School Holiday Programs for Autistic Children

	Age Groups, Days & Times 3-17 During school holidays
	Locations Various locations based on activity
	Your Host / Coordinator Autism SA Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Facilitators
	Funding Options NDIS Funding Fee for service

What are School Holiday Programs?

School holiday programs at Autism SA are where children aged 3-12 are supported to engage in activities that can help with the development of life skills, social and communication skills and friendships.

Have fun and make new friends while developing a range of life, social and communication skills.

A variety of different programs are delivered each school holidays. Read below to learn more about therapeutic programs coming up next.

Therapeutic programs

Autism SA’s therapeutic school holiday programs are smaller groups delivered by Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists at a range of times and locations.

During the upcoming School Holidays we will be running the following activities:

On your marks, get set, school! (3-6 years)
Aqua Skills (3-8 years)
Lego Club (7-12 years)
Transitions (school years)
Festive SPOT (5-12 years)
Dungeons and Dragons (13-17 years)

Read more about each group and register below.

On your marks, get set, school!

Ages 3 – 6

On your marks, get set, school! is a whole-family approach to ensuring your little one is set up for success starting school.

Starting school is a big deal, not just for children but for the whole family. Morning routines must change and adjust; children are entering a new big phase of their lives, and parents carry a range of emotions as their little one grows and makes their next big step into the world.

Our program will:

Work with you to set up routines that set up calm before school.
Help you navigate the school system and arm you with what to expect.
Create individualised, useful tools, strategies, and resources to support the transition.

Aqua Skills

Ages 3 – 8

Autism SA’s Kids Aqua Skills School Holiday Program is a fun and skill-building group program run by Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists for children aged 3-8 years old.

The program will consist of a ratio of 4 therapists to 4 participants, focusing on developing skills related to water familiarisation, buoyancy, mobility, and water safety. These activities also include opportunities to target communication, language, play, and social skills in the water.

Participants in Kids Aqua Skills have the opportunity to engage with their peers in a facilitated group environment with additional support for participants that require 1:1 support.

The program is delivered as a program of support and sessions are run over 3 consecutive days for 45 minutes each, with an additional 15 minutes allocated to each group to debrief with parents/caregivers and complete documentation requirements

LEGO® Club

Ages 7 -12

The LEGO® Club Group is based on the principles of LEGO®-Based Therapy. It is a structured program, where participants take on a distinct role and then work as a team, following step-by-step visual and verbal instructions, to complete a LEGO® creation.

LEGO® Club supports skill development in a range of areas, including:

Attention and focus
Expressive and receptive communication
Turn taking and sharing
Conversation and social engagement
Problem solving and decision making
Fine motor skills
Social interaction and cooperative play
Emotional regulation

And… it’s fun!!

Transitions – it’s all about the prep!

A new school year often means change in routines and environments are inevitable, and like all things, the only thing you can guarantee is life is change, so let’s get prepared!

Our program supports the preparation needed for a new school year. Your young person may have a new teacher, classroom, peers or even an entirely new school and we aim to support young people to take control of what they can control, be informed about what’s to come and fill up their personal tool kit with strategies that work for them. The skills, tools and strategies gained can also be transferable in preparation for any change a young person is facing.

Festive SPOTS

Ages 5 – 12

Facilitated by a multidisciplinary team, including Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and Developmental Educators, the Festive SPOTS is a fun, themed, skill building group. The group aims to support young people aged 5-12 years, to attend a social group focused on developing range of functional skills related to festive celebrations, such as Christmas. Individuals will be supported to develop their self-advocacy skills and understanding of their own strengths and support needs in relation to celebrations. The group will facilitate peer interactions through fun games and activities that will also target a range of skills such as language development, fine and gross motor skills.

The program runs on several days, with a different theme each day. Come join us for as many sessions as you’d like!

Festive SPOTS party: For 5 – 7 year olds, this group is a festive celebration for our younger participants!

Festive SPOTS Fidget making: For 8 – 12 year olds, this is a combination of our Festive SPOTS and popular Fidget Masterclass groups, where participants will make festive-themed fidgets.

Festive SPOTS crafts: For 5 – 7 year olds, this group is best suited to our craft-loving participants.

Festive SPOTS Santa’s Helpers – gift making: For 8 – 12 year olds, in this group you will make your very own gift to give to someone special.

Dungeons and Dragons

Ages 13 – 17

The Dungeons and Dragons group will be facilitated by a multidisciplinary team including Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists. This group is tailored towards autistic participants aged 13-17 years old. The program focuses on supporting social, communication, language and problem-solving skills through the game Dungeons and Dragons.

Participants will collaborate to create an adventure whilst implementing strategies and solving different mysteries, puzzles and encounters. The group will be supported to engage and work together as a team and overcome different challenges as they arise. The participants will learn about different social communication preferences, explore different forms of play whilst building on their self-advocacy skills within social interactions.

How can I access School Holiday Programs?

For more information about supports and services at Autism SA please contact us on 1300 288 476 or email at contactus@autismsa.org.au.

Autism SA is accredited and registered as a provider through the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). This means that you can pay for services at Autism SA with your NDIS funding, or you may pay yourself, through fee for service.