MEET THE TEAM
Sonja Zdjelaric
Co-Founder
Jayme Teplin
Co-Founder
About Us
Jayme Teplin (she/her) earned a Master's degree in Professional Education with a focus on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Western University and is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). Jayme provides supervision and oversight on ABA programming for a range of cases in her daily clinical practice. Jayme has over 10 years of experience working with children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other exceptionalities across a variety of settings (clinics, camps, recreation programs, respite).
Jayme Teplin (MPEd, BCBA, RBA)
Sonja Zdjelaric (M.ADS)
Currently on leave
Sonja Zdjelaric (she/her) earned a Master's Degree in Applied Disability Studies, specializing in ABA, from Brock University, and practiced as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). She provided supervision and oversight for ABA programming on a variety of cases in her daily clinical practice. She has been working with children, youth, and adults with various exceptionalities for over 10 years. Sonja has extensive experience providing, creating, and overseeing social skills groups and programming within the private and public sectors.
What Inspired Us
After more than a decade working with neurodivergent individuals, we began to notice a gap in social opportunities available that also provided ongoing skill building.
We formed the Hive Social Connect to blend the best components of respite groups and social skills curriculums to bridge this gap. Our primary objectives in forming this venture were to offer hands-on skill building while simultaneously forming relationships and increasing community exposure within a safe and accessible space.
We are passionate about teaching social skills as we know how important they are for so many areas of daily living and improving quality of life. From being able to form long lasting relationships, navigating social situations, conflict resolution, and maintaining employment, your social skills have a big impact on your life. If you are interested in finding out more about where your skill strengths and areas of improvement are, check out our assessment packages offered. Already know what you want to work on? Join us in one of our social events to build your skills, meet new people, and have a fun time.
How it works
Why choose Hive Social Connect?
What makes us stand out from other services out there? Our staff. The cofounders not only have extensive practical and theoretical knowledge of working with neuro divergent individuals, but are neuro divergent themselves! Their vision is that social skills shouldn't be taught in a classroom, but within the environments they will be used. They also know that for some people, social events can be overwhelming and they may not have many opportunities for interaction in their day-to-day lives. That's where we come in.
What's included?
Every package includes admission fees to the event, as well as staffing support (3-to-1 ratio), and all administrative fees involved. Please see each event description for a detailed list of what's included as well as some fun optional additions. We kindly ask that participants meet us at the location of the event 15 minutes prior to the start time.
*Please note that transportation to and from events are not provided.
Events Calendar
Choose from our calendar of various social events for your age group. Each event will have a description of what it offers and what you can expect. You can sign up for as many or as few events as you would like.
Who can join?
We welcome individuals of all skill levels and exceptionalities who are looking to have a good time. Currently we are planning events within the GTA and York Region for those ages 12-17 with plans to add adult events in the near future. If you or your teen may require direct support or you have questions about whether this group is a good fit, we encourage you to contact us. We strive to make these events an inclusive environment and will do our best to support anyone who has an interest in joining.
What we need from you
We ask that individuals and families sign confidentiality agreements and a code of conduct prior to participating in order to keep this a safe space for all. In addition, screening forms are also needed so that we can understand each individual's unique needs, skill levels, and how to best support them.
Can’t find anything that interests you?
If you are wanting to participate, but don't see anything for your age range or events that interest you, drop us an email! We pride ourselves in being able to provide something for everyone, but being a new social venture, it may just take us some time to get there.
Also, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list in order to hear about new events as they are added. You can add us on social media to post questions and ideas as well. We love to hear from our diverse community!