Fun and Supportive Groups for Children to Thrive
Learning Links is passionate about helping children and adolescents build important skills and confidence to communicate and interact with others in a meaningful way.
Our social skills programs provide evidence-based support for children aged 4-17 years with social, emotional and communication challenges. Children learn to identify their emotions, regulate their behaviour, cope with stress and anxiety, and make friends.
Programs are currently only being run in partnership with schools.
Learning Links offers a wide range of programs in primary schools and high schools across Sydney and NSW, to enhance children’s social-emotional skills, engagement at school and overall wellbeing.
All programs are run by a psychologist, who works in close partnership with each school to:
- identify students who will benefit most from the small group support
- deliver weekly sessions
- provide ongoing updates, and
- share post-program reports with parents and teachers, outlining strategies covered with each child and any additional recommendations that can support social skills and positive behavioural outcomes into the future.
Most programs run for 10 weeks during term time.
Social Skills Programs in Schools
PALS is an evidence-based social skills program to help 4-6 year olds develop a range of social behaviours for the early years of school. Using puppets, stories, games and role play, children learn important skills like:
- greeting others
- talking and listening
- taking turns
- understanding feelings
- problem-solving in social situations.
PALS is suitable for young children who may need extra support in social situations at preschool or in the lead up to starting schools.
Learning Links currently runs the PALS program as a weekly school-based program. Speak to our team to see how your school can benefit.
Enquire About School Support Programs
The Zones of Regulation is designed for children 6-12 years and aims to address challenges with emotional and sensory regulation, and social skills. Using visuals, play-based activities, role playing and video modelling, the program teaches self-regulation by helping children to categorise their emotions and develop strategies to control their impulses and cope when they feel overwhelmed.
The program includes discussions, role plays, video modelling and variety of activities to teach students to:
- identify their feelings and level of alertness
- understand how their behaviour can impact others
- build strategies to manage their feelings appropriately
Learning Links currently runs Zones of Regulation as a weekly school-based program. Speak to our team to see how your school can benefit.
Enquire About School Support Programs
Take Action is an anxiety management program that empowers children 8-12 years to build a greater understanding of their feelings, important coping strategies, confidence and resilience.
Children are taught a range of strategies via a 6-step ACTION plan where each letter in the word A-C-T-I-O-N stands for a skill the children learn. By practising the skills they learn, participants develop their own action plan to reduce and overcome anxiety:
- A – Be AWARE – of feelings and body signals
- C – Keep CALM – strategies for keeping calm and reducing anxiety
- T – THINK Strong Thoughts – think ingpositively and confidently
- I – Get INTO Action – gradually learn to confront anxiety-provoking situations
- O – Use my OPTIONS – additional strategies to further manage anxiety including problem solving and asking others for help
- N – NEVER Stop Taking Action – plan for anxiety-provoking times to help in the future
Learning Links currently runs Take Action as a weekly school-based program. Speak to our team to see how your school can benefit.
Enquire About School Support Programs