FAQ
Absolutely! We’re very picky in the specialised programs we offer at Social Minds and so all of our programs are evidenced-based.
The Secret Agent Society was originally designed and demonstrated to be effective for children on the autism spectrum, the evidence-based program is delivered to children aged 8 to 12 with identified social and emotional goals, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders. With over 17 publications to date, research has been conducted in Australia, Ireland, Canada, and the USA, and currently, three very exciting major research studies are underway or under preparation for publication.
PEERS® was originally developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson at the University of California (UCLA). The program has a strong evidence-base for use with adolescents and young adults with Aspergers/ASD, but is also highly appropriate for those with ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning difficulties, those who may be twice-exceptional or gifted and talented or indeed anyone experiencing social challenges.
The Social Explorers Curriculum is a Social Thinking educational series that combines a social learning framework with music and dramatic play activities for early learners (ages 4-7) and has evidence-based research specific to early intervention.
After reading about the program on our website you may see that it’s fit for your child/dependant. You know your child best! However, once you put your child’s name down we then contact you for a quick phone call to discuss the program and find out some more information about your child. This will then indicate to us whether the program sounds fitting. Before we enrol them in the program we organise a face-to-face assessment to which we can further make a judgment on the suitability of the program. If the program isn’t suitable we can always look at other options.
Once we screen the enrolled children/young adults we then form the groups based on age groups and personality/social needs. We are very particular about which individuals get placed together.
The programs we have are designed for students/young adults with social and emotional goals, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders. However, the program is open to all individuals, and the individuals who join the program don’t necessarily have to have a medical diagnosis. This is something we can discuss further over the phone.
Yes, it sure is! Our director Monique has completed a Bachelor of Communications and a Certificate in Autism. She has also been working with individuals on the Autism spectrum for more than 6 years now. She has a strong passion for social skills and her youthfulness is always appealing to the children and young adults who join our programs as she builds a strong rapport with them all.
It is recommended that your child/young adult teacher and other support personnel including psychologists, Occupational therapists, and speech pathologists are aware of the program they’re joining. This will ensure we form a multidisciplinary team and can liaise with each other throughout the program.
The programs range in price depending on which program best suits you. Pricing and funding options can be further discussed over the phone.
Yes, you sure can! It all depends on the individual’s NDIS plan goals. If the goals align with the programs we’re offering and are to do with building social skills, the program can be funded under NDIS if you are self or plan-managed. The line items of the program are usually under Improved daily living and community participation activities.
Not all of our enrolled children and young adults have NDIS funding. This is usually due to not having a diagnosis yet or other reasons. This doesn’t mean you can’t join the program. However, it does mean the program needs to be paid for independently. We do have a range of payment plans on offer to assist.
Absolutely! Whilst it is important to support the individual in the program, it is also equally as important to support the parents and carers. The PEERS & Secret agent society has a parent support group included throughout the program. We can also offer extra support 1:1 when needed. We also have a parent support group we will be running fortnightly and you can put your name down here –
https://www.l2ltutoring.com.au/parent-support/