Is your child finding it difficult to:
- Attend school and participate in everyday school tasks? Or
- Start and complete everyday tasks? Or
- Go to certain places, engage in activities, or try new things? Or
- Stay in a safe, supervised place when they feel distressed, overwhelmed, or curious?
Available with Improved Daily Living (IDL) funding for NDIS participants in Adelaide, Melbourne's west, north west, north, and north east, and in Ballarat
at a glance: about this skills-based behaviour therapy program
short-term
10-15 week programs designed to accelerate skill acquisition
practical
No full assessments or lengthy reports required before starting
flexible
Personalised programs delivered in home, school, community or clinic
led by
Experienced and appropriately qualified practitioners
Collaborative
Working with, and coaching, families and relevant support staff
our approach
Personalised, neuroaffirming and trauma-informed
ndis funding Improved Daily Living (IDL) funding required
About this program
supporting social engagement and participation
Our skills-based Social Engagement and Participation program focuses on helping children build skills that support independence and participation in day-to-day activities, such as:
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Consistently attending school and participating in school-related activities
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Starting and completing everyday tasks
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Not leaving safe, supervised areas without approval from parents, teachers or caregivers
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Feeling able to tolerate feelings of anxiety, rather than avoiding triggers
Your child's personalised program will be tailored to a key focus area, as shown below, and together, we'll work towards achieving 3-5 functional skills-based goals.
Practical, goