Table 2.
Growing, Learning, and Living With Autism (GoriLLA) Group session sequence and content summary.
| Session | Session title | Session content summary |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Session 1 | Introduction to GoriLLA Group and Structured TEACCHing | Presentation and parent discussion about the purpose of the GoriLLA Group, how groups will be structured, what a parent-assisted intervention means, and the objectives of the group. |
| Introduction to Structured TEACCHing and how environmental structure and visual supports will be used in sessions. | ||
| Parent Session 2 | Introduction to Social Thinking and the Zones of Regulation | Presentation and parent discussion of child social communication and self-regulation characteristics and how the group aims to address those issues. |
| Introduction to The Incredible Flexible You and Zones of Regulation curricula and vocabulary that will be used in the groups. | ||
| Parent–Child Session 1 | Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings | Introductions and purpose of the GoriLLA Group |
| • Introduce “expected and unexpected behaviors” (Kuypers, 2011, pp. 48–53) introduction, sorting expectations for the group using this vocabulary | ||
| • Deep breathing and chair yoga introduction (adapted from Living Words of Wisdom, 2014) | ||
| Introduce “Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 49–70) | ||
| • Read Book 1 with guided lesson plan (pp. 53–56) | ||
| • Song “Where you think a thought” (p. 159) | ||
| • “I’m thinking of” activity (adapted from pp. 56–57) | ||
| • Block building dramatic play activity (pp. 58–59) | ||
| • Social Smarts Booklet (adapted from Winner & Crooke, 2010) | ||
| • Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings review worksheet (adapted from Hendrix et al., 2013) | ||
| Prizes (behavioral reinforcement) | ||
| Parent–Child Session 2 | Self-regulation and Me | Chair yoga and deep breathing |
| Introduction to the Zones of Regulation (Kuypers, 2011, pp. 23–36) | ||
| • Sort emotion face cards onto Zones poster (adapted from pp. 27–36) | ||
| Vocabulary review from previous week (“feed” vocabulary words written on bananas to a gorilla poster) | ||
| • Read book The Way I Feel (Cain, 2005) with lesson based on Kuypers (2011) pp. 82–84 | ||
| • Play Twister with Zones of Regulation questions | ||
| • Make stress balls (fill balloons with rice or flour) | ||
| • Build LEGO creations while parents are coached using paper thought bubbles (visual support for thinking a thought) and pause card (visual support for stopping an activity and finishing it later) | ||
| • Review “Get to Green GoriLLA Plan” (relaxation activity system with visuals that includes chair yoga, progressive relaxation, positive visualization, deep breathing, and stress balls) and practice with parent coaching | ||
| • Introduce “Zones check-in” (adapted from Kuypers, 2011, pp. 99) | ||
| • “Spotlight friend” (show and tell activity with children coached by parents to ask questions about another person’s interest or experience) | ||
| • Prizes | ||
| Parent–Child Session 3a | The Group Plan, Part 1 | Introduce “The Group Plan” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 71–88) |
| • Read Book 2 with guided lesson plan (p. 73–75) | ||
| • Milk Pail Obstacle Course (p. 76) | ||
| • Egg Pass (p. 77) | ||
| • “Our family and the group plan” worksheet with parents adapted from The Group Plan concept | ||
| • The Group Plan review worksheet adapted from Hendrix et al., 2013 materials | ||
| Parent–Child Session 4 | The Group Plan, Part 2 | Review “The Group Plan” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 71–88) |
| • Plant a garden activity (follow the group plan for making tissue paper flowers and coloring in a garden for a group art project) | ||
| • Make trail mix (adapted from p. 78) | ||
| • Play Richard Scarry’s Busytown Game, practice following the group plan | ||
| • Group plan review worksheet (adapted from Hendrix et al., 2013, content) | ||
| • Good thoughts time (positive visualization time using thought bubbles, p. 65) | ||
| Parent–Child Session 5 | Thinking With Your Eyes, Part 1 | Introduce “Thinking With Your Eyes” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 89–107) |
| • Read Book 3 with guided lesson plan (pp. 92–93) | ||
| • Astronaut Dress Up (p. 95) | ||
| • Space Walk (p. 96) | ||
| • Practice following parent’s gaze using arrows as visual supports (adapted from p. 94) | ||
| • Time to Relax book (clinic created visual supports for relaxation strategies) | ||
| Parent–Child Session 6 | Thinking With Your Eyes, Part 2 | Review “Thinking With Your Eyes” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 89–107) |
| • Thinking With Your Eyes high fives (p. 95) | ||
| • Thinking With Your Eyes music activity (p. 95) | ||
| • Introduce SENSE (McAfee, 2002, pp. 102–108) | ||
| • Video modeling (Cox and AFIRM team, 2018) conversations with SENSE | ||
| • SENSE review worksheet (adapted from McAfee, 2002) | ||
| • Time to Relax book | ||
| Parent–Child Session 7 | Body in the Group, Part 1 | Introduce “Body in the Group” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 109–123) |
| • Read Book 4 with guided lesson plan (pp. 111–112) | ||
| • Islands activity (pp. 113–114) | ||
| • Obstacle course (pp. 114–115) | ||
| • Review worksheet based on “Body in the Group” concept | ||
| Parent–Child Session 8 | Body in the Group, Part 2 | Review “Body in the Group” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 109–123) |
| • Read “Personal Space Camp” (Cook, 2007) | ||
| • Music activity (p. 113) | ||
| • Trace and decorate bodies | ||
| • Group walk to practice staying in the group | ||
| • “Report to parents” review worksheet based on Body in the Group concept | ||
| Parent–Child Session 9 | Whole Body Listening | Introduce “Whole Body Listening” (Hendrix et al., 2013, pp. 125–139) |
| • Read Book 5 with guided lesson plan (pp. 127–129) | ||
| • Whole body listening poster activity | ||
| • Zoo adventure (p. 131) | ||
| • Music activity (p. 130) | ||
| • Rhyming fill-in-the-blank worksheet based on Whole Body Listening concept | ||
| • Review worksheet based on Whole Body Listening concept | ||
| Parent–Child Session 10 | Putting It All Together | Review games adapted to include group concepts and vocabulary |
| • Headbanz | ||
| • Jeopardy | ||
| • Bingo | ||
| • True or False hallway “trek” | ||
| Celebration and award ceremony |
a
Starting with Session #3, all sessions begin with snack and arrival worksheet (e.g., word search of group concepts), Get to Green GoriLLA Plan, Zones Check-In, and vocabulary review. All sessions end with Get to Green GoriLLA Plan, Zones Check-In, Spotlight Friend, and Prizes. These activities are described where they are introduced in Sessions 1 and 2 above.