School Year Teens 09-10 - Session 4

Hi Parents,

Judging by the group's demeanor tonight, Jingle Bells and Hanukah Harry are in full force. Lots of good cheer among the teens. We started the night off reviewing the LUNCH Points program so they can help you if needed. Spent a little time viewing some YouTube animations and discussing how they are likely made.

Since it's the holidays, we went for a special meal at Tony Roma's. They had ribs, burgers, pasta, and spent a lot of time interacting with one another. I tried to impress upon them the continuing importance of actually acknowledging and paying attention to the wait staff, when they ask questions or bring food.... some success.

One problem arose that we weren't fully aware of, even though it happened right under our noses. One teen took food from another's plate and the second teen wound up scratching the first. Ironically, I sat right next to the teen who was scratched and asked why he was bleeding, but didn't receive an answer. However I did encourage him to gently wash the affected areas. We will address this in January to insure they respect boundaries to avoid this kind of occurrence in the future. Stay tuned!

Sophie made her first appearance of the year and was resoundingly received by nearly all. In comparing her visit with the kids last night to the teen's reaction tonight, the teens were more excited, which was unexpected.

Lots of "Hero" tickets were distributed as we prepare for our first raffle next meeting, at the same time as the parent meeting on January 7th (Thursday) at 6pm. We'll be having two raffles that night. A "blue ticket" raffle, where everyone has an opportunity to win a prize and our "hero ticket" raffle, where 1/2 the group members win. The LUNCH Points certificates will earn them last minute additional tickets good toward participation in each raffle.

If you have any questions about how the group is running, the January meeting is an excellent time to pose them. Also, we have one last piece of technology to roll out: invitations to the closed Parent Network. This is a place where all parents from both groups can share information and resources.

If you celebrate Hanukah or Christmas, here's a little old fashioned humor

Download:

FLVMP43GP

Download:

FLVMP43GP

Have a wonderful rest of 2009. Looking forward to a continued successful and enjoyable 2010 with your kids.

Bruce

School Year Teens 09-10 - Session 3

Hi, Parents:

Tonight, we had everyone there; quite an accomplishment. Congratulations for pulling it off. As far as the group itself, it was an interesting and enjoyable night for pretty much everyone, I think. The group settled in quickly. Two of the group members (the two “C’s”) decided that they would hold session #2 of their “talk show.” They went around an asked group members what they had done since Thanksgiving. We then turned the tables on the two “C’s” once we went into the large group. The people who had offered information were asked to raise their hands, and each of the “C’s” had to guess what they remembered of what the other teen had said. It went off pretty well and appeared to be pretty good-natured. Also, we learned that seven other group members would also like to be “talk show hosts.” So, kind of an impromptu activity, but one that the majority of them seemed to enjoy.

Some of the kids had just a little bit of trouble settling in, either complaining a bit more than the others (“E”) or asking an excessive number of questions (“J” and “G”). But, within a short period of time, all of them had settled in and appeared to be enjoying themselves. After updating the kids about the upcoming LUNCH points program, which will begin on Monday, they went around, and each added different behaviors that they wanted to be able to work on outside of group. This was impressive, in that this was probably the greatest number of additional behaviors that I have every seen in a group session. Whether it is due to how I run things or the members themselves, I haven’t a clue, but it was impressive to watch. So, you will be seeing that as part of the LUNCH points program; where, if your behavior report matches what they said they wanted to do, there will be some bonus points for them.

Finally, we talked about the kinds of projects we would do, and it was fairly evenly divided. About half of the group liked doing the technology, and the other half of the group wanted to do something else. So, since we have four adults plus myself, we are going to divide in half, and next session that is exactly what we plan to do. Some of the group will be playing games, and other members of the group will be doing some technology. The in-office portion of the group ended with me teaching them how to do something called an animated “jist.” It is a simple online way for them to create a single picture that can do very simple animation.

Then it was time to go off to Uncle Chen’s. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. They certainly ate enough! I talked to them about really working on manners while they were there, and, by and large, the group really showed some nice manners. Since they didn’t have sodas at the group (except for one), we ended the evening with ice cream Drumsticks from Gelsons, and they had a chance to hang out just a little more before parents arrived.

So, that wraps it up. A good evening overall. Look for the online LUNCH points tutorials, located under “current families.” Please contact us if you have any questions. -- Bruce

School Year Teens 09-10 - Session 2

Hi, Parents:

Tonight went surprisingly smoothly. We had a total of thirteen teenagers. Two were absent, and we currently have one opening. The combination of alumni members dominating the group, with fewer new members actually seems to be working quite nicely because it facilitates conversations among all group members. The alumni members are acting “true to form,” where they are asking questions and being inviting to the other members.

The group came in, and one of the group members, (“E”) expressly stated that she did not want to go to Numero Uno, which, unfortunately and coincidentally is where we had already made reservations. This was difficult for her to manage, but, after a short period of time talking with one of the counselors, she was able to come back in and demonstrate some positive coping strategies for being able to manage that, and earn hero tickets along the way. (For any parent who doesn’t know what a hero ticket is: that is when you do something that is low probability or difficult for you.) Other group members tried to help the single member who was not wanting to go to Numero Uno. They offered suggestions, some helpful and some less helpful, but the positive intent was there.

The group then moved on to reviewing their nicknames, and one group member who had been coming up with more violent or negative nicknames (“C”) felt that he was perhaps being singled out or that it was unfair that other people were getting to choose names that were similar to the one that wasn’t considered acceptable for him. It was positive that he was able to then choose a name that the group felt wouldn’t be excessively violent or socially offensive. After reviewing their names, some members of the group added additional behaviors which will be shown at the parent meeting in the first week of December, and then they narrated each of their own profiles and what they planned to work on.

We left at about 5:35 to go to dinner, and did eat at Numero Uno. Everyone seemed to have a pretty relaxed time. Some group members worked a little bit more on manners, some worked on conversations, and some worked on not being excessively silly or provocative. Overall, however, it was a pretty tame and uneventful meeting, and they seemed to have a good time. Two group members who had previously been a little more shy in the beginning of the group showed dramatic improvement with how conversational they became. (“D” and “J”)

In any case, it was a good night, and we look forward to seeing you for the December meetings with a parent meeting for dinner in the first week in December. -- Bruce

School Year Teens 09-10 - Session 1

Hi, Parents:

Tonight we had twelve adolescents of the fourteen who have signed up show up. We will be hunting down the other two; plus we are planning to fill the two remaining spaces from our waiting list. You would simply never know that tonight was a first night. The teens were organized, and they conversed with one another. Probably the worst thing that happened was a bit of excessive talking, and if that is the worse thing that happens with a group of teenagers, things are going pretty well.

The evening went as follows: We started off at Gelson’s, and we did a snack. They were able to bring snack into the group, and eat just a little light thing. We got a bag of chips; they had a small amount of chocolate milk, and some of them had apples. The purpose of it was simply to kind of make it a little more casual. Once they began in the office, I had some of the alumni members explain how the raffles worked, with the red and blue tickets. The teens learned everyone else’s name very quickly. The majority of the group tonight were alumni members, so that made it very easy for them. We only had one new member tonight, and he assimilated into the group quite easily and was conversing with the other teenagers as well. After they completed some of the initial checking in, they looked at a couple of animations off of youtube, made suggestions for other things we might watch. They then did a Powerpoint where, as per usual, they selected their nicknames, something that they wanted to earn and something they were interested in working on. Again, the level of organization for a first time meeting was simply superior.

After they finished that, it was approximately 5:40, and we headed off to Chipotle for dinner. They had a little trouble with their “pleases” and “thank you’s,” they took a little too long ordering, and there were “gaps in the line,” which means that somebody is taking too long to make their decisions, but these are all things that we’ll be working on over the coming sessions. They sat together and immediately began conversing with one another. Kids who typically sat next to each other sat with other kids, and it was very pleasant to watch. Very little intervention occurred during this time. Overall, they finished up about seven minutes before it was time to head back, and walked over, paying attention to pedestrian safety, and waited quietly. The majority of families picked up their kids right on time, and we are hopeful that by next time everyone will pick up their kids on time. All in all, it was a calm, pleasant evening, and they got along well.

Looking forward to next time, which will be a week from this Tuesday on November 17^th. Also, there is a parent teleconference scheduled for next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. A link will be sent to you by the end of the day Friday to sign up for that. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact us at lunchgroups@gmail.com. -- Bruce

Summer Session 09 - 12

Today was our final day of the summer group team sessions. We just barely finished everything in time! The day started off by by going over the LUNCH point certificates, awarding blue tickets, and having a brief discussion about swearing and other socially unacceptable forms of communication in public.

Next, we viewed approximately 350 photographs which have been selected from the more than 1000 photos that have been taken since the teens began the summer program. each participant was able to select up to seven photographs and we had a few that the entire group wanted, which did not count towards their total allotment. this activity involved more than just selecting photos. They commented on the activities that they did, each others' behavior, and laughed at some of the photos that the kids had posed for. Sometimes a few or several participants wanted the same photo, which was just fine. On the technological side, I had a MacBook laptop hooked up to our 47 inch television monitor and made adjustments and enhancements to the photos as we went along. We had two apps Dash printers churning out the photos and then passed them out.

Following this activity, it was time to head off to Uncle Chen's restaurant for lunch. They had a private room reserved for us and most of the time was spent with the kids interacting with one another. Once took a little bit longer than expected and we arrived back to the office at about 1:15 PM.

It's always a bittersweet moment on the last day. The summer programs are nothing short of "intensive" and it's highly rewarding to see changes occur during this brief span of weeks. At the same time, "Generalization" is the name of the game. How will families take what they've learned and make use of it in other settings? That's always the trickiest, most important aspect of this, or any, treatment program.

In any case, it's been a pleasure having your Teens during the summer. Some, I will see again, for others, this is "good bye" and "good luck." -- Bruce

Summer Session 09 - 10

Hi parents,

Well, it looks like we're getting down to the wire. Just two sessions left. Today your kids were simply great we had a quick blue ticket raffle in the office and then headed off to catch the bus at about 10:45 AM. Our appointment for laser tag back at ultrasound was for 11:15 AM and we made it in plenty of time. The kids had a great time playing laser tag and played a total of two games again. They really seem to get into both the competition and come lottery associated with playing laser tag. I hear that some of the kids have been getting together outside of group and playing.

Afterwards we went on to Hamburger Hamlet where we had a 12:30 PM reservation. They were impressively well behaved and we received compliments from the wait staff. We caught the 1:45 PM bus back to the office, making it back just in time for the end of group. I know this is a short note, that things are going well, and smoothly, and there's not much else to report for today.

BG

Summer Session 09 - 6

We are just over the halfway point for the teen group summer session. Today, we went to Los Encinos State Park and had a tour with the Park Interpreter, Jennifer. I'm pleased to say that, three years ago, when she began, we were her very first tour and have returned several times since, both during the school year and subsequent summer sessions.

It's about a half-mile walk from the office to the park, so we try and arrange things as early in the morning as possible. The plan for the day was: walk to the park, take a tour, feed the ducks and geese, throw the frisbee, come back and shop for our barbecue, simultaneously holding hero ticket raffle and conduct , any parent meeting, call it a day. And fortunately, that's just what occurred.

Taking a tour at Los Encinos, as with all of our community activities, has multiple purposes. In part, it's the equivalent of taking the kids on a field trip as might occur at school or on a family outing. But there's a little bit more to it. The adobe structure that we tour is not air-conditioned, not everyone finds the historical information fascinating or engaging, and they are in somewhat close quarters and have to keep moving along just as one would on a museum tour. So, we're looking for them to "hold it together" regardless of their level of interest. The kids did really well. They were respectful, and whether or not they were interested they made no obvious comments or displayed behaviors that suggests that such. One child became excessively exuberant at the close when Jennifer and announced that the tour had concluded. Since this wasn't an opportunity where we could use positive practice, (having him practice the tour ending a second time), instead I approached him and explained the problem with his behavior, then asked them to approach Jennifer to apologize (who, of course, had no idea why he was apologizing to her, but graciously accepted).

After the tour had concluded, Jennifer provided me with bags of duck food for the kids to feed the animals. I had them team up in pairs and share the food. All but two of them participated. One teen who tends to avoid engaging with his peers, and mostly approaches the adults, was saying apart from the group and talking with two of the counselors. When I observed us, I said nothing to him but told the counselors that I needed to speak to them about something, effectively removing them from him. Interestingly, he then got up and went over to her other kids were feeding the ducks and stood near them. My feeling is that you cannot always prompt conversation, but having a child standing near others puts them in proximity where they may overhear something that piques their interest. That was the case here, because within a couple of minutes this male teen was having a conversation with two of the other teens.

We walked back to the office to spend a brief period for going out before going on to Gelsons for our barbecue. It was interesting to note that none of the teams lag behind, no needed prompting to keep up with the group, and most of them were talking with one another, about 75%. Once we arrived at the office I explained how our barbecue would work and asked them what they wanted. Steak, hot dogs, and ribs were at the top of the list. I asked them to form "teens." There was a "Chip team," "Deli team," and "Drink team." This seemed to be pretty organized. The reason for breaking them up into teams is to provide another opportunity to foster communication between them and for the teens to have to remember what their peers wanted to order.

I allowed the counselors to go ahead and followed a few minutes later. When I arrived, I was informed that all of the kids had decided to join the "Drink team." Interesting. I told them that was fine, it just meant we would not beginning any chips or deli items, since there was no one to pick them out. Immediately after I said that, they decided to revert back to their original team choices. For say, the group lucked out today. Gelsons had rib eye steaks on sale, normally $22 a pound, but today $9 a pound. Since families ask, we usually buy a high-quality brand of hot dogs, today I happen to select Nathan's kosher style beef franks. the ribs come from the deli so I don't have to worry about cooking them to proper doneness and we typically only by beef ribs, not pork.

Everything went pretty smoothly, and our two carts of food arrived at the checkout counter, at which point I sent the kids outdoors and then had alumni members act as "go-betweens," ferrying bags of food and water out to the others so everybody could carry something back. Meanwhile, I selected an alumni member and a new member to join me to set up the chairs and tables.

It always helps to plan and prepare. I asked how many kids wanted hot dogs, and nine raise their hands. So, just to be safe I purchased 24. There were four left at the end of the meal.

I went in for the parent meeting and the kids finished up their meal and then held a hero ticket raffle. We had six families show up for the meeting and mostly talked about how to manage oppositional behaviors and clarified certain issues on the LUNCH Points program. One important change to the program is that, in order to earn blue tickets, the kids now have to match the behavior that they say they wish to work on with the behavior of parent rewards them for. If there is not a match, they still can have time on the Wii and they can still participate in the intermittent LUNCH Points raffles. It's just part of the process to make them more aware of what they're working on. Parents continue to worry that they are the ones responsible for remembering to send the certificate and offered to fax them or bring them by. This is not a parent responsibility but rather your child's responsibility, just like it would be for them to remember their homework assignment or something else that was important to them.

So, that wraps up today's session.

Summer Session 09 - 5

CityWalk Today!

Today was a community outing. We caught the 750 Express bus by walking down to Woodley to Universal, then hopped the tram up to CityWalk, arriving around 11:15am. All of your kids were given $15 to spend, with the caveat that they had to check purchases with the counselors. For many, the first purchase when they exited the bus was a bottle of water (drinking fountains are apparently unacceptable).

They are a really well-behaved group, so that allows us to focus on problem-solving, conversations with others, and quick decision-making. Some of the kids have a habit of saying "I need...." as though that is the same as making a request. Initially, we treated as though they did, in fact, make a request. But now we've upped the ante. When they make a request in that manner, we let them know "I need" tells us they have a problem, but doesn't solve it. They pretty quickly figure out that, to have their need met, they need to ask.... politely, wait for a response, make eye contact, make sure they didn't interrupt, etc. For a simple interaction, it produces quite a bit of positive behavior.

