Welcome to Social Learners SF!
We provide group and individual social communication therapy for children, teens and young adults with social learning challenges in San Francisco and via telehealth throughout California and New York.
We are committed to providing a neurodiversity affirming, strengths based approach to therapy to help clients reach their self-identified social goals.
Who We Support
Small, play-based setting covering concepts such as social problem solving, communicating thoughts and feelings, joining a group, adding ideas to pretend play and more for ages 3 and up.
Early Learners
Develop social competencies to meet self-identified social goals. Concepts covered include: perspective taking, sharing space effectively with peers and self-advocacy and more.
Elementary and Middle School Students
High School Students
Work towards meeting self-identified social goals. Concepts covered include: digital communication, friendship dynamics, organizational skills and time management and more.
Young Adults
Work towards personal social goals while exploring identity work, dating and relationships, college readiness, living independently, navigating the workplace and more.
What We Provide
We offer a range of services including:
Social communication groups
Individual social communication therapy
Intensive group treatment
Comprehensive speech, language and social communication assessment
Parent consultation
School observations
Onsite preschool services (screenings, groups/individual sessions, teacher training)
Class-wide speech/language/social communication screenings
Summer 2025 Programs: Now Enrolling!
We’re offering 90-minute weekly groups for early learners, school age students, high school students and young adults.
Weekly Social Group
Therapist facilitated events offering a fun, supportive environment for socializing and exploring new hobbies. Siblings are welcome (ages 5 and up)!
Thursday Night Socials
Courage to Communicate Camp
Intensive group treatment program for kids ages 3-8 with selective mutism and communication anxiety.
Back to School Bootcamp
Intensive prep week to support hte transition back to school. Students will explore areas including: participating in group projects, executive functioning skills, managing frustration and more.
Our Clinic
Come visit us at our outdoor-indoor clinic space in the Mission! We’re located near 24th and Alabama Streets.
About Us
Shannon Oakes M.S. CCC-SLP
Shannon is a speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of clinical experience across early intervention, hospital, school, and private practice settings. She holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College.
Shannon specializes in early language development, autism support, gestalt language processing, and social cognition. She has consulted with the Autism Center of Northern California, led Hanen caregiver education programs, and worked at the Social Thinking® - Stevens Creek clinic alongside a team of experts in social cognition.
Shannon started her own private practice in 2018 and joined Rachel in creating SLSF in 2024. She is passionate about supporting families and helping clients achieve their social goals while embracing their authentic selves. Shannon is a Bay Area native and lives in SF with her husband and two kids. Outside of work, she enjoys family time, seeing live music with friends, interior decorating, and Pilates.
Rachel Rapp M.S. CCC-SLP
Rachel earned her M.S. in speech-language pathology from the University of Oregon and her B.A. from Indiana University at Bloomington. She has experience working across various clinical settings including private clinics, preschools, pediatric acute care and rehabilitation centers. She completed her clinical training in speech-language pathology at UCSF and her clinical fellowship in social cognition at Social Thinking® - Stevens Creek. Rachel continued at Social Thinking® - Stevens Creek working alongside experts in social cognition before starting her own private practice. Additionally, Rachel is a Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) trained clinician who is educated in gestalt language processing and delayed echolalia.
Prior to graduate school, Rachel spent a number of years working in corporate communications in New York City. While there, she volunteered at the NYU Child Study Center’s camp for children with selective mutism and knew this was the field for her. Having experienced selective mutism herself growing up, Rachel has empathy and passion for helping her clients who are struggling with communication.
Rachel joined Shannon in creating SLSF in 2024 and also runs a private practice providing in-home speech/language therapy, social cognitive therapy and treatment for selective mutism. She enjoys working with clients across the ages from toddlers to young adults. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring new Bay Area restaurants, trips to the flower mart and seeing live music.