Gain the skills necessary to deliver the SDARI program at your own organization through our foundational training:

• Location: In-person at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute (AJDAI) in Philadelphia, PA.
• Duration: 8-hour foundational training.
• Format: Hands-on instruction
• Support: Individualized follow-up consultation are available.
• Financial Aid: Scholarships are available thanks to the Miranda Family Fund and Weisbrot Family

Want to learn more or be notified about the next cohort? Complete the interest form and our team will follow up with you.

Socio-Dramatic Affective-Relational Intervention (SDARI) is a manualized social program developed by Dr. Matthew Lerner and colleagues to improve the social-emotional confidence and competence of autistic youth in an affirming group format. SDARI involves concrete presentation of social pragmatics goals, and the connection of those goals to specific highly-interactive, semi-structured, naturalistic pragmatically-enriched activities, including the novel use of drama-based activities (such as improv games). These goals are addressed and targeted according to the developmental needs of the individual participants.

SDARI incorporates a 3-part social model to facilitate growth in social connection skills:

1. Acting and improvisational games as a means to learn aspects of successful social interaction without direct instruction of social rules,
2. The use of strong age-appropriate motivators to support intrinsic motivation in a social context and to foster a sense of social belonging among participants with common interests, and
3. A strong focus on positive social reinforcement and relationship building between and among participants, allowing for in vivo teaching, socialization, and opportunities for forging authentic social connections.

Questions? Please fill out the interest form and our team will follow up with you as soon as possible!