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WHAT IS SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING?
As humans, we are social creatures that really thrive on interaction with others, most significant impacts of psychological issues upon both children and adults are the effects upon social contact and relationships.
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Whilst for some people social skills come naturally, others need to learn specific skills through psychotherapy, in order to be able to function optimally in a social context.
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​Social skills include both verbal and non-verbal behaviours, that we use in order to communicate with others. Social skills can be affected by culture, beliefs and attitudes, hence social skill training needs to keep this in mind.
Social skill training is mainly used for people that are diagnosed with certain psychological issues, whose symptoms involve poor social functioning. These include but are not limited to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and social anxiety. However, anyone who wants to improve their social skills and social confidence can benefit from this type of therapy.
WESTMEAD FEELINGS PROGRAM
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has developed a 15-month intervention program (5 weeks per term for 3 terms plus a 6 month follow up session) teaching children with autism spectrum disorder about emotional understanding and social awareness. Not just clinic-based, the Westmead Feelings Program develops parents’ and teachers’ emotion coaching skills, supporting children to understand emotions, solve problems and ultimately manage their feelings in everyday settings.
ZONES OF REGULATION
"WE ALL ENCOUNTER TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT TEST OUR LIMITS FROM TIME TO TIME. IF WE ARE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WHEN WE ARE BECOMING LESS REGULATED, WE ARE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO MANAGE OUR FEELINGS AND GET OURSELVES TO A HEALTHY PLACE. THIS IS THE GOAL OF THE ZONES OF REGULATION."
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- LEAH KUYPERS, CREATOR OF THE ZONES
SECRET AGENT SOCIETY
Secret Agent Society (SAS) is a program for children aged 8-12 years to improve their social and emotional skills.
SAS was created by Australian clinical psychologist, Dr Renae Beaumont. It is regarded as one of the most successful programs of its kind in the world.
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The goal of SAS is to empower children with the skills and confidence they need to:
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stay calm
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make and keep friends
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work in teams
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solve problems
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prevent and manage bullying and teasing
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achieve their individual goals
