“My daughter was “out of control”, she would leave the house when she was angry. Would open the door and make very scary decisions; one day she quickly grabbed her bike and headed towards the highway, other times she would storm off and be angry for the rest of the night. Since she started her sessions with Jaime, she no longer does it. She does get frustrated and angry, but she uses the lessons learned and “cools off”. She no longer leaves the house in an outburst, she goes to her room, takes some time and then comes out to talk to me. She is aware that she is a bit different than her peers, but she understands she has an active role to play when make new friends, her self esteem has increased, she is more confident, makes more eye contact, talks about frustrations, instead of just “reacting”. She likes to point out that it is important to be nice. We like to joke about the “social fake” approach. My daughter reminds us to remember it and be nice. Jaime has been wonderful in our family. We have a long commute to go see her, and we make it, because it works and is worth it. You do have to commit to the work and encourage your child to practice the lessons. The parent sessions are extremely important, because we discuss topics right after the children’s sessions and we are on board and aware of what was discussed.”
— MOTHER OF TWO TEENAGERS
“My son has been increasingly aware of others around him as a direct result of our work with you. Great examples would be getting up from the table when others are still eating (which occurs many times throughout most meals) and more frequently noticing that others are still eating and coming back over to sit with us on his own. He has also started to check in with others about their feelings and articulate his own feelings with a much more descriptive vocabulary: “Mommy, are you frustrated with me?; “I’m feeling content right now”; “That made me feel sad when you ignored me.””
— MOTHER OF TWO YOUNG CHILDREN
“As a parent you always want to the best for your child , sometimes that means taking a step back and letting someone else help them. For us, that person was Jaime Rivetts and social learning. Our daughter began working with Jaime dressed in black and wearing heavy dark make-up, and very much a loner. She was very resistant to any help. Jaime has this ability to hold you accountable for your actions and yourself, which as a parent we take for granted. Our daughter needed to be taught how to throw out the right “bait” as opposed to the wrong messages, i.e. clothing or unfriendly body language. Without social learning and Jaime, she would never come out of her room, or ride the bus to school. I have to say the best thing is that she smiles all the time and is much more happy and for us that’s proof that it’s working.
— PARENT OF A GRADUATE FROM JAIME'S PROGRAMS
“Social learning has been a blessing to our family in many ways. After years of different types of therapy for our son, including play therapy and occupational therapy, we finally found one that made a difference in his everyday life! Jaime Rivetts’ social learning program teaches children who struggle with interpersonal communication how to navigate the nuances of everyday relationships with family and peers! Some kids just need to be taught what others automatically understand, and Jaime knows how to do that!
— PARENT OF A GRADUATE OF JAIME'S PROGRAM
“Let me just say that Jaime is incredible with our kids. She knows how to connect with them, and for that I am immensely grateful. Some of the kids that enroll at our school are struggling with some kind of social/emotional challenge, many times due to abuse or neglect at home. This presents a colossal challenge for staff to help these kids learn how to regulate their nervous system, communicate in healthy and appropriate ways, and still excel in learning. Without a regulated nervous system and effective interpersonal skills, kids struggle to learn in the first place. We need all the extra help we can get in this area! Jaime’s group has provided an amazing support system for our kids struggling with these things. We have a few students that are less mature than others in their grade level, and her group has given them the safety they need to explore new ways to communicating and socializing. I’ve definitely seen growth in these students.
One student in particular who was in Jamie’s group all year seems to trust adults more instead of constantly seeking to be rescued by other students (which is not conducive to a healthy learning environment). The student has experienced far less emotional disregulation than in years past, and when they do become disregulated they are able to engage in the skills they have learned to get through it and then return to class (instead of calling mom to go home for the day). I contribute CRM skills, a more structured learning environment, and Jamie’s group to this student’s progress. I don’t know what I would do without Jaime - what a resource for our kids!
Lastly, she provides helpful insight to me and the staff on what she is seeing our kids struggling with. It takes a village to help these kids and she is a vital member of that village. Jaime and I have collaborated on a couple kids that we have both witnessed struggling in various areas, and it helps to have more than one perspective. I value her observations, opinions, and interventions.”— PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKER
“ I have learned a lot of different things this year that have really helped me during hard times. Well, what I learn every year is a good lesson because when I get into the real world I will remember what I do. Sometimes I have a hard time doing social group but when I remember when I get older that I did this and it’s a good thing. Being in this group has taught me to learn and grow as a person and has helped me in a lot of different ways like talking to a group of friends at school. What to do when you are talking to a person and you don’t like what they are talking about and it’s really helped me a lot. ”
— FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
