Group Therapy Sessions
A structured, therapist-led environment where children practise real communication and social skills with real peers — the essential final step in therapy.
3–5
children per group — small enough for individual coaching
1–2
therapists per session for close observation and guided interaction
Research-backed
peer-mediated intervention shows superior generalization vs. 1:1 therapy alone
What is Group Therapy?
Group Therapy at DCCD is a carefully structured programme where small groups of 3–5 children with similar developmental profiles work on social communication, peer interaction, turn-taking, emotional regulation, and cooperative play. It is designed as a bridge between individual therapy and the real world — giving children a supported environment to apply skills they have built one-on-one, with the natural variability and unpredictability of real peer interaction.
Who benefits
- Children who have built foundational skills in individual therapy
- Children with social communication difficulties (autism, pragmatic language disorder)
- Children working on turn-taking, sharing, and cooperative play
- Children preparing for preschool or school entry
- Children with emotional regulation or impulse control challenges
- Children ready to generalise one-on-one skills into social settings
Our approach
Evidence-based methods selected and combined specifically for each child's profile — never a one-size-fits-all programme.
SCERTS Model
Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support — a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for group social communication work.
DIR Floortime Group Extensions
Group activities structured around Floortime principles — following each child's lead while creating shared social experiences and expanding interaction.
Social Thinking® Frameworks
Teaches children to understand and navigate social situations using concrete, visual frameworks appropriate to their developmental level.
Play-Based Peer Learning
Structured play activities designed so children learn communication and social skills from and with each other — the most natural and generalizable form of social learning.
What to expect
Group sessions are 45–60 minutes, run with 3–5 children and 1–2 therapists. Sessions are thematically structured around a social goal (e.g. 'asking for help', 'joining a game', 'reading facial expressions') and use role-play, games, and naturalistic activities. Parents observe the final 10 minutes and receive a brief debrief. Groups are matched by developmental communication profile and social readiness — not age alone.
Book an assessmentRelated conditions
Frequently asked questions
Ready to take the first step?
Our intake assessment gives our clinical team the information needed to build the right Group Therapy plan for your child.