Family-owned learning center brings a much-needed refresh to child social development programming


“Computers and social media have a place in the modern world but should not be in lieu of learning healthy interactions that will last a lifetime.”

Certified School Psychologist Bari Bristow has launched the Bristow Center in Lake Hopatcong, NJ. After 33 years in public education and advocacy for families, she discovered that many children evidence social developmental gaps and are struggling with peer interactions and at an increasing rate.

She found that many young people are not being equipped with the skills and training necessary to navigate the modern social world. The goal of the Bristow Center aims to help children and parents gain the social skill training and guidance necessary to thrive at school, at home, in the community and throughout their lives.

“There just aren’t any comprehensive programs out there. Evidence based research and experience have convinced me that social skills can be taught! On the heels of COVID, we as a society now know how fragile social emotional development can be,” said Bari Bristow, the Center’s founder.

She continued, “My passion has led me to understand the importance of being proactive and to this end I am committed to teaching these skills to children who are not innately armed with the tools needed to develop strong relationships, problem solve and conscientiously make the decisions needed during challenging situations.”

Utilizing strategic teaching, PRACTICE and ongoing feedback from trained mentors, these skills will generalize to all settings and provide the long-term benefits that last a lifetime.

The Core Program will work by offering assessments and placement of a child’s current social skill level, based entirely on social development, not age. From there, students will actively engage in social group classes with dedicated mentors and other students, where they will be able to practice the skills they learn along the way.

The Center’s programs will be tailored to each child and will teach children the core social skills concepts they lack to help students become stronger social problem solvers and effective communicators. This approach is key in developing modern skills that are relevant to how we socially interact in today’s times.

“The world is changing,” Bari says, “So what children need socially should change too. Computers and social media have a place in the modern world but should not be in lieu of learning healthy interactions that will last a lifetime.” That’s why Bristow Center will make a huge impact on today’s youth.

Contact us at:

973-234-5899

info@bristowcenter.com

Share article on social media or email:

Leave a Reply