These small groups are carried out once a week based on age and ability. The emphasis of these classes are to build social competency, using an adaptation of the Social Thinking program by Michelle Garcia Winner.
We introduce functional living skills into the program to set a foundation for functional, independent living in the future.
Social Communication and Functional Living
Small Group
"We have found that the concepts you have taught are very helpful - we have used "stuck thinking", "group plan", "whole body listening" quite often with Ethan and it does work very well.
He sees to be able to relate to the concepts taught when we use them out of class he does understand what we mean so it's actually very good"
- Jo-Anne, mum of teen in Thursday Group
"For us, it is particularly helpful in so many ways as I believe these are such essential skills that everyone needs to have.
The lessons are particularly helpful as it breaks down and profiles the list of skills that our boys need to badly to be able to function in the real world. Furthermore, I can see Sean is able to internalise and use those lessons in his daily routine. He will bring up or mention it to me."
- Lee Yen, Mum of teen in Thursday Group
Thursday afternoon group (13 to 17 years old) *Only one space available for this class
This class helps verbal students with Autism and Learning Difficulties recap the Social Thinking principles and apply it in a fun, interacticve, hands-on manner, helping them strategies to decipher social relationships.
It also has a unique functional living skills portion based on our experience working with adults with Autism navigating the "real world". We lay a foundation for the basic functional living skills that prepares them as teens as they transition into adulthood.
- Thinking Thoughs, Feeling Feelings
- Personal hygiene
- The Group Plan vs Own Plan
- Personal safety and road safety when going out
- Searching for items in the store by category
- Whole Body Listening
- Expected and Unexpected Behaviour
- Money concept - purchasing from a store
Monday Language Expansion Class (13 to 17 years old)
This class caters to students with Autism, expressive and receptive language challenges, and learning difficulties. We will be exploring picture books, videos and stories and do a variety of activities like:
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role play
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games
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dramatic retelling
to enhance the students' understanding of the story. We will also explore the setting, the characters, their emotions, the problem and the resolution in the story.
It will be a lovely time of exploring stories with the students’ with the goal of expanding their language and comprehension skills, modeling language for them while incorporating fun activities to engage and bring stories to life!
Monday Young Adult Small Group (18 years to University/Working age)
This class is an introductory class aimed at high functioning young adults with Autism, attending college or working, to gain personal awareness of themselves and social awareness using a modified version of the Social Thinking program by Michelle Garcia Winner.
The class will have a functional living skills component that will help young adults see purpose in the adult responsibilities parents get them to do.
We incorporate games, group activities, social stories, and hands-on practice carried out in a positive, fun way to encourage peer engagement and self-confidence.
Personal Awareness and Social Thinking
- Personal Awareness and Self-Esteem Building
- Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings
- Emotions
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How I feel and what makes me (and others feel the way we do)
- Circles of Relationship
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What categories do people fall into
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What is appropriate and inappropriate for each category of people
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Personal safety
- Expanding out circle of friendship
- Thinking with our Eyes
- Group Plan vs Own Plan
- Expected and Unexpected Behaviour
- Flexible vs Stuck Thinking
- Size of the Problem
- Sharing an Imagination
Functional Living Focus
- Hygiene
- Healthy Living
- Etiquette when meeting people
- Organizing my time and my activities
- Setting personal goals and steps to achieve them
