Services & Programs
Social Learning and Speech Therapy
Building Connection, Fostering Communication
Communication and social challenges can make it hard for people to make friends and socialize with peers. Speech and language difficulties can affect learning and daily life. Everyone with these challenges can benefit from expert support. By teaching effective social learning and communication strategies using a neurodiversity affirming model, our team of social learning experts, autism specialists, speech therapists, and special educators helps learners of all ages engage more fully with the world.
We work closely with individuals who have a wide range of social-emotional learning needs, including people on the autism spectrum and those with nonverbal learning disability, ADHD, and mental health challenges.
Social-Emotional Learning
Through direct teaching, coaching, and practice, our social learning experts help individuals learn the fundamental building blocks of social success. In one-on-one sessions customized to each student’s unique learning needs, we teach the skills that help people thrive in their daily lives: managing their emotions, taking on challenging tasks, developing friendships, working with others, improving self-regulation, making responsible decisions, and communicating more effectively.
Social Thinking® Sessions and Groups
In our Social Thinking sessions, we help clients understand the thinking behind words and actions. Students gain a better grasp of the social world around them and learn how to adapt to meet their own social goals. We also offer Social Thinking groups, formed by age and similar social learning profile. Groups are led by instructors trained to coach students with various social challenges, such as autism spectrum disorders, nonverbal learning disability, attention deficit disorder, and mental health challenges.
Helping People Relate to Others and Engage More Fully with the World
We help students of all ages learn how to gain perspective, communicate more effectively, and build and maintain positive relationships.
Perspective Taking
Perspective taking requires us to adapt our thoughts, actions, and words to consider other people. We help students understand their own perspective so they can better comprehend the motivations and intentions of others.
Communication
Social communication is how and why we use language to interact with others. Our experts help learners build their social communication skills, making it easier to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs.
Self-Regulation
We help students regulate, control, and monitor their own learning so they can approach school, work, and life with more focus and success. Students learn how to set goals, reflect on tasks, and evaluate their own achievements.
Speech Therapy
Our certified speech language pathologists provide comprehensive evaluations and individualized interventions for people experiencing language, speech, and swallowing challenges. They assess, diagnose, and treat language disorders, speech articulation issues, comprehension difficulties or delays, stuttering challenges, speech impairments caused by injury or stroke, dysphasia, and voice disorders. They also work with people who use augmentative and alternative communication tools.
Explore our summer social learning programs!
The Stern Center Difference
Highly Trained Teachers
Our dedicated and caring teachers are skilled specialists with advanced credentials and years of extensive training.
Proven
Approaches
We use evidence-based, multisensory approaches that give students that, “Wow, I get this!” feeling in every lesson.
Powerful
Outcomes
Since 1983, the Stern Center has been helping people reach their goals through life-changing learning.
Tailored to your Needs
We customize our services to the person we’re supporting, and provide effective teaching, coaching, and practice.
What Learners Have to Say
Our Reach by the Numbers
1,800+
Teachers Served This Year
When a teacher takes one of our courses, the positive impact ripples beyond one life, spreading through an entire classroom, school, and community.
Our Reach by the Numbers
10,901+
Student Services Hours This Year
We offer one-on-one teaching that transforms lives, lifts up voices, and inspires learners to bring forth their unique gifts to a world that awaits them.
Our Reach by the Numbers
415+
Schools Served This Year
We celebrate the dedication of our school partners and share their commitment to a brighter future for all learners.
Our Reach by the Numbers
39
States and Counting
We’re a national leader in language and literacy. Our impact currently extends across 39 states and several countries through the thousands of educators we reach and students we serve.
Meet Our Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a payment plan?
We’ll provide you with a contract and invoice which can be paid in full by our deadline or managed through a payment plan that spreads the cost of services over several months.
Are there other sources of financial assistance?
There are other sources that may assist with the financing of Stern Center Services. These include your school or school district, employer, Hireability Vermont, VSAC, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, health insurance provider, and others. Please note, we are not an insurance provider and do not bill insurance.
Do you accept insurance?
While we are not an insurance provider and do not bill insurance, we encourage you to contact your insurance provider to see if your plan covers specific services, such as psychoeducational evaluations, speech and language assessments, and speech therapy provided by a non-network, non-insurance billing provider. Please note that learning services like instruction aren’t typically covered by insurance. If you learn from your insurer that coverage is an option, we will provide you with appropriate documentation for you to submit to your insurance carrier.
How do I apply for financial assistance?
Contact us to register for services and let us know you are interested in applying for financial assistance. We’ll ask you to complete a short application, which our team will review to determine the amount of financial assistance we can offer. After reviewing your application, we’ll notify you of our decision within a few days and apply your award directly as a scholarship discount.
What methods and approaches are used by your clinicians?
Our clinicians design individual programs for each client and may incorporate customized options from the following:
- The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech®
- The Talkies Program®
- Social Thinking®
- The Zones of Regulation ®
- The Incredible Five-Point Scale
- Activities, Games, and Lessons for Social Learning: A Practical Guide
- Motor Learning Guided Treatment
- The ALERT® Program
- Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)
- Lidcombe Program for Fluency Shaping
- Enhanced Milieu Teaching
Do you offer services during the summer?
Yes, we offer social-emotional learning opportunities for children and teens, including social learning summer sessions, Camp Compass for ages 6–12, and the Teambuilding Institute for Teens. Please visit our Social Learning Summer Programs section for more information.
Does the instructor collaborate with school or college personnel?
The success of our students is essential to us, and to better understand your needs, collaborating with other professionals is often helpful. The instruction team will collaborate with a student’s school teacher(s) with a parent’s/guardian’s permission.
How do I register for Social Learning and Communication Services?
Please contact our Social Learning and Communication department by emailing social@sterncenter.org, calling 802-276-8563, or by completing the contact form. It is important for us to learn more about you and what your needs are before we begin.
When can I begin Social Learning services?
Social Thinking® Groups and Speech and Language Therapy services are offered year-round, and you can begin anytime. In addition, during the summer months, we offer unique opportunities for children and teens and invite you to visit our Summer Learning Opportunities section for more information.
Do you offer individualized speech therapy and Social Thinking® groups off-site?
Yes, we can tailor our services to meet clients’ needs.
What is the frequency and length of your social-learning sessions?
For most students in grades K-12, we offer after-school sessions to accommodate their school schedules. However, students and adults can meet during the day and evening hours. Most students meet once per week for an hour.
Does the Stern Center offer financial assistance?
Yes. Through the generosity of individuals, organizations, and foundations, we can award need-based scholarships and provide additional assistance. Awards are based on income and the number of people in your family. Depending on family eligibility, costs may be reduced by 20–70%. Please review our Financial Assistance page and let us know if you want to apply for financial assistance when you register for services.
What does the cost of Social Learning and Communication services include?
- 50 minutes of intervention
- 10 minutes of communication with client or families to generalize the session and provide strategies when appropriate
- Progress reporting
- A year-end report that provides progress summary and recommendations
Do I (or my child) need an evaluation to start social learning services?
You don’t need an evaluation to start social learning services. Our team will examine your strengths and challenges and tailor treatment to meet your needs. To learn more about evaluations and testing at the Stern Center, visit our Evaluations page, email evaluation@sterncenter.org, or call 802-276-8681.
Additional Support
Evaluations
We help people understand how they learn so they can overcome challenges and move forward academically, professionally, and socially.
Tutoring Services
We offer expert instruction and intervention in reading, writing, math, and more in one-to-one sessions tailored to a learner’s needs.
Autism Services
Specialized social learning support for children, teens, and adults with autism. Our dedicated and caring teachers make learning easier.
Keep Learning
Academic Calendar
View the Stern Center’s academic calendar. See openings and closings at a glance, including holidays and make-up days.
Summer Learning
Supercharge your child’s learning this summer. Get expert help with reading, writing, math, and more.
News and Resources
Keep learning and stay in the know with news and resources from our Stern Center experts.
Get in Touch!
For questions about social learning, Social Thinking® groups, speech therapy, and summer social learning programs, including Camp Compass and the Team Building Institute, email social@sterncenter.org, call 802-276-8681, or fill out the form below. You can also register for services here.
