WELCOME
Our Village, is a 501 (c)(3), non-profit, federally registered charity based in Torrance, CA.
Our mission at Our Village is to help children, teenagers, and young adults who are neurodiverse including autism, adhd, social anxiety and others by providing access to social & emotional wellness support and social skill groups that are evidence-based & offer exceptional quality and better access for families in need.
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OUR VILLAGE was founded in 2015 and its goals are to provide specialized social, emotional and play support to families, and programming and trainings to schools and the community.
We strive to build bridges to connection, empathy, understanding and inclusion for all. And we do so with big fun and a lot of heart! |
To meet our mission mandate, we provide programs that follow research-based behavioral and play methodologies. Our models currently utilized include: The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Teenagers and Young Adults, Sibshops, components of Integrated Play Groups (IPG)© and Peer Mediated Social Skills Group for Children. Our settings range from schools, parks, and clinical settings in the South Bay.
We are proud to share that Our Village is a vendor of Harbor Regional Center and Westside Regional Center for our teen and young adult programs!
Please talk to your Regional Center Service Coordinator for more information and for a referral for our PEERS® groups!
We are proud to share that Our Village is a vendor of Harbor Regional Center and Westside Regional Center for our teen and young adult programs!
Please talk to your Regional Center Service Coordinator for more information and for a referral for our PEERS® groups!
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Thank you so much to Beach Cities Health District for awarding Our Village generous grants to support families in need in the Beach Cities to "play for free" in our "Kid 2 Kid" Social Skills Groups for the past 3 grant cycles, from 2019-2023. We greatly appreciate all your support and all you do for our South Bay community!
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Current Impact
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Current Services |
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PEERS® for Adolescents and Young AdultsScreenings begin in mid-September 2023 for our Fall PEERS Social Skills Groups for Teens (ages 12.5 - 17) and Young Adult (ages 18 - 30) at Our Village!
We offer IN-PERSON small PEERS groups Redondo Beach, CA and in Torrance, CA. All parent/caregiver component of our groups will be offered ONLINE/Virtually to decrease the number of attendees present in our in-person group settings (being mindful of COVID-19 best practices). We offer private pay options and we are Vendored with some Regional Centers! Please contact us today for a FREE screening! PEERS Scholarships are also available in 2022-2024, thanks to VISTAS FOR CHILDREN and their generous grant to Our Village! Email our PEERS Coordinator Francis Garcia at: peers@ourvillageslc.org for a FREE screening today! Elementary Social Skills Group & Play Skills Group Screenings will begin in mid-September 2023 for our Fall "Kid 2 Kid" Play & Social Skills Groups starting in late September/early October 2023.
We will be offering groups IN-Person in Torrance, CA on Saturdays. Email us at: hello@ourvillageslc.org for a FREE screening today! Sibshops for Siblings with a Brother or Sister with any special need
Our next In-Person Sibshop will take place In-Person on Friday, July 21st at a park in Torrance, for kids ages 6-9 years old. Time and location TBD.
Our Village now has 4 Certified Sibshop Providers, ready to help your amazing sibs! This group is for all kids ages 6 - 12, who have a brother or sister with ANY special need! Your child will not want to miss this fun morning just for them! We aim to offer these groups quarterly! We are thrilled to share that Our Village has received a generous Grant from Special Children's League South Bay that will provide scholarships for our wonderful SIBSHOP eligible families to join us for FREE, during our 2023-2024 year. Space is limited so contact us today for your Sibshop application! Email us at: hello@ourvillageslc.org for an application today! PEERS® Enrichment Friendship Activities (PEFA) |
Check out our new PEFA program, (PEERS® Enrichment Friendship Activities) for our PEERS® graduates, on our PROGRAMS tab above. Offering social/rec opportunities in our community to PEERS TEENS 12.5 - 18 years old, through a generous grant from the DDS and facilitated through HRC.
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Stay In Touch
The best way to hear about all our exciting, upcoming Programs and Events is to Subscribe to our Quarterly Newsletter:
Information for You!
