiting for turns during games or other activities
    • Learning about non-verbal social cues such as facial expressions and body language
    • Improving their ability to focus and pay attention
    • Need support with the initiation and participating in play or conversation with a peer

These youngsters often:

  • Become overwhelmed or over-stimulated in a larger group setting but have the cognitive skills to be successful in a smaller group.
  • Have difficulty with coping skills and transitioning
  • Have difficulty following directions and attending to activities without support from a grown-up
  • Have learning, language or attention issues

Children who are not appropriate for the program are those who:

  • Require one-on-one support to function in a social situation
  • Have significant medical needs or disabilities that  we cannot accommodate
  • Have significant emotional and behavioral issues that interfere with group activities
  • Have aggressive behavior
  • Display inappropriate physical behavior towards themselves and/or others
  • Are involved in an intense behavioral program that needs follow-through

NOTE:
We will work with parents to try to accommodate children with diverse capabilities.  Please understand that The Meeting House Program Director reserves the right, at all times, to evaluate and determine the appropriateness of each child’s participation in our programson a case by case basis.  We will try to assist parents in finding alternative programs for those children who are not appropriate for The Meeting House.  If you have questions, please contact our intake coordinator, Meghan Corridan (mcorridan@TheMeetinghouseAfterschool.org).