Testimonials 

"We've been really pleased with my son's progress in both his language and play skills. I never imagined he would be playing the way he does now with Ms. Noriko when we first started working with her. In addition to being incredibly observant and creative, what I really appreciate about her program is the detailed feedback we receive after each session. She explains her plan and strategy, how my son responded, and the improvements he made. I can definitely see why parents online speak so highly of her, and I strongly recommend working with her!"
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching 

"I reached out to Noriko in May (2024), after being referred by a parent group and quickly began parent coaching sessions. By June, my daughter was also participating in individual coaching and group sessions. Noriko quickly built rapport with my 15 year old daughter, which is not so easy to do. Positive changes were able to happen in a very short period of time because she was trusted, provided the right tools, was always encouraging, and positively reinforced her behavior when she got things right. My daughter looks forward to all her sessions which are creatively put together to build different skills. Noriko is a true pro and our family appreciates her so much. Where other providers have struggled with social curve balls, Noriko reports back with how she already handled it. We know we are in good hands and on our way to social success."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching

"Noriko has been such a valuable resource to me as a preschool director.  For over 10 years, she has been the first person who I think to reach out to when I see children and/or parents struggling to manage challenging behaviors or when I need additional guidance and support from an educational perspective.  Her calm demeanor makes everyone feel at ease.  I can say without exaggeration that Noriko's practical, individualized, and easy to apply strategies have changed the lives of many children and families."
-Pre-School Center Director
-At-school social skills coaching sessions for her students

"My son has been going to SCLC(Noriko) for longer than he can remember. But I remember vividly, bringing my 5 year old boy to this loving and caring environment to help him process and make sense of the world. My son has had group experiences, individual coaching, and virtual sessions. It is so hard to describe how comprehensive and complete his time at SCLC has been and how much it has shaped him. He started as a kindergartener who struggled in the classroom and now roams the hallways of his high school comfortable in the space. He communicates his frustration with statements. Long gone are his days of outbursts and melt downs. He still sees the world in his unique perspective, but responds to his family with sensitivity, awareness and the kindness he always possessed but could not always bring to the surface. I believe with my entire heart and soul that SCLC(Noriko) has helped shaped my son into the fully expressed and loving young man that he has become."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching

"Our work at SCLC(Noriko) was instrumental in getting our family thru a divorce.  The work that we did with SCLC(Noriko) allowed us to make the changes necessary under difficult conditions to allow our child to get thru high school and launch into being an adult.  We could not have done it with out SCLC(Noriko)!"
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching

"Noriko helped us through a very difficult period, shortly after the pandemic.  We were struggling to help our son manage his emotions while we ourselves worked through financial and marriage stresses.  Noriko's advice was a game changer.  Our son went from being one of the "more difficult" kiddos to being one of the "more emotionally mature" kids in his class. Noriko's advice took into account our son's personality and was delivered in a calm, non-judgmental way.  I am so grateful for Noriko.  We could not have gotten through that tough period without her and I am very happy to be on the other side."
-Parent coaching

"We found Noriko during a very difficult transition from private to public education. Our 7th grader continues to need help understanding the social world around him and how to navigate it. He started with individual coaching and progressed to group coaching. Noriko has provided a safe space for him to navigate his individual challenges and to grow, and we are so grateful that we found her. As a teenager, he is starting to assert his preferences with regard to various therapies we schedule for him. While he would love to discontinue some of them, he never wants to miss a session with Noriko."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching 

"My son started with group coaching at SCLC because of difficulty relating to and engaging with his peers in 5th grade. SCLC helped him learn how to listen and how to ask questions and allowed him to practice these skills in a fun, non-threatening environment. After a break of several years, my son returned for more coaching sessions to help him with the challenges of high school in the socially distanced world of the pandemic. As a parent, I also received invaluable coaching about how to communicate with my adolescent child."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching 

"Our child has been participating in a social group at SCLC(Noriko) for at least 2 years. It has made a significant difference for our child. When we first started, they were extremely shy, socially anxious, and unsure of their surroundings and environment.  They have become more social, less anxious in social settings, able to work in groups with peers, communicate appropriately, and self-advocate. Noriko is fantastic. She is empathic and is really understanding of neurodivergent children's needs. She is able to meet them where they are and still hold them accountable so that they are appropriately challenged, grow, and ultimately thrive. The play-based environment she sets up is great. The kids look forward to their sessions, the games, and the rewards."
-Group social skills coaching

