Social Communication Therapy for Kids in Westlake Village
Help for children who want friends but find the unwritten rules of talking and play hard, from a licensed speech-language pathologist.
During business hours, we return calls within an hour.
- Free 15-minute call
- No referral needed
- No waiting list
- Ages
- Birth to 18
- Where
- Your home, school, a private clinic on request, or telehealth anywhere in California. Our Westlake Village clinic opens December 1, 2026.
- How soon
- No waiting list as of October 2026. Evaluations are scheduled within 3 business days of your free consultation.
Your child talks in full sentences but plays next to other kids, not with them. Or a teacher says your child is bossy, or a loner, and you know that is not the whole story. Social communication, also called pragmatic language, is how a child uses language with other people: taking turns, reading faces and tone, and staying on topic. Social communication therapy helps a child learn those skills and use them with real peers. No diagnosis or referral is needed.
What is social communication?
Social communication is several skills working together. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) groups them into using language in social situations, interacting with others, understanding what others think and feel, and processing language.
- Reading the roomTone, faces, and body language, and the difference between a real invite and a polite one.
- ConversationStarting one, waiting through a turn, staying on topic, and ending it well.
- Changing how you talkTalking to a coach differently than to a little brother, and catching a hint or a joke.
- Fixing a momentNoticing a friend looks hurt, working out why, and having something to say.
Most children who struggle are strong in some of these and weaker in others. Working out which is which is the point of an evaluation, because the help for each looks different.
When these difficulties last, ASHA calls it social communication disorder: ongoing trouble using words and nonverbal communication for social purposes.
What are the signs of social communication difficulties?
It is not shyness, and it is not a love of quiet time. Both are normal. It is a child who clearly wants connection and can't get it to work.
- Near, not withPlays next to other children rather than with them.
- One-sided talkConversations stay on your child's own interest.
- Hard to join inCan't find a way into a group that is already playing.
- Labels at schoolTeachers describe your child as bossy or a loner.
- Misread teasingFriendly teasing feels mean, or the other way around.
- Few real friendshipsEven though your child clearly wants them.
Here is a simple test. Watch your child with a cousin they love, in your own home. A shy child usually talks easily there. A child with a social communication difficulty often still struggles, because comfort was never the obstacle.
Is a social communication difficulty the same as autism?
No. They overlap, but they are not the same. Many autistic children have social communication differences, and many children with social communication differences are not autistic.
We do not diagnose autism or any other condition. A diagnosis comes from a physician or psychologist. We work on the communication skills either way.
Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming. The goal is not to make a child look like everyone else. It is to give them tools they can choose to use with the people they want to connect with. We do not provide behavioral therapy, counseling, or mental health treatment.
How does social communication therapy work?
Skills that only exist in a therapy room are not skills yet. So the work moves from explaining, to rehearsing, to using the skill with real children.
According to ASHA, one-on-one sessions are useful for teaching new skills, and groups are used alongside them to practice those skills with peers.
For a child who can't join a group at recess, that might mean learning three openers and practicing them until they are automatic. Then the skill gets tested with a real peer who doesn't follow a script. Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the service.
A child who is overwhelmed by a loud cafeteria has little attention left for reading faces. When regulation is part of the picture, our occupational therapist works on it in the same practice.
Occupational therapy for handwriting, sensory needs, feeding, and everyday skills.
How can I help my child at home?
Social moments come up many times a day at home, so parents have plenty of chances to coach.
- Say the rule out loud"I'll wait until she finishes her story before I tell mine."
- Plan the playdateAgree on two things to try. Afterward, ask what worked.
- Use the big interestA child who loves trains can learn to ask one question about a friend's interest first.
- Keep it smallTwo children and a shared task, like baking or a puzzle, beats a crowd.
Your plan includes parent coaching, so you learn what to say before and after the moments that matter.
What happens when you start social communication therapy?
It starts with a free 15-minute consultation. If an evaluation is the right next step, it is scheduled within 3 business days. The written report follows within 14 business days, with a treatment plan if therapy is recommended.
