Pyzza Speech Therapy

05/20/2026

50 hours to become a casual friend.
90 hours to call them a friend.
200+ hours to become a close friend.

That’s a lot of freaking hours.

And the study only focused on neurotypical adults.

For neurodivergent kids, teens, and young adults, peer contact hours don’t automatically translate into deeper friendships the way this research assumes.

The hidden rules of conversation, knowing how to start an interaction, sustain it, and navigate the moments when something feels off, those aren’t skills that develop the same way for everyone.

Which means the hours matter, and so does what happens during them.

If you’re an SLP or educator, the Social Skills Blueprint® Handbook for Providers gives you a framework for teaching the conversation skills your students need to actually use during those peer interaction hours.

Comment SSBHANDBOOK and I’ll send you the link!

If you’re a parent, the best thing you can do is make sure your child has the tools to make those hours count. The CONNECT Program is where I teach those tools directly. Enrollment isn’t open right now, but you can get on the waitlist so you’re first to know when it is.

Comment WAITLIST and I’ll send you the link.

05/11/2026

A child can have strong language skills and still struggle to make and keep friends. And it’s one of the most common things I see in my practice.

Kids and teens who fall through the cracks and don’t get the support they truly need because they have the language skills to communicate verbally.

But it’s the skills that happen throughout a conversation that are usually the missing piece to the puzzle:
- knowing how to include others
- picking up on social cues
- and keeping a conversational exchange going with ease

And it’s never too late to work on these skills, because they’ll use them for the rest of their life!

Not sure where to start?

Here’s a resource I’ve made for you depending on where you’re coming from:

Parents: Comment QUIZ and I’ll send you the Conversation Skills Quiz straight to your DMs.

Providers: Comment CHECKLIST and I’ll send you my free informal assessment checklist.

05/06/2026

Bring up any one of these in real life with me and I will not be brief. You’ve been warned.

Social communication is a language skill, and there is a real path forward for kids and teens who struggle with it.

It has nothing to do with personality, it goes deeper than anxiety, and it is absolutely something they can get real support for.

If you’re a parent wondering where to start, my CONNECT program is where kids and teens get real, structured support for exactly this.

Comment WAITLIST below and I’ll send you the details.

If you’re a provider looking for a framework you can actually use, the Social Skills Blueprint® Handbook for Providers was made for you.

Comment SSBHANDBOOK below and I’ll send it your way.

05/01/2026

A dating show just said everything I’ve been trying to say for years about social connection.

If you haven’t watched it, Love on the Spectrum is a dating show following autistic adults as they navigate relationships, dates, and the very human experience of wanting to find connection.

And that’s exactly what gets me every time.

Connection isn’t a neurotypical desire.

Autistic people want friendships, relationships, and meaningful conversation just as much as anyone else.

This show puts that on screen in a way that is honest and genuinely moving.

As an SLP who specializes in social communication, I watch it through a very specific lens.

Every conversation, every date, every moment of “how do I do this?” is a reminder of why conversation skills matter so much.

Feeling equipped in social situations opens doors to friendship, relationships, and a sense of belonging. And that matters for every person, regardless of how they communicate.

If you’re a parent watching your teen struggle to make or keep friends, or a provider supporting students with social communication goals, I really hope you watch this show. And then message me afterwards so we can talk about it 😆

If you’re a parent who wants to support your teen’s conversation skills at home, comment ATHOME and I’ll send you the link to my Conversation Skills for Better Friendships course right to your DMs.

If you’re a provider and you want a practical starting point for your students, comment SSBHANDBOOK and I’ll send you the link to my Social Skills Blueprint® Handbook for Providers.

04/29/2026

Social anxiety and conversation skills gaps can look almost identical from the outside.

Sometimes what looks like social anxiety is actually a conversation skills gap, and those two things need very different kinds of support.

When anxiety is the bigger driver, your child may have some conversation skills but struggle to use them. They’re likely held back by worry about saying the wrong thing, being judged, or not fitting in.

A conversation skills gap looks a little different. Your child may be unsure of how to start a conversation, what to say, or what to do when it’s their turn to talk. The anxiety builds over time, as a result of repeated attempts that don’t go the way they hoped.

What I notice in my practice is that many kids who are struggling socially have never been explicitly taught how conversation actually works. When they get that support, many of them start to feel more equipped, and more willing to try.

If you’ve been wondering which one you’re looking at with your child, my free Conversation Skills Quiz is a good place to start. It takes about 2 minutes and gives you a clearer picture of where your child is, plus tips you can actually use.

Comment QUIZ below and I’ll send you a DM.

