Who we are

We are a group of kids, teens, parents, teachers and neurodiverse adults who believe in the power of theatre and creative play to support the natural development of resilience, self-esteem and concrete social skills for children and teens with unique social, emotional and developmental needs.  Our Executive Director is a Master’s Level Special Education Teacher, with an emphasis in social/emotional development and a BA in Youth Advocacy through the Fine and Performing Arts.  This background has allowed her to create an innovative program that is both ground-breaking and grounded in comprehensive theory and evidence-based practices. 

What we believe

We believe in the power and promise of neurodiversity in our local community and the world.

We believe that neurodiverse children and teen’s unique gifts, perspective and strengths should be cherished, encouraged and respected. 

We also believe in using concrete proven strategies that help prepare neurodiverse children and teens to survive and thrive in a world that is not always designed for them.

Designed for ALL kids

Northwest Social Skills provides theatre and social skills classes with integrated social and emotional skills support as well as concrete skill instruction.

Our classes and camps are designed to be an inclusive environment where both neurodiverse and neurotypical children and teens can thrive.  Our goal is to create an integrated environment where all children are supported at their level regardless of experience or special needs. With our unique multi-age inclusion model it is not uncommon for siblings or friend groups with a variety of needs to participate together. 

Fun AND structure

In our classes and camps, we use fun, well-structured activities to teach theatre and social skills, side-by-side, in a safe, supportive environment. Activities are generally focused on improvisation, drama, imagination and creative play for younger students. Older students will enjoy improvisation, theatre games, skits, comedy and spoken word. In our Academy classes we also incorporate games, crafts and art projects.