Linda Oberg, mental health therapist working in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Mental Health Services program at Volunteers of America of Minnesota Mental Health Clinics, along with the school social worker at Anne Sullivan Communication Center, a public school serving students kindergarten through eighth grade in Minneapolis, conducted an eight-week social skills group for middle school students entitled “Our Wonderful Bodies.”

Ten middle school students attended the weekly group.  Sessions included information about how the brain works, how our emotions are tied to our brains, how the media influences our ideas about our bodies, how we develop our body image, how eating disorders develop and how to take care of our bodies both physically and emotionally.  All sessions were conducted in American Sign Language with visual emphasis for ease of understanding.

The group was a huge success with these middle school students.  Attendance was 100% and students were able to understand how to apply what they learned into their everyday lives, including eating healthy and discussing their emotions.   Teachers commented on how they were able to discuss these topics in other classes and relate information from the skills group to new areas of study. 

Students are eagerly waiting part two of “Our Wonderful Bodies” social skills group which is scheduled to begin in Spring 2007.