Free 15-minute consultation
You talk with a licensed speech-language pathologist about what you are noticing at home and at school. If we don't think an evaluation is needed yet, we will say so.
Evaluation within 3 business days
If an evaluation is the right next step, it is scheduled within 3 business days of your consultation. It looks at how your child communicates with another person, with input from you and often from a teacher. It usually takes 60 to 90 minutes.
Written report and recommendation
Within 14 business days, you get the written evaluation, and a clear treatment plan if therapy is recommended. The plan sets graduation goals: the skills that show a child is ready to finish therapy.
Parent coaching
Your plan includes parent coaching. You learn how to coach social moments at home, before and after playdates.
Sessions
Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the service, and are built around your child's age and goals.
Who would my child work with?
Nita Anavim, M.S., CCC-SLP, leads speech and language therapy at Therapy Clubhouse in Westlake Village. She is a licensed speech-language pathologist and co-founder.
- Degrees
- M.S. and B.S., Communicative Disorders and Sciences, California State University, Northridge
- Certification
- Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- California license
- No. 38532Verify on the state license search (opens in a new tab)
“I want them to leave feeling like they came to play with someone new.”Meet Nita →
How much does social communication therapy cost, and can I use insurance?
Coverage depends on your plan. You can use your insurance through our partner, Village, which handles the billing. Village accepts PPO plans from several major insurers, and TRICARE.
Village also charges its own fee for each visit, in addition to your copay or deductible. Before therapy starts, Village goes over the expected cost with you.
We are waiting to become in network with major insurance companies. Until then, Village is how insurance works with us.
You can also pay privately, and we give you a superbill to send to your plan for possible out-of-network reimbursement. On the free 15-minute call, we check your coverage before you commit to anything.
What else do parents ask about social communication?
Can social skills be taught?
Yes. Turn taking, staying on topic, reading tone, and fixing a misunderstanding are all learnable. Personality does not change and should not need to. What changes is how many tools a child has when they want to connect.
Is a group or one-on-one better?
Each has a job. One-on-one sessions are useful for teaching a new skill. A group is a place to practice it with peers, and it is used alongside one-on-one work, not instead of it.
Why is my child fine with adults but not with other kids?
Adults fill gaps, follow a child's topic, and wait through a long turn. Other children do none of that. So a child can do well with adults and still find other children hard.
Will therapy teach my child to mask who they are?
That is not the goal. We add tools a child can choose to use. If a child is worn out from keeping up an act, the plan needs to change, and we would change it.
What social milestone should a 3-year-old reach?
By age 3, most children talk with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges, and notice other children and join them to play, according to the CDC.
Can social communication therapy happen by telehealth?
Yes. We offer it in your home and by telehealth anywhere in California.
Is the free call the same as an evaluation?
No. The free 15-minute call answers your questions and points you to the right next step. It is not an evaluation. If therapy looks like a fit, the evaluation comes next.
What areas do you serve?
We provide social communication therapy for families in Westlake Village and nearby towns. These include Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Calabasas, Moorpark, and Simi Valley. Telehealth is available anywhere in California.Thousand OaksAgoura HillsOak ParkNewbury ParkCalabasasMoorparkSimi ValleyAll locations
“If you're concerned about your child's development, don't wait. You know your child best.”
About 1 in 6 children aged 3 through 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities. (CDC)
We build every child's plan and goals around one aim: graduating from speech or occupational therapy. That is our goal with every child.
If your child wants friendships and can't quite make them work, that is worth a conversation. Tell us a little more about what you're seeing. Let's talk about it.
Request your free 15-minute consultation
Tell us what you are noticing about your child. A licensed therapist and our team read every message. Within one business day, our team calls to learn what you need and check insurance, then sets up a free call with Nita, Rachel or both. The consultation is free, lasts about 15 minutes, and carries no obligation. There is no waiting list. If you would rather talk now, call (805) 702-3427.
