SAIL (Social Activities Improving Language) and PALS (Promoting Adolescent Language & Social Skills) groups meet at the Hearing & Speech Institute both in the summer and year-round when appropriate groupings of children are gathered.  Both groups are designed for children with a diagnosis of high-functioning autism, Asperger’s or language disorders.  SAIL enrolls children ages 51⁄2 - 8 years of age and PALS enrolls children ages 9-12 years..

The group is led by speech-language pathologist Deanne Nelson who has special training and expertise in this field. As part of her training, she has participated in a number of specialized conferences, including the I LAUGH program (Michelle G. Winner), Navigating the Social World (Jeanette McAfee) and Relationship Development (Steven E. Gutstein & Rachelle K. Sheely). Activities in social language groups are based on many of the principles from these and other curricula. 

All parents want their children to make friends and form strong connections with members of their families. Some of the characteristics of autism, Asperger’s and language disorders make it challenging for children with one of these diagnoses to acquire these social skills.  An effective environment in which to learn social skills is a social language group led by an expert in helping pre-adolescents learn specific behaviors that promote appropriate interactions with peers and allow the development of friendships.

Parents seek out social language groups when their children approach – or have arrived at – the age at which children start forming friendships, a step beyond playing with each other.  At this point, around the age of ten, a child’s ability to communicate verbally is key to being included in activities by peers.  The activities presented through the Institute’s SAIL and PALS groups address social language and language development skills that lead to building friendships and better communication with family and members of the community. 

Social language skills practiced during the 1½ hour weekly sessions include:

• Turn taking in conversation and play, including learning how not to dominate a conversation
• Being a good listener
• Attending to and understanding non-verbal language, such as facial expression and body posture
• Being able to ask and answer questions appropriately

Language development focuses on other skills critical to good communication, such as:

• Maintaining the topic
• Selecting topics appropriate to the people present
• Sequencing events
• Developing a wider range of interests and flexibility in topics discussed
• Developing shared interests with peers and increased understanding of shared engagement

The Institute’s social language groups meet once a week during the school year for 11⁄2 hours.

Groups are limited to five members.  At least one volunteer who is a student in the field of speech-language pathology assists Deanne in each group. For more information contact Janet Lambert at or 503-802-5260.

"Preparing your child for a lifetime of communication."