Social Skills Training

AEDC Social Skills Training is applied through role-playing, social stories, visual prompts and video modelling. We provide various Social Skills training programmes at our Baulkham Hills clinic to best support your child’s social skills development. The purpose of our Social Skills programme is to offer your child a safe environment, with an experienced facilitator, in which to explore social issues with their peers.

For your early intervention child, we start with small social skills groups of just two children who are paired together at similar developmental stages, to learn how to act in different social situations, from interacting with the family doctor when they visit, to playing with friends at school. These skills are developed through the use of role-playing, social stories, visual prompts and video modelling. As your child’s skills develop, they move into a group of three children, again similarly matched, to assist them with managing the dynamics of a larger social grouping.

For your early-primary aged child, we have groups of between 2-6 children who are matched together to ensure they are at a similar developmental stage and share common interests. These Social Skills groups work through an evidence-based programme designed specifically for this age group to assist children in developing the skills required to successfully interact with their peers. Its focus is to explicitly teach core emotions, to understand the intensity of emotions, to acknowledge that people may have different emotions and/or perspectives and to learn how to problem solve effectively.

For your upper-primary aged child, we hold groups of various sizes, with children that are carefully matched, depending on the social needs of your child. The programme for these groups is carefully managed to meet both the developmental and social needs of the members of the group. Topics covered can include: improved conversation skills, conflict resolution, dealing with challenging social situations including peer pressure and bullying, understanding perspectives of others, ethical dilemmas and high school transition.

For your adolescent child, Social Skills groups are managed to ensure that your child’s individual needs are best matched with peers of a similar developmental stage. Programme content for this age group vary widely between groups, depending on each child’s therapy outcomes.

Our Social Skills Programmes are regularly monitored and assessed to ensure best therapy outcomes for each child. As such, placement of Social Skills members may change on occasion to ensure that each child continues to progress alongside peers at a similar stage of development. Please be assured that parents will always be consulted to ensure therapy goals are being met. It is important to us that your child gets the most out of our Social Skills Programme; please feel welcome to discuss with us (your practitioner)? any particular concerns you might have for the developmental needs of your child.

Our Social Skills Programs

Westmead Feelings Program (WFP)

The Westmead Feelings Program is an evidence-based intervention designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) develop emotional competence. It targets two age groups: children with pre-literacy skills and children with fluent speech and reading ability. The program uses video modeling, visual supports, and a common language for emotions (color-coded and numbered) to teach children how to identify, understand, and express their feelings, as well as manage their emotional responses. Research suggests the program improves children’s emotional competence, social skills, and mental health, making it a valuable tool for parents, teachers, and other professionals working with children with ASD.

Super Social Squad

“Super Social Squad” extends from Westmead Feeling Program, further developing your child’s skills in identifying and expressing more nuanced emotions, improving communication with others, recognising sarcasm and jokes, problem solving and negotiating with others, managing difficult social situations, identifying areas of interests/learning styles and personal safety.

Teen Titans

“Teen Titans” extends from Secret Agent Society, further meeting your child’s social communication needs in adolescence. The program includes identifying and expressing more nuanced emotions, improving communication with others, problem solving and negotiating with others, managing difficult social situations, identifying areas of interests/learning styles and personal safety.