Our Village Articles, Videos, Podcasts, and more!
Our Executive Director Monica Fyfe was interviewed for a PODCAST by Jessica Patay, founder of We Are Brave Together! Listen in on this great podcast where Monica covers play & social skills tips for kids including research on JASPER, Teaching Interactions, Integrated Play Groups and more!
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../brave-together/id1511571105 or
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JRGHS4FZvIM8QFcy9MSo2
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../brave-together/id1511571105 or
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JRGHS4FZvIM8QFcy9MSo2
"When and How to share a Diagnosis with your Child or Teen" can be a big decision for families. Check out this article written in partnership with South Bay Families Connected. Here Monica Fyfe shares some great process and reflection items to consider, resources, tips, and interventions to facilitate this ongoing conversation in a developmentally-appropriate, sensory and neurology-informed, strengths based and whole family approach. It was written with adhd and asd in mind, but caregivers can utilize similar principles for other diagnoses as well.
Click on the link below to read our published article entitled, "Social Skills Tips for Parents" discussing one of our favorite group interventions, "Teaching Interactions." Featured in "Inclusive L.A. Parent Newsletter in L.A. Parent Magazine" written by Monica Fyfe- https://www.laparent.com/social-skills-tips
Our Village was featured in "The Beach Reporter" newspaper, in an article entitled, "Redondo Beach nonprofit develops social skills for autistic children."
Our Executive Director, Monica Fyfe, was interviewed by Voyage LA Magazine! Check out this fun, online article, which became a sincere opportunity to give THANKS to the wonderful Board Members, Staff and Volunteers at Our Village! xoxo
Read about the Genesis of Our Village written in a Blog by our friend, Adrian Hall, MFT of One Heart Counseling Center
Visit Our Village's YouTube Channel Link below for great videos and resources for our parents, teachers, clinicians and our entire community!
In partnership with South Bay Families Connected, Monica Fyfe shares 3 videos for families!
Find more great info on the SBFC Special Needs page at: https://www.southbayfamiliesconnected.org/special-needs
Here are: "7 Friendship tips to help Neurotypical students connect and communicate with their Neurodivergent friends!"
Also learn more about the 7 Friendship Tips referenced from the great charity Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society in Canada!
Learn about their Autism Demystification program at: https://www.friend2friendsociety.org/
Find more great info on the SBFC Special Needs page at: https://www.southbayfamiliesconnected.org/special-needs
Here are: "7 Friendship tips to help Neurotypical students connect and communicate with their Neurodivergent friends!"
Also learn more about the 7 Friendship Tips referenced from the great charity Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society in Canada!
Learn about their Autism Demystification program at: https://www.friend2friendsociety.org/
Executive Director, Monica Fyfe shares some tips on her favorite topic, social skills, featuring a cornerstone of our Kid 2 Kid social skills groups: Teaching Interactions!
Monica Fyfe explains how to better understand what your child is communicating with their behavior by looking at the function using the easy to remember acronym of SEAT : (S- Sensory, E- Escape/Avoidance, A- Attention, and T- Tangible).
She also shares some tips on how to support and respond to your child's behavior needs based on Gary Landreth's Play Therapy approach of: ACT (A- Acknowledge the feeling, C- Communicate the limit, and T- Target an alternative).
She also shares some tips on how to support and respond to your child's behavior needs based on Gary Landreth's Play Therapy approach of: ACT (A- Acknowledge the feeling, C- Communicate the limit, and T- Target an alternative).
Pinterest Link for Book Recommendations
Support Our Cause
Our Village provides in-person, virtual and non-contact trainings for the community and professionals! We are also proud to be an Association for Play Therapy, APT Approved Provider Number: 20-614 . We are also a Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BACB Authorized Continuing Education Provider, BACB ACE Provider Number: OP-20-3298.
APT Approved Provider: 20-614
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BACB ACE Provider: OP-20-3298
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