Suitable for ages

7-12, 13-17, 18-24 years

Autism Friendly

Mainstream autism inclusive provider

Support Provided

High Support

Location

Online

Everything you need to know

At Evolving Roles, we specialise in Therapeutic Social Skills Groups for teens who would like to be more socially confident & teens who have been effected by Covid 19 lockdowns. This program is led by Jane Maher, Australia’s only Psychodramatist, Clinical Family Therapist & Mental Health Nurse who has been focused on helping socially isolated teenagers since 1997.

How groups work;

Groups are made up of up to five teens of similar ages, concerns and interests. Groups are for years 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. There are already some groups going that you might be able to join soon. Groups meet online for one hour (45-50mins) weekly between 4-6pm after school & during school terms.

What are groups like:

The groups are like being part of a friendship group at school with someone there to help guide when needed. We organise a group agreement early on so you feel safe, we do getting to know you activities and use online platforms to build a safe and fun group atmosphere. Group members are helped to initiate conversations, join in conversations, maintain conversations, deal with awkward silences, be responsive to others conversation topics and differences, to take turns in conversations, not leave themselves out or take over, to be curious and interested in each other, to find common and different interests, and find ways to bring out the best in each other. An emotion coaching approach is taken to building social-emotional intelligence.

The group offers a safe and well-facilitated space to develop more social-emotional skills, to practice and rehearse how to be friendly, to relax and enjoy connecting and meeting others.

How to join:

You don’t need a referral to Join one of these online groups. The way to join is for the parent/carer to call Jane (+61(0)419102338 ) to discuss the circumstances. Then a pre-group meeting is organized. This is with the parent and the teen to start, then teen on their own if that’s ok and then at the end with the parent again to talk about a plan. This is the way to check Jane out, think together about what you want to get out of the group and ask any questions you like. The pre-group meeting is important to confirm a spot in the right group and to help you prep for joining in.

Typically young people say the first session is easier than they expected.

Online groups may not sound right after all the lockdowns and home schooling but teens are used to connecting alot on line and this group brings teens together in a well facilitated approach.

These groups are open to all teens who want to become more socially confident and for NDIS clients who are Plan or Self Managed.