Social Skills Term Program:

Spectrum offers ongoing programs during the terms, for small groups of 2 and 3 children.

The children attend a 1 hour session once a fortnight Mondays to Fridays (depending on availability of sessions). These groups are run independently, from our Ashwood and Moonee Ponds clinics, and are designed for Preschoolers and Primary School aged children.

The small group forum allows the children to experience creative approaches to the development of social skills in a fun and supportive environment.

When forming the groups, consideration is given to age, ability levels & interests of the children.

Skills and strategies targetted in the social skills groups include: (Preschoolers)

• Turn taking

• Listening Following instructions

• Sharing Greetings

• Show and tell

• Interaction and Play skills

For Primary School aged children:

• The appropriate use of non-verbal behaviors for communication (eg. how to use our eyes and whole body to communicate socially); understanding emotions.
• Sharing news within the group, asking appropriate questions and making relevant comments.
• Learning to play games fairly and cooperatively, winning and losing gracefully, and taking turns to go first or to be a leader.
• Learning the rules of conversations, and having opportunities to practise conversational skills in small groups with support.

Our therapists use a range of strategies and techniques which are supported by current research, to develop the skills of the children. Visual strategies such as schedules, social stories, social and behavioural scripts, cue cards, comic strip conversations, and videotaping,* among other things are employed where appropriate, to teach the social skills which are deemed to be priorities for the children.

Parents receive feedback in the last 10 minutes of each session. Strategies are discussed and where appropriate home practice activities are provided.