"Our son was having behavioral issues in preschool and we were referred to Noriko by our school’s director. Noriko came and observed our child at school several times and suggested that we consult with our pediatrician about our kid’s impulse control. We received an ADHD diagnosis shortly after. Together with our pediatrician and Noriko’s coaching we continued our journey with parent coaching and at-school coaching sessions. We came up with a plan that focused on positive behavior reinforncement and small attainable goals. Our child received tools that he could use at school and at home through Noriko’s coaching. She also communicated with the teachers and attended parent/teacher conferences so everyone was aligned. We saw a dramatic improvement over the year and our kid is now thriving - he enjoys school, does well in the classroom, and has strong friendships with his peers. What was once an overwhelming and stressful experience became managable and calm (for teachers, parents and child). Noriko’s compassionate coaching changed our lives. I cannot recommend her services enough."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching
-At school social skills coaching/support

"Noriko provided an enormous help to our child and to our family, at a time when we were very much struggling to understand the dynamics involved. Her insight, patience and kindness were such a relief, and were so helpful for our child in their journey to discover how to make friends and be social."
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching

"We have been working with Noriko for more than 5 years. Initially, we enrolled our son (then 7yo, with ADHD combined type) in a social skills group with Noriko. In this group of 4-5 similarly aged boys, our son worked on being flexible, compromising, sharing and coping with his poor irritation tolerance. Noriko helped him gain perspective on how his tone and behavior were interpreted by peers, and offered him a safe environment for practicing new skills. When COVID shut us down, we pivoted to virtual coaching sessions with mom and son. These were really effective at helping keep the lines of communication open as we worked through distance learning, parent/child communication and expectation setting, and family/sibling conflict. Noriko helped us agree on expectations, rewards and consequences at home so that we could limit debate and negotiation, and in this way, save our energy. We eventually pivoted again to just parent coaching, and we continued these weekly sessions for several years. Noriko was a lifeline as we worked through the progression of our son's maladaptive behaviors, struggles with peers and teachers at school, and power struggles at home. Noriko offered me very practical suggestions for behavioral modification or changes in our family system that would better support our son with ADHD and reduce conflict at home. This included coming for home visits so that she could observe the environment and system and help identify areas for change/improvement. When I was overwhelmed, Noriko offered small modifications that felt manageable until I had more resilience to take on bigger changes. She supported and educated through the lens of working with our family's strengths and never by judging our deficiencies. Sometimes, knowing my appointment with Noriko was approaching was the only thing that kept me going through a week of conflict with my son. Noriko advocated for me and for our family at our neighborhood school, with the school district and in IEP meetings. Our third child was eventually diagnosed with ADHD, and we recently enrolled her in group with Noriko. Noriko's support helps keep us afloat and forward focused as we raise multiple neuro-diverse children. The continuity of care we have with Noriko and assorted other clinicians caring for our kids leads us to feel that we have the support of an expert team with lots of context on our family and children who are working together to achieve the best possible outcomes." 
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching 
-In-home coaching 

"Our daughter began social group sessions in 2nd grade (currently in 8th grade) and they have made such a difference in helping her to navigate, what to her was, the very confusing and complicated social world. The sessions gave her a space to talk through difficult interactions and social dynamics and validated her individual experiences and reactions. We utilized 1-on-1 sessions for both our daughter and for us as her parents. Noriko has consistently provided a much needed perspective that helped us understand situations better, and to give practical, useful tools for working through issues. I would not hesitate to refer anyone to her - we are so lucky to have Noriko and SCLC services in our Davis community. I am forever grateful we found her." 
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching 

"Noriko has been working with our son for over 2 years in weekly group sessions.  She is thoughtful about establishing an optimal group dynamic.  She has been available and invested in our son's participation in the social skills group but also in his experiences outside of this, particularly at school and in summer camps, fostering partnerships and offering helpful advice to others who interact with our child.  She brings a unique perspective and has even helped us to understand our son better over this time.  She provides feedback from the sessions and maintains a collaborative relationship with parents.  We highly recommend Noriko/SCLC!"
-Group social skills coaching