Another area we've been focusing on has to do with sensory reactions. I realize that some of your teens state that they are bothered by loud noises, many people are. But, after observing them carefully, I've come to the conclusion that all of them who make such complaints are highly specific in the kinds of noises they (over)react to. Hunching shoulders, hands flying up to their ears, grimaces, even screams, only seem to occur at certain times. For example, we have walked from the office to Gelsons or nearby restaurants when loud noises have occurred... no reaction. Other times, Sophie barking in the office for example (fortunately rare) produces a mixed reaction. Watching movies or working on technology in the office... almost never produces a reaction. So, we've intervened in the following manner. 1) We explain that we understand noises can be bothersome, but ask that they react in a less extreme and obvious way; 2) We explain that we never want them to tolerate a noise, such as a passing siren, that is truly painful or bothersome. But, we suggest they cup their ears in a more casual manner, avoid hunching shoulders, not scream or shout in reaction, and just let the experience pass. 3) We have started reward their lessened/non-reactions with blue and hero tickets.

I'm pleased to say that all of the kids who display such sensitivity (about 4 in group) have shown improvements during our sessions. So, if you have observed your child engaging in this type of behavior, perhaps give one of these strategies a try and let me know how it works.

Back to CityWalk. After some shopping, we had lunch at a pizza place next to the movie theatres. Worked very smoothly. The part I enjoy seeing the most is when they just "hang out" looking like... teenagers, talking to each other.

Back to the tram, down the hill, a run for the bus (yes, I led all of them in the wrong direction... oops). Back to Woodley, back to the office, a little time on LUNCH Points playing video games, and... that ended a pretty full day.

Summer Session 09 - 4

Coming soon

Summer Session 09 - 3

Today was laser tag! We started off in the office and worked just to talk a bit and review what would occur. The original plan had been to head off to laser tag in Sherman Oaks then have lunch at Hamburger Hamlet. As it turned out, they preferred In N' Out nearby, so we had one laser tag game, went to lunch, then returned for a second game. It all went extremely smoothly and they appeared to have good time. Going to laser tag represent a highly stimulating experience for some and can be a bit frightening for others. None of the kids had a significant challenge and no one seemed bothered by the noises, dark environment, or flashing lights.

Lunch went smoothly. Juggling orders for 14 teens would seem a challenge, but the group cooperated so well together that it went very smoothly. In the early sessions, I had the counselor interspersed with the kids. But now, they sit on the side or at the end and just "rabbit punch prompt" as needed. This form of prompting (my term for it) means they go over, facilitate the opportunity for a desired behavior to occur, then get out of the way. Same for reinforcement, which is typically social praise or in the form of a ticket (we just tell them and check it off on our clipboard when we're out of the office.)

The bus ride to and from went smoothly as well. Nearly all of the kids were socializing and, even though a couple had never ridden a public bus before and expressed some trepidation, no problems arose. The wait for the bus on the way back (came right away on the way there) was considerably, perhaps 20 minutes, and some of the teens showed more signs of impatience, which addressed with them. Upon returning to the office, there was just enough time for them to get water and head out for the pickup.

Definitely a busy, hectic, fun day!

Bruce

Summer Session 09 - 2

The teens are incredibly well behaved, for the most part, and this is allowing us to target a number of behaviors more successfully, mostly having to do with executive functioning and communciation. Typically Positive Practice is the method we use. This is where we have them "back up the the tape" of what they just did and demonstrate the behavior in a more positive way. We also make use of both the "blue tickets" and "hero tickets." Blue tickets are given whenever a child exhibits a positive behavior that we want to see occur more often. Hero tickets are given for behaviors that require more motivation and effort.

As for group today, it was certainly a bit hectic, but there was quite a bit going on. We started off by shopping at Gelsons for frozen fruit to make our own smoothies (I purchased a high powered blender to do the job). Practically all of them them tried it and they generally gave it a "thumbs up" (frozen strawberries, mango, apple juice, and little orange sherbet). Lunch slightly delayed to coincide with the parent meeting from 1:15pm-2:15pm. The teens worked on first project, which came about when one of them seemingly asked a question, but proceeded to give unneeded advice without waiting for someone to answer his question. You can view the project (7/9/09) by clicking here.

