Recorded: Running Social Skills Groups that Work

**This course will provide the participant with 1.5 General Learning Type BACB® CEU**

Description of Learning Type CE Event: In this session, Audra Jensen, BCBA and special educator, shares practical strategies for running effective social skills groups in both school and clinical settings. Drawing on her experience as a parent, teacher, clinician, and program director, Audra highlights how to organize groups, choose participants, and design activities that truly build social connection. You’ll walk away with actionable ideas, ready-to-use structures, and insights from research and real-world practice.

• • What You’ll Learn:
    • ✔️ Group Models & Readiness – How to identify when learners are ready for social groups and choose between dyads, intermediate, and advanced groups.
    • ✔️ Planning & Structure – Setting up groups that balance predictability with flexibility, using visuals, literature, and natural reinforcement.
    • ✔️ Data & Fidelity – Collecting meaningful data in group settings and ensuring consistent implementation.
    • ✔️ Family & Team Collaboration – Involving parents, peers, and staff to maximize outcomes.
    • ✔️ Best Practices & Pitfalls – Tips for customizing curriculum, avoiding “one-size-fits-all,” and celebrating small wins.
  • This presentation combines research-backed strategies with real-life stories to provide BCBA^®s, teachers, and therapists with tools they can apply immediately. Whether you’re just beginning to run social groups or refining your practice, this training will help you create more meaningful, engaging, and effective social learning opportunities.Bottom of Form

About the Instructor: Audra Jensen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and special educator with over 25 years of experience supporting learners with autism and developmental disabilities. She has worked as a classroom teacher, clinician, program director, and parent advocate, and is the founder of ABA in School, where she creates resources and training for teachers and BCBA^®s. She is also co-host of the Misfit Behaviorists podcast, alongside another school-based BCBA^® expert. Audra combines professional expertise with personal perspective as a parent of an adult son with autism, bringing both research-based strategies and practical, real-world insight to her work.

Target Audience: BCBA^®, working in clinics or schools, special education teachers, anyone running social skills groups

Learning Objectives for Participants: As a result of this course, participants will be able to …

• Identify: Three Social Group Models
• Determine: Readiness for Groups vs. 1:1 Skill-Building
• Design: a Structured Intermediate Session
• Apply: Best Practices—Books, Visuals, Reinforcement

To earn credit, you will be required to watch all video portions and pass a quiz about it with a score of 80% or higher. You can retake the quiz as many times as needed, but you may not receive exactly the same questions each time.