STAR Program, Inc.

The STAR Program was developed by Dr. Linda Collins (licensed clinical psychologist) in 1995. This program is a vendored program of the San Diego Regional Center funded by the California Department of Developmental Services. STAR Program, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) public benefit corporation dedicated to supporting children diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and their families. STAR Program, Inc. provides social skills training and behavior intervention in small activity training groups of 8-10 children diagnosed with a PDD between 5-18 years of age. The social skills training groups are held at six school sites across San Diego County during after school hours from 3:30-6:30 pm. Children may either meet one, two, to three days per week depending upon age and problem areas in: Mira Mesa, Central San Diego, Santee, Del Mar, South Bay, and San Marcos. In addition to on-site groups, children participate in community outings to work on generalizing their skills to new settings and situations. Training groups may include some typical peers, as available, to assist their special needs friends with learning age appropriate communication and interaction skills. STAR staff also work with children at community sites such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and Park and Recreation Programs to assist with their transition from the STAR Program.