Category: Uncategorized

In Term 2, we plan to offer:

EITHER

• the “Self Awareness and Self Esteem” social skills group

OR

• the “Body Language and Talking” social skills group

The group chosen to run will depend on demand (ie. we will run the group that has a sufficient number of children wishing to participate).

The group sessions will be facilitated by Alice Long (Speech Pathologist).

 

DETAILS:

Day and Time: Wednesday 3:15-4:15pm weekly

Commencement Date: Wednesday 18th April (Week 1 of term 2)

Duration: 10 weeks (Body Language and Talking

11 weeks (Self Awareness and Self Esteem)

Cost: The fee for the hour long group session is the same as a 30 minute individual therapy session.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

HCWA and BETTER START funding CAN be used for group sessions but Medicare rebated schemes (EPC/CDMP and ASD/PDD) are NOT able to be used (as stipulated in Medicare’s guidelines).

 

ACTION

The group will be limited to 6 participants, so please let me know as soon as possible if you are interested in having your child included in the group.

 

SELF AWARENESS and SELF ESTEEM

 WHY

If we don’t feel good about ourselves, how do we find the confidence to talk to others?

If we can’t talk about ourselves, where do we start our conversation?

 

Self awareness and self esteem provide the foundations for the development of good social skills. Some children acquire self awareness and self esteem with little or no effort but others need to be taught.

 Learning within a group setting is practical and fun. It provides children with the opportunity to interact and build friendships in a safe, controlled environment, while also allowing them to put their new skills into practice.

 

WHAT

The group sessions will aim to teach children basic self awareness skills and promote development of good self esteem through some or all of the following topics:

1. This is me
2. People in my life
3. The way I look
4. What am I like?
5. My qualities and strengths
6. Things that make me feel good
7. The way I feel
8. I am great!

It is anticipated that sessions will run for 11 weeks, with 45-50 minutes allocated to group interaction (children only), and the remainder of the session being for feedback to parents/carers.

 

BODY LANGUAGE and TALKING

PURPOSE

We need to be socially skilled in order to listen to others, express ourselves, be taken seriously, learn and, importantly, make new friends. Sound skills in these areas have a significant impact on our quality of life, yet many children do not learn social skills naturally and require assistance.

Social communication consists of both non-verbal and verbal behaviours. The Developing Social Skills group focuses on both of these areas. Body Language focuses on children’s awareness and use of nonverbal language and social skills, while Talking focuses on how to participate appropriately and meaningfully in verbal interactions.

Learning within a group setting is practical and fun. It provides children with the opportunity to interact and build friendships in a safe, controlled environment, while allowing them to put their new skills into practice.

 

TOPICS

The group sessions will aim to teach children basic social and conversational skills through some or all of the following topics:

1. Body language:

• Introduction to body language.
• Let’s talk about faces.
• Let’s talk about bodies.
• Let’s talk about distance.

Talking:

• Let’s talk about speaking.
• Let’s talk about listening.
• Let’s talk about beginnings.
• Let’s talk about taking turns.
• Let’s talk about endings.

It is anticipated that sessions will run for 10 weeks, with 45-50 minutes allocated to group interaction (children only), and the remainder of the session being for feedback to parents/carers.