"Noriko has helped our son during critical times in his social development. First when he was in elementary school and later as he navigated high school and early adulthood. Noriko's skill and compassion is unparalleled and we're so happy to have her as a key member of our family's team!"
-Individual social skills coaching
-Group social skills coaching
-Parent coaching 
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"When my child began, he would frequently make statements, then hope and wait for a reply with peers and family. One of the best skills he's learned through social skills coaching at SCLC(Noriko) has been to ask questions, then look at others' faces and body language for clues and to hear what the answer is. His social skills have improved vastly over the last year, and he now has a self-arranged neighborhood playdate almost every day of the week."   
--Mother of 7 year old, 1 year of social skills coaching-Graduated

"When I realized that my son needed help with extreme shyness I wasn't sure where we could find the specified attention he required.  The group setting at SCLC(Noriko) is exactly what my son needed to work on his skills.  I am grateful for the level of individualized coaching administered during each group session.  I love the personalized plan and measurable goals.  I also really appreciate the feedback report after each session so that I can monitor his progress.  My son began making noticeable progress after his very first session.  I found the social coach/teacher meeting to be very productive, as did his teacher.  We are delighted by his achievements thus far and feel very fortunate to have found SCLC as a partner in this journey."  
--Mother of 5 year old, 7 months of social skills coaching

"Our son, age 9, attended SCLC(Noriko) for 12 months and made remarkable growth in his social skills, flexibility and interactions with others.  He also learned how to negotiate in tough social situaitons, and control many of his impulses, which has helped him so much on the playground at school.  His self esteem has risen so much since participating in the social skills coaching, and he is a much happier and more confident boy now.  We are so grateful for the support of SCLC and the affect we have seen on our son.  Oh, and another thing....He LOVED going to the play groups for social coaching so much that he did not even realize he was learning these most valuable life skills. Thank you SCLC!" 
--Parents of 9 year old, 12 months of social skills coaching-Graduated

"Our son used to go to "one-on-one" therapy and he didn't like it and at the end, it did not work. Since the first meeting he liked the place, Noriko, and he keeps looking forward for "Wednesdays", since he really enjoyed what he calls:playgroup. We noticed he started to apply the strategies that he learned at SCLC; and at home and at school he is getting better. Thanks.  
--Mother of 7 year old, 4 months of social skills coaching

"We so appreciate the help we have been given from SCLC(Noriko). My son calls the people there his mentors. They have helped us through a very emotional and challenging transition from high school to junior college. They care very much for all of the children that come there and work very hard to make the groups they participate in be ones that will help develop the skills they need out in the world. We most recently finished doing COGMED and have been very impressed with subtle changes in our son. We have often said that he is so close to getting it (social skills), but so far at the same time. This has helped him get several steps further on that journey." 
--Mother of 18 year old, social skills coaching and Cogmed training 

"I love the leaders and the other kids to exercise with. It is also fun to interact and be part of a group that can cooperate and have the desire to be friends. The activities we do from board games to Cogmed are also fun and inviting. Overall, SCLC(Noriko) is a place where change and interaction for special needs kids are fun and enjoyable, just like being with a family." 
--18 year old male client of social skills coaching and Cogmed training

"When our son first started with this program, he was an uncomfortable observer. There were a few behaviors he would go to, to assist him in social situations, but those behaviors alienated him as they appear awkward to his peers (Seemed to get lost in writing numbers, talking about planets). He was on the periphery at play-grounds, challenged to relate to other children though expressed interest in wanting to. His rigidity, extreme desire for predictability and repetition seemed to turn other children away. During his time in this program, he gained tools to manage social situations. Ultimately, he gained success and confidence with being a participant in the world around him. He grew comfortable in his own skin, through opportunity provided at the center, scripts, being coached on paying attention to those around him and interpreting their non-verbal and verbal cues. Now, he is fine with last minute changes in routine, and is much more willing to try new things. He is fully included in his first grade classroom and is very happy and at ease with peers. Perspective taking and social reciprocity are so enhanced since staring with the program, at times we forget how challenging it once was. We, as parents, learned a lot as well. Being able to model at home and support the approach for continuity was empowering and believe in many ways all three of us were rescued after discovering this program." 
--Mother of 6 year old, 1.5 years of social skills coaching-Graduated

"Our son, age 10, who has high functioning Autism, has been seeing Noriko for about 6 months and has significantly improved his ability to socially interact with his peers.  We have also noticed an increased sense of self confidence, both at social group, as well as in the classroom.  Our son also has become great friends with a couple of other children in his group who he now sees often outside of our sessions.  My wife and I couldn't be happier with what Noriko has done!!!" 
--Father of 10 year old, 6 months of social skills coaching