RISE Feelings & Friendships
RISE events are for children ages 8-12 with intellectual and developmental disabilities; no prior group experience necessary. Registration for each event closes the Sunday before the event at 6:00 pm.
RISE is a play- and experience-based, structured program where children explore confidence, friendships, and early independence in a safe and supportive environment. Sessions run 90 minutes. Participation is encouraged, not forced.
This session focuses on recognizing emotions, building empathy, and strengthening social skills in a hands-on and engaging way. Participants will explore feelings through sensory play, read-alouds, and conversation cards, practice expressing emotions using the Rolling for Feelings dice game, and build faces on flannel boards to discuss coping strategies and friendship. Children will create bracelets as visual, take-home reminders of feelings, friendships, or ways to respond to emotions. Guided movement, sensory exploration, and reflection activities support self-regulation, turn-taking, and positive social interactions.
