Make something
Build, cook, design, create, solve.
Small-group social development · Boston
Being with people takes practice.
Some children struggle to connect with peers despite daily interaction. Social Pod provides real-world practice with guided support.
Exposure is not the same as practice
More time around kids isn’t always the answer.
Being around other children and successfully navigating them are different things. Social Pod creates a smaller setting where those moments can be supported, practiced, and gradually handled with less adult help.
Everyday situation
→Child watches but does not join.
Inside the Pod
→Facilitator provides just enough support.
Growing independence
Child begins to enter without adult arrangement.
Not a class about social skills.
A place to use them.
They learn by
Joining a game.
Losing.
Negotiating.
Getting interrupted.
Trying again.
Making someone laugh.
Working something out.
We create these moments deliberately, then step back as children become ready to do more themselves.
The Process
Individual support.
Thoughtful matching.
Individual support comes before joining a Pod.
Before joining a Social Pod, each child receives one-to-one applied behavior analysis (ABA) services led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). During these sessions, we assess group readiness and consider communication, interests, independence, flexibility, regulation, and how each child’s strengths and support needs fit with the whole Pod.
Inside a Pod
Real social situations, on purpose.
Activities provide the setting. The useful work happens between children.
Play something
Games bring turns, choices, wins, losses, and negotiation.
Do something together
Shared projects ask children to communicate, adapt, and rely on one another.
Navigate what happens
Disagreements, missed cues, and changes of plan become the practice.
Skilled facilitation
The useful moments aren’t always the easy ones.
Someone changes the rules. A child gets left out. A joke doesn’t land. Those moments are often why we are there.
Facilitators notice, support, and then fade as children take over.
Notice→Support→Fade
BCBA program direction
Facilitation, staff training, matching, and observation are designed under the direction of Lauren, BCBA.
Social PodM
Pod Progress
Maya · Week 6
Practice areaJoining peer activities independently
Starting pointWaits for an adult to help initiate.
Now · Week 6Often enters with little or no support.
Outside the Pod · Parent check-in
“She joined two children at the playground without asking me to go with her.”
Next focusStaying engaged after joining.
Progress beyond the Pod
You should be able to see whether this is helping.
Pod Notes show what a child is practicing, how much support they need, and what families are seeing at school, on the playground, and elsewhere.
Every eight weeks, we ask: is this carrying over?
We compare what we see in the Pod with what families see in everyday life, then decide what comes next.
If we are not seeing meaningful benefit, families should know that too.For children who are already around other kids — and still find being with them hard.
Parents often tell us
“He wants friends. He just doesn’t know how to get into the group.”
“He’s in school all day. More exposure isn’t the problem.”
Social Pod may be a fit when a child
- can participate safely in a small group
- would benefit from supported peer practice
- does not require continuous one-to-one support
Individual ABA services come first. We assess group readiness before matching children for a Pod.
Find the right support for your child.
Share your interest
Tell us about your child. Our team will reach out to discuss support and next steps.
Begin individual ABA
Each child receives one-to-one ABA services led by a BCBA before joining a Pod.
Assess readiness and match
During individual sessions, we assess readiness and consider strengths, support needs, and group dynamics.
Join when ready
When a suitable Pod is available and your child is ready, we plan the next step together.
Share your interest and our team will reach out to discuss support and next steps.
For pediatricians, SLPs, OTs, psychologists & educators
Individual ABA first.
Peer practice when ready.
Each child begins with individual ABA services led by a BCBA. We assess group readiness during those sessions, then consider a suitable Social Pod for guided practice with peers.
Questions.
How does Social Pod relate to ABA?+
At Ellery Behavioral, each child receives individual ABA services led by a BCBA before joining a Social Pod. During individual sessions, we assess readiness for guided practice with peers and consider which group may be a suitable fit.
How do I know whether my child is eligible?+
Start by sharing your interest. Our team will discuss your child’s needs, eligibility for individual ABA services, and next steps. Pod participation follows individual services and a group-readiness assessment.
How are children matched?+
During individual ABA sessions, we consider group readiness, communication, interests, independence, flexibility, regulation, and how each child’s strengths and support needs fit with the group.
What if my child needs one-to-one support?+
Individual ABA services led by a BCBA are the first step for each child. Share your child’s support needs with us so we can discuss appropriate next steps and assess readiness before considering a Pod.
Boston Founding Pods · Now forming
The right group can change what gets practiced.
Share your interest and our team will reach out to discuss your child’s needs and next steps. Individual ABA services come before Pod participation.
Online intake is temporarily paused