The Social Connection programs aim to help children and teenagers improve their social skills and create an opportunity to make friendships in a structured setting with the support of Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Speech Pathologists. In a Social Connection program, your child will have the opportunity to learn the fundamental skills required for participation in group activities, have the opportunity for parallel, associative and cooperative play with other children of similar abilities, and will continue to develop the social skills needed for positive friendships.
Who can participate in the programs?
Social Connection programs will be run for the following age groups:
- Transition to School Age
- Primary School Age
- High School Age
- Children, Teens and Adults with an Intellectual Disability
What Skills will be addressed?
- Following directions
- Responding in group settings
- Sharing in play and conversation
- Improving listening skills, concentration and attention
- Learning how to be a good friend
- Problem solving in social situations and conflict resolution
- Transitioning to and from activities
- Recognising and managing emotions and appropriate emotional responses in social situations
- Turn-taking in play and conversation
- Learning to understand what is expected and unexpected in social settings
- Understanding and interpreting emotions and thoughts of their peers in play and conversation
How will these key skills be developed?
Social Connection programs will use a combination of direct instruction, role-playing, social stories, and incidental teaching. These skills will be addressed through a range of activities such as story-telling, arts and crafts, group instructions, and group games. These skills will help your child to learn the critical skills needed to develop and maintain positive friendships, cope with challenging social situations and regulating and understanding emotions.
TRANSITION PROGRAM
Give your child a confident start to school with this program. Many children start to feel anxious about starting school over the long summer break. This program runs in the last weeks of January and can make a huge difference to your child starting school confidently and calmly.
The program includes:
- Practice of a school routine (i.e. mat time, recess, table work, taking the roll, etc)
- Fun pre-writing and pre-reading activities.
- PE games.
- Practice of independent work.
- Practice of how to meet new friends.
Call us today to register!
Moving on — Stepping up to secondary school
Looking for a stress free start to secondary school for your child? One of the major transitions for children, especially children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Anxiety related issues, is the move up to Secondary school. This unique program assists this group of children prepare for that step.
Goals of the program:
- To provide a specialist facilitated environment for students to share their concerns related to their transition to Year Seven and to problem solve around these concerns as a group.
- To introduce strategies for each participant to manage their school transition related anxieties.
- To introduce strategies to prepare the students to manage organising their own diary, timetable and belongings in Year Seven.
- To explore learning styles and explore specific study strategies which could be implemented by them at home and/or school.
- To explore social skills required, including introducing themselves to new peers and teachers.
This program runs throughout October – February to assist secondary school kids make a successful move from Grade 6 into Year 7.
Call us today to register!
*Please note all our programs require three registered children to proceed.