Friendship Builders
Pediatric Speech Therapy & Social Skills Groups in Orange County
Building social skills, confidence, and lasting friendships, while also offering expert speech and language therapy to support communication development.
Why Choose Friendship Builders?
Social Struggles are Common
At Friendship Builders in the Orange County area including Newport Beach and Irvine, we provide supportive, structured therapy designed to help children and teens build the communication and social skills they need to form friendships and thrive at school, at home, and in their community. We strive to create a warm, welcoming, and relaxed environment where every child feels safe, comfortable, and accepted.
If you are searching for social skills groups or specialized speech therapy in the Orange County area including Newport Beach and Irvine, finding the right environment for your child or teen is the first step toward stronger communication, flexibility, social awareness, and self-confidence.
Whether your child or teen is having difficulty making friends, joining conversations, or navigating peer dynamics, our expert speech therapist is here to help. Strong communication is the foundation of strong friendships.
When children learn to express themselves clearly, listen, and pick up on social cues, connecting with peers becomes easier and more natural. With the right guidance, these essential skills can be learned, opening the door to confident communication and meaningful, lasting friendships.
Who Can Benefit?
School-Aged Children and teens who…
Have difficulty making or keeping friends
Struggle to start or keep a conversation going
Have trouble reading social cues and “reading the room”
Feel shy, anxious, or insecure in social situations
Experience frequent conflict with siblings
Have Level 1 autism, ADHD, language delays, or communication challenges
Struggle with reciprocal conversation
Social Skills Groups
Our social skills cohorts are led by a licensed speech language pathologist and kept small, with up to 5 children per group, so every participant gets individual attention. Clients are paired by social emotional and developmental skill level to create a comfortable, supportive setting. Parents receive regular updates with strategies to use at home, so progress generalizes and transfers across environments, contexts, and people.
Discover how building social communication skills, confidence, and meaningful friendships can make a lasting difference in a child’s life. Growing social skills through play, connection, and friendship by using best practices and efficacious therapy.
Genuine Fun, Progress and Friendships
The Friendship Builders Difference
Our groups are led by a licensed and board-certified speech and language pathologist who is trained in the following evidence-based programs to guide every session.
Floortime (DIR): For younger children, we draw on Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s Floortime model, which uses play and the child’s own interests to build engagement, emotional connection, and social awareness.
PEERS® (UCLA): For teens, we use the PEERS program developed at UCLA, a structured approach that teaches the specific steps of making and keeping friends.
Pragmatic Language Therapy: Because social success depends on communication, our speech therapists target the “hidden rules” of conversation, such as when to join in, how to stay on topic, and how to respond when a peer says something unexpected.
Real Peer Practice: Small groups give children and teens a safe place to try new skills with peers in the moment, with a therapist there to coach and support them.
School Aged Groups
Improve good sportsmanship, play skills, cooperation, and positive peer interactions through games, guided activities, and hands on practice.
Initiating and joining into play, sharing materials, and engaging in pretend and group play.
Cooperate and take turns by waiting, following group rules, and working toward a shared goal.
Improving impulse control, frustration tolerance, emotional regulation, and social anxiety.
Start and maintain friendships by greeting peers, inviting others to play, and showing interest in what friends enjoy.
Recognize feelings by identifying emotions in themselves and others through facial expressions and tone of voice.
Handle frustration and conflict by staying calm, using words to solve problems, and being flexible when plans change.
Teen Groups
Read the room by noticing tone, body language, and group dynamics, then adjusting how they respond.
Take another’s perspective by considering what others might think or feel, helping them handle disagreements and build stronger connections.
Hold reciprocal conversations by asking follow up questions, sharing the floor, and keeping a conversation going naturally.
Solve real-life social problems by working through real situations they face at school and with friends.
Advocate for themselves by expressing their needs and opinions clearly and respectfully.
These skills build confidence that carries into the classroom and beyond.
Friendships made with music and motion
What Parents are Saying About Friendship Builders
“Social skills as been incredibly rewarding because….”
“We had high confidence in Ms. Molly”
“It wasn’t just the therapy…it was the trust and connection with Ms. Molly”
“Friendship Builders made the social skills groups personalized.”
Let’s Get Started
