We can help!

We’re now offering social skills training in Escondido. Led by behavioral coach Becca Ellis, these small-group sessions are designed specifically for children with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Groups will be arranged by age, with a maximum of 6-8 children per group. We will be meeting one hour per week and will focus on building confidence and making friends through peer interaction and role-playing.

This training is educational in nature and should not be considered therapy.

Upon admission to the group, you’ll be given a Social Skills Questionnaire regarding your child’s strengths and deficits, so that the program can be tailored to meet your child’s specific needs.

Curriculum for Younger Children (Elementary)

• Greetings and goodbyes

• Eye contact

• Being a good sport (taking turns/sharing)

• Interpreting social cues

• Being a good friend

• Building self-esteem

• Reading facial expressions

Curriculum for Older Children (Middle/High School)

• Greetings and goodbyes

• Eye contact

• Interpreting social cues

• Reading facial expressions

• Making/maintaining friendships

• Initiating conversations

• Appropriate vs. inappropriate conversation/comments

• Showing empathy

• Resolving conflict

• Appropriate humor

The first training sessions are scheduled for October. Please contact us for more information.

About Becca

Becca has a younger brother with Asperger’s and is passionate about helping individuals with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism to achieve growth in their independence and relational skills.

She has a B.A. in Psychology from CSUSM and a teaching credential in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Azusa Pacific University, where she’s working toward an M.A. in Special Education. She also implements a day program for a young adult with high-functioning autism and OCD.

Social Skills Training

I’ve teamed with Becca Ellis, a talented behavioral coach, to provide social skills training for children. This training is educational in nature and should not be considered therapy. The first sessions are scheduled for October. Learn about the training.

Individual Therapy

I work with individuals to better understand OCD and how to overcome obsessions and compulsions, how to deal with anxiety symptoms and how to reduce OCD’s impacts on their life. We work together to lay out a unique step-by-step plan using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy to eliminate symptoms of OCD.

Family Therapy

I work with the family to reduce behavior that accommodates and reinforces OCD symptoms in the sufferer and help the family to better support the OCD sufferer as he or she works to reduce and eliminate symptoms.

In-home Behavioral Coaching

Exposure and Response Prevention therapy is a serious commitment that takes time and energy. If you would like expert help in following through with behavioral homework interventions, we can help with in-home behavioral coaching.

About Becca

Becca has a younger brother with Asperger’s and is passionate about helping individuals with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism to achieve growth in their independence and relational skills.

She has a B.A. in Psychology from CSUSM and a teaching credential in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Azusa Pacific University, where she’s working toward an M.A. in Special Education. She also implements a day program for a young adult with high-functioning autism and OCD.

Please contact Lori to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.

Lori L. Riddle-Walker, MA, MFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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Some of the issues that can lead to hoarding include difficulty with information processing, mental health concerns such as symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder and depression as well as problematic thoughts and beliefs.  Treatment includes: 1) taking a look at and challenging any dysfunctional beliefs; 2) skill building; as well as, 3) addressing anxiety related to discarding by slow and graduated exposure to anxiety producing situations.

Getting a handle on hoarding problems generally is a slow process that happens over months and possibly even years.  However with determination, motivation and appropriate support it can be done.

According the conference site, it is “the only national meeting where people from all parts of the OCD Community come together to share knowledge, experience and expertise. The OCD Community is comprised of people with OCD or an OC Spectrum Disorder, their families and friends, and the mental health professionals who treat OCD or are conducting research in this field.”

Learn more about the conference.

My heart melted

Watching you grow was a

Pleasure beyond words

I often wondered why you

Always seemed so worried about

Doing the right thing or telling the truth

Now I know it is because of

OCD that you doubt so much

I wanted to shield you from

The pain the anxiety caused

Put you in a plastic bubble to protect you

Now I know that is the worst thing

I could possibly do I used to be ashamed of not being

Able to protect you

Because I didn’t understand

The battle is yours to fight

I am so proud of your

Hard work and determination

Towards fighting this disease

I realize how special you are

And how brave you have become

You taught me what courage really means

I am honored to be your Mother.

(written by mother of child with OCD)