About Social Skills Groups
Social Skills Groups are suitable for any child who has difficulties with social interaction. Children may have difficulties, such as in conversing with others, making friends, regulating behaviour and cooperating with other children and adults.

All social skills groups are run by persons trained in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each group consists of no more than 8 children with two group leaders. There is always a minimum ratio of one trained adult to no more than 4 children.
Within social skills group, children have the opportunity to interact with other children of their own age in a safe environment, giving them the chance to develop new friendships while learning more about themselves and their special difficulties. Their self-esteem and self-awareness grows as group leaders continually promote a positive image of living with a disability. Children are helped to see that they are different, not that there is something ‘wrong’ with them, and helped to accept that every person is different in their own special way.

In small, supervised group settings they have the opportunity to practice and improve on many social skills. These include skills like:
sharing

• Turn-taking
• Listening
• Not interrupting other speakers
• Organising their thoughts and being able to
• Speak in front of others
• Learning not to perseverate (talk on and on ... and on!)
• Using an appropriate voice volume and tone
• Conflict resolution
• Tteam work
• Making friends and more

Activities for the group are carefully chosen. They may be designed to encourage team-work, sharing and cooperation, to improve conversational skills, to teach relaxation, to help the child recognise, express and control emotions or they may be of a tactile or sensory nature. Other activities will aim at increasing self-awareness, awareness of others and improve self-esteem. Imaginative play is encouraged.

The following are usually incorporated into most social skills groups:
Group Discussion provides an opportunity for each child to share information about themselves, to wait without interrupting while others talk, to take turns, to ask appropriate questions and to organise their thoughts for verbalisation.

• Simple Relaxation is taught and this will include instruction in deep breathing exercises.
• Games and activities may include two player games; or group games, drama and role-play activities, art and craft activities, video recording and imaginative play with puppets.
• Tactile activities are sometimes included, such as playing with shaving cream, gloop and clay, and other tactile mediums. A range of tactile toys is available for children to investigate and play with.
• Sensory activities may include sound therapy, music, aromatherapy, foot spas and massage.
• "Free Time" is carefully supervised, and depending on the children’s abilities may also be structured, without seeming to be so.
• A Group Snack time encourages the children to socialise whilst practicing good table manners and sharing.

Group leaders gently and firmly, prompt appropriate speech and behaviour and good manners. All this occurs in a very natural way while the children have a great deal of fun making new friends and playing.

In the first two weeks of each new group, the children help choose group rules and a group name. Children are given a Group I.D. Card to foster a sense of group belonging. The first two weeks of group are aimed at building cohesiveness, allowing the children to get to know each other and us.

Your child will be offered a minimum 6 month placement in a Social Skills Group, and you may choose to continue for 12 months. Each term runs for 10 weeks. Social Skills Groups do not run during school holiday times.
Fees for Junior Social Skills Groups are $150 per 10 week term. All other Social Skills Groups are $200 per 10 week term.

Specialised Social Skills Groups
After your child has attended at least 6 months of a Social Skills Group, you have the option of enrolling him/her in a Specialised Social Skills Group. These run for one term of 10 weeks and focus on a specific social skill or need. Specialised Social Skills run during the school day and incorporate some of the same activities of the basic Social Skills Group, but with a more intense focus.
Some of the Specialised Social Skills Groups available are:

• Managing anxiety
• Controlling anger and depression
• Conversational skills
• Making friends
• Coping with peer pressure and bullying
• Improving self-esteem
• Understanding my senses sensory strategies
• Asperger's and me
• Autism and me
• Tics and me (for children with Tourette's)
• Taking care of myself (including hygiene and grooming, health and fitness)
• Puberty, girls and dating (suitable for 12+)
• Cooking for Asperger's (suitable for 12+)
• Manners

All of the above programs can also be conducted on an individual basis for your child.
The fee for a Specialised Support Group is $150 per 10 week term. Each session is of 1 hour duration.

Social Skills Groups
Junior Social Skills Groups - 1 hour groups for up to 4 children aged 5 - 8 years with one Group Leader
Pre-Adolescent Social Skills Groups - 1 and 1/2 hour groups for up to 8 children aged 9 - 12 years with two Group Leaders
Teen Social Skills Groups - 1 and 1/2 hour groups for up to 8 children aged 13 - 16 years with two Group Leaders

Adolescent Social Club
Tuesday evenings - 7pm - 9pm.
Come along and meet some new friends, join in with some art activities, play some old and new board games and group games, watch a recent video, try some cooking or baking, or join in on the Playstation. (Bring along your own PS games). If you're into Yu-Gi-Oh, bring along your deck and battle others. This is a night to socialise and have some fun!

For boys 13 and over. Bookings essential - per week on a casual or regular basis.
$15 per session.
Note: The Social Club runs all year.