Learning Links offers a range of fun, educational group programs for children in the NSW school holidays throughout the year.  Our programs are run from Maroubra, Peakhurst, Bella Vista and Liverpool and cater for a range of different age groups.  The programs have been specifically tailored for small groups of 6-8 children to ensure our professionals can work closely with each child.

PALS (Social Skills Program)

(4-6 years) – Cost $225

The early school years are when children start to make friends, learn to cooperate with other and begin to solve social problems. Like all skills, come children develop social skills more easily than others. Social skills are the of the utmost importance for every child’s future development.

Topics covered in the program include:

• Greeting others
• Taking turns, talking and listening
• Taking turns at play
• Sharing
• Asking for help
• Identifying feelings
• Empathy
• Overcoming fear and anxiety
• Managing frustration
• Calming down and speaking up

Take Action

Anxiety Management & Social Skills Program

(8-12 Years) – Cost $225

Children are taught a range of strategies in the Take Action program via a 6-step ACTION plan.

Each letter in the word ACTION stands for a skill children learn.

This is a program which provides children with clear, practical skills to manage anxiety and improve their social and life skills.

By practising the skills they learn, the participants develop their own action plan to reduce and overcome anxiety.

The Zones of Regulation

Emotion Regulation & Social Skills Program

(6-8 Years) – Cost $225

The Zones of Regulation program aims to address challenges in emotional and sensory regulation, and social skills. It is suitable for all children including individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), a diagnosis of a mood disorder as well as individuals without a diagnosis.

The program includes many visuals, and can be adapted to suit the needs of individual students and groups. Delivery methods can include; discussions, role plays, video modelling and play based activities to teach students to identify their feelings/level of alertness, understand how their behaviour impacts those around them, and learn what tools they can use to manage their feelings and states.  ​

Handsome Handwriting

(School Years 1 & 2) – Cost $225

This 2 day program helps children develop their handwriting skills in a fun and supportive environment. We will focus on developing the skills that support handwriting (e.g. self regulation, gross motor, fine motor and visual motor skills) as well as developing fluent handwriting skills.

Topics covered in the program include:

6-8 years

• Letter formations
• Line use
• Spacing
• Page organization

Lego® Based Therapy

Suitable for children aged 8-12 years with social difficulties including those with high functioning/moderate Autism Spectrum Disorder 

Cost $149 for initial interview, $468 for the program and $149 for an optional feedback session 

Lego® Based Therapy is a small group program that has proven to help children with social difficulties including ASD, to improve and practice their social interaction and communication skills. The program helps children socialise with their peers, have fun in a supportive and understanding environment and enables them to improve the skills of sharing, waiting, turn-taking, talking with others and making friends.

What happens at Lego® Based Therapy?

• Each child learns a clear set of rules and LEGO® building skills.
• They are then introduced to a group of other children.
• Everyone in the group agrees upon a project which is achievable for everyone involved – projects are usually certain structures or buildings to create.
• Each child is assigned a role for the project. The roles are as follows:
• Architect – holds the building instructions, and is responsible for letting the others know which bricks are required (supplier) and how to put them together (builder).
• Supplier – holds the LEGO® bricks necessary to assemble the LEGO® model, and is responsible for supplying the builder with the correct pieces and at the correct time.
• Builder – is responsible for taking the individual pieces from the supplier, and putting the pieces together, according to the instructions given by the architect, to create the model.
• Roles are rotated throughout therapy.
• The group works together to build the LEGO® structure according to the principals of play therapy

This program is eligible under NDIS Funding in the area of Improved Daily Living. Speak to Learning Links now to find a service suitable for your child’s needs on (02) 8525 8222.

Stop Think Do

(6-8yrs, 9-11yrs) – Cost $225

This structured program develops emotional & social intelligence in children & adolescents. The focus is on social skills training, behaviour management and motivational learning. 2 separate age groups will be run.

The aim on ‘Stop, think, do’ program is to develop self control, perceptual and communication skills, and cognitive problem solving skills. It is theorised that children with social-behavioural problems are often stuck at STOP as they tend not to think or do much for themselves. Shy, anxious children are stuck at THINK as they often think too much about what could happen. Impulsive, aggressive children are stuck at DO because they do and do and rarely stop to think. The program aims to train all children to move through all steps with positive feedback, self-esteem enhancement and support from adults and peers.

Topics covered in the program include:

• Self control
• Feelings
• Cognitive problem solving
• Consequential thinking
• Decision making
• Choice making
• Behavioural skills

Moving On & Up

A Transition to High School Program (Year 6 only 2018) – Cost $225

This program is for students transitioning to high school. It has a focus on organisational skills, travel planning, problem solving, study skills, making friends, and dealing with new technologies safely. Teaching and learning activities will focus on skills that are imperative to success at high school – knowing how to study, use the computer, plan for assignments, and ask for help.

The transition to high school is an exciting time for teenagers and their families. It is the beginning of a whole new chapter in your lives; meeting new people, experiencing a range of different subjects and sports, all in preparation for adult life. It can also be an anxious and stressful time in both preparing for the move to high school and those first few weeks. Learning Links can help.

Moving On & Up, focuses on organisational skills, travel planning, problem solving, study skills, making friends, and dealing  with new technologies safely. Your child will learn how to read and use diaries, maps and timetables and have opportunities to discuss their hopes and fears about the change.
Teaching and learning activities will focus on skills that are imperative to success at high school – knowing how to study, use the computer, plan for assignments, and ask for help.

Social and Emotional skills for children with ASD

(8-10 years) Ideal for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (mild to moderate) 

Cost $585

This 4 session group focusses on exploring and managing feelings, problem solving and social skills. A multi-method approach will be utilized including videos, visuals and roles plays. This program will help your child learn how to make friends and keep them. We will give them a tool box to support them feeling happy and calm. To ensure maximum benefit for each participant a 30 minute phone interview will happen with a psychologist to determine the group mix prior to enrolment. Each session will be two hours and the final 30 minutes will be a group meeting with parents at the end of each day.

The program outcomes are as follows:

• Understanding Emotions – develop children’s awareness of their own and others’ emotions such as how to describe and recognise emotion, the different causes of emotion, and how to differentiate varying intensities of emotion.
• Problem Solving – teaches children about thoughts and feelings in themselves and in others, to have an understanding of the causes and influences of people’s emotional experiences and behaviour.
• Managing Emotions – strategies for dealing with difficult or unpleasant emotions. This helps children to feel more in control and accepting of their emotions, which in turn enables them to behave more appropriately and enhance social skills.

This program is eligible under NDIS Funding in the area of Improved Daily Living. Speak to Learning Links now to find a service suitable for your child’s needs on (02) 8525 8222.