During the parent meeting, we mostly covered what strategies parents need to employ to support the program and plan for generalization of gains. Major areas included: types of consequences used, an explanation of how to prompt and remind kids, use of social rather than tangible reinforcement, and avoiding any "promises for being good in group." We also reviewed the LUNCH Points program, which is our home/community behavior generalization system and this will go live over the weekend.

While the parents met, the teens were outside with four counselors (Rina provided backup) eating what they had purchased at Gelsons then came inside for more activities.

There will be a parent dinner for both groups next Tuesday and another parent meeting, just for the Teens' Group in two weeks. Consult the calendar. Teleconferences have not presently been scheduled, but if you wish to review how to use the web site or need assistance with other technology, email us and I will set one up.

Next Tuesday we'll be going for laser tag. Have a great weekend!

Summer Session 09 - 1

Hi Parents,

The Teen Group started off extremely smoothly. Your kids, both new and returning, acted as though they knew exactly what to do. We started off the session by explaining how the program works, letting our Alumni members do much of the explaining. They progressed to choosing nicknames and discussing what they wanted to earn. We talked about where we would each, and the group decided upon Chinese for today, so it was off to Uncle Chen's around 11:45am. It was impressive to see many kids, who had never met one another prior to today, engaging in conversations.

Upon returning from lunch, we talked about the kinds of "big" projects we might do and they each identified behaviors they wanted to change. I am constantly amazed how your children can present one way during the interview (sometimes more inhibited, even oppositional) and yet, when they spend extended time around their peers, slowly more spontaneous social and conversational behaviors emerge.

The day ended uneventfully (that's a good thing!) and every seemed to enjoy themselves.

11th Session

Hi parents,

Tonight's group went extremely smoothly. One of the group members decided she wanted to go to Maria's and was asked to "convince" the rest of the group. She did and that's where we went tonight. The beginning of the group was mostly good-natured conversation, followed by two technology projects. The first involved a "redo" of a "radio style" narrated cartoon strip the group had made. We wound up doing several "re-takes" due to intermittent sounds from group members who were seated, capped off by a perfect take that was unfortunately "punctuated" by the sound of a flushing toilet from the restroom in the office. As it turned out, the repeated practice only helped the group members.

The second project involved group members making quick decisions about avatars and "video masks" and making a 30 second statement or joke. Everyone seemed to enjoy the process, I think partially because it moved along quickly, flowing, from one participant to the next.

Around 5:30pm we headed to Maria's for dinner. What a great table! It was a large oval that just fit everyone in attendance. Some of the group members recalled they had good calamari, so a couple of orders of appetizers were made. Another member wanted to get fries, but in keeping with our "who are you going to share with?" he couldn't find anyone else, so we skipped that one. Some ordered their own entrees and others shared pizza. There was flowing conversation and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Part-way through the meal, I elected to have a conversation with group members about things that they might say to others that are impulsive and tend to be hurtful. When I asked how many lost their temper and say things they regret, about one-half of the group members raised their hands. We discussed how it makes others feel to hear such statements and what alternatives might exist. We will be adding a "took a break and calmed down" behavior to all of the LUNCH Points behavior lists which will be linked to an extra "Hero Ticket." There will be a second "Hero Ticket" if a group member can "keep their cool" for an entire week. As usual, they need to print out the acknowledgment certificate and bring it to the following session.

No problems throughout tonight and announcements, including maps and instructions were handed to families and they picked up their children for our next activity. We're going to the mall, possibly doing a "make your own pizza," and the group members will each receive $20 to go shoppping, with certain rules attached. Remember, this month there is no parent meeting in the office. It will be via tele-meeting. Details to follow.

8th Session/Parent Meeting

Hi Families,

Nice evening! Your kids continued to show improvement in their behavior. We started off with a new group member and it was really nice to see that one of your children immediately began conversing with him in the waiting room to help break the ice (earning that child, "J," a blue ticket). Four of the members had LUNCH Point certificates, although one forgot his, leaving three to participate in the LUNCH Point Raffle. We gave away a Phase 10 handheld game.

During the session, use of avatars was demonstrated and we reviewed how to do video recordings (looking directly at the camera, modulating voice volume, speaking smoothly). The kids were given an assignment to look at what avatars they wish to be click here to view and also to think of a joke they wish to be filmed saying.

The evening ended with them going off to Gelsons Market for an outdoor picnic-style dinner while parents I met. We had about 75% of families show up, which was a nice attendance turn-out. I showed a little video footage of events in the group and we had a general discussion, covering a broad range of topics including:

• Excessive Internet Use (mentioned Net Nanny and Safe Eyes), plus behavioral strategies for managing this type of problem
• Telephone skills (planning to do some role modelings and rehearsal in an upcoming group)
• How to talk to girls (group will likely view a video and we can use that as a point of discussion)
• Transition Programs (I will provide more information in an upcoming email)
• Kids compartmentalizing other LUNCH Group members, not having much contact outside of group. (Plan is that parents will sugget this to their children who will hopefully bring it up as an area to address in group and it will be added to LUNCH Points.)

The next parent meeting will occur in February and will be a combined parent dinner for both adolescent and kids group parents. Last December's meeting went over well and you will receive advance notice and an opportunity to RSVP.

Thanks!

Bruce

7th Session/Office Meeting

Overall, tonight was a pretty typical, thoroughly enjoyable, meeting. The teens spent the first 10 minutes in the office "just socializing." It was interesting to listen to them, generally, from the other room. The noise level started off loud, but not too loud as they were broken into naturally formed dyads and triads. Then after about five minutes, the noise level subsided and just as I walked in, it was more of a "murmur."

We discussed holiday breaks and who did what. This is one of those times when working on free-flowing conversations, attentional skills, summarizing, and staying on target come into play. They did well. Interestingly, it was notable during last month's laser tag/Hamburger Hamlet outing, where they really acted as a cohesive group of teens. Whereas before the two counselors and I would "fan out" among them, now we mostly leave them along during meal time because it goes so smoothly and they appear to be enjoying themselves.

Back to tonight. Only three group members had LUNCH Points Certificates with them (one forget his) and one chose not to play Wii. We let the two who had them choose who else they wanted to play. Also, I announced that we are installing the Wii Fit and that generated more excitement than I anticipated.

The rest of the members (7 of them) came into the large group room and we reviewed and updated the behaviors they wished to focus on outside of group. They helped one another a great deal and only one member (a female) did not wish to add any new behaviors. After about 20 minutes, the members who had been playing theWii came in and joined the others. The transition was seamless and well-orchestrated. Those who had not already updated their LUNCH Points behaviors did so at this point.

A couple of parents had written me, commenting that they hoped I could address anger and social anxiety problems occurring outside of group. Two of the group members targeted behaviors that related to being more outgoing and assertive and a several wanted to work on controlling angry responses. I gave a brief (maybe not so brief) didactic on social anxiety and how it works, encouraging practice even through it can feel uncomfortable. We'll see what happens, but at least one member began showing more assertiveness, which earned him Hero Raffle Tickets (the red ones) for his behavior.

In fact, we held our first Hero Ticket Raffle tonight, giving away four $15 prizes (they had the regular "blue ticket" raffle last session). One member was disappointed that she had zero tickets, but I spoke with her and explained what she needed to do to obtain them. We will hold another, most likely in early March.

Dinner occurred at Gelsons market and went extremely smoothly. Everyone found something to eat and a few kids found their way over to the cheese samples as well. To watch them distribute the food (yes, I have it on video and will show it at the upcoming parent meeting or make it available via a secure link) then sit down and socialize was very rewarding to observe.

A few families came late due to a terrible traffic accident on the 101 that had a ripple effect throughout the city. One parent reached me through my emergency line, another used our customer service support option. Just as a reminder, to reach me, dial the office, then press "1" and "1" a second time. Or you can call in and press "3" for our 24 live operator service (they forward an immediate email). In any case, all ended uneventfully and it looked as though they enjoyedthemselves.

A couple of final pieces. Rina will be sending out an email and a survey to figure out the best schedule for March and April. I have several conferences during those months and we have one short period where the schedule may be irregular. We'll send out a survey to find out what you would like to do.

Next meeting will be a Parent Meeting in the office, from 6pm - 7pm. Check the schedule

I hope everyone had a good New Year. See you next time.

Bruce