04/27/2026

A misconception I hear from providers is holding our students back from real support.

The idea goes something like this: if we teach social skills, we’re imposing neurotypical norms on neurodivergent students. So the neurodiversity-affirming thing to do is step back and stop focusing on social skills altogether.

I get where this comes from. Our field has a history of using social skills intervention in ways that prioritized conformity over connection. That’s worth remembering and a place to start making change from.

But “stop focusing on social skills” isn’t the best approach.

Neurodiversity-affirming support doesn’t mean our students shouldn’t get the support they need around these skills. It just means that we change how we work towards these goals.

Instead of teaching social skills so a student can “fit in” or “pass” as neurotypical, we’re teaching them so they have more options, more language, and more agency in the social situations they actually navigate every day.

There’s a meaningful difference between telling a student “this is how you’re supposed to act so people like you and you fit in” and saying “here’s how this tends to work socially; what do you want to do with that?”

One removes choice. The other expands it.

If you’re an SLP or educator trying to figure out what neurodiversity-affirming social communication support actually looks like in practice, the Social Skills Blueprint® Handbook for Providers supports exactly that.

Comment SSBHANDBOOK below and I’ll send it straight to your DMs!

04/20/2026

Social skills support CAN be neurodiversity-affirming. Here's how to understand the debate, reframe your approach, and feel confident in the work you do. Learn more here:

There’s a moment many SLPs know well. You’re working with a student on a social skills activity, and somewhere in the back of your mind a quiet question surfaces: Am I actually helping this child, or am I just teaching them to mask? If you’ve sat with that question, you’re not alone. It’s ...

12/19/2025

📣 LAST CALL: CONNECT WINTER 2026 ENROLLMENT CLOSES TODAY (12/19)!

If you’ve been thinking, “We really need support with friendships and conversation,” this is your sign. Help your child start the new year with more confidence by securing their spot today.

CONNECT begins January 5th, and the final interview time slots are happening today.

Schedule your interview here: https://pyzzaspeechtherapy.clientsecure.me/request/service

12/18/2025

You’re watching the same heartbreaking pattern play out: awkward moments, missed cues, hurt feelings, and you’re thinking, “How do I actually help?” All you want to do is support your child and give them the tools they’re missing.

That is exactly what we do inside the CONNECT Program at Pyzza Speech Therapy.

CONNECT is my 8 week, in person social skills group for kids and teens where I teach the skills that actually make conversation and friendship feel easier. Your child will learn real tools, get guided practice, and be supported by a licensed SLP and social communication specialist who is UCLA PEERS® certified (that’s me!). In other words, your child is learning from someone specifically trained in communication and social communication.

Here’s what your child gets to learn and practice in CONNECT:
✔️ Starting, joining, maintaining, and ending conversations
✔️ Handling teasing, gossip, and disagreements
✔️ Making plans and having get togethers
✔️ Phone calls, texting, and social media basics

And parents, you won’t be left in the dark. You’ll know what we are working on, every step of the way.

The next round begins January 5th.

Enrollment closes Friday 12/19. If you’ve been considering it, now is the time to apply.

Apply here: https://www.pyzzaspeechtherapy.com/connect-program-learn-more

Wondering if this program is the right fit for your child? Message me and I’ll help you decide!

12/17/2025

Here’s what a lot of parents don’t realize: many “social skills groups” are not always led by someone trained in communication.

And friendship and conversation success relies heavily on communication skills (reading the room, turn-taking, asking/answering questions, repairing misunderstandings, joining in, etc.).

That’s why Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely qualified to lead true social communication groups. We’re specifically trained in:

- Social communication + pragmatic language
- Conversation skills + reciprocal interaction
- Perspective-taking + social problem-solving
- Supporting neurodivergent communication styles (without promoting masking or shame-based expectations)

And for my CONNECT Program, I bring an additional layer of expertise as a social communication specialist and UCLA PEERS®-certified provider, using a clear, evidence-informed framework with real guided practice.
If you’ve been wondering whether a social skills group will actually help your child, this is your sign to look closely at who’s leading it and what’s being taught.

Because you’d never hire an unlicensed professional for your child’s health or learning needs, so it’s worth asking the same question about social communication. 💛

If you’re ready to get your child or teen the social skills support they’ve been needing, CONNECT enrollment closes this Friday, 12/19, and spots are limited.

If you want to join us for January, sign up to get more information here: https://www.pyzzaspeechtherapy.com/connect-program-learn-more

Questions? Send me a message! I’m happy to help you decide if it’s a good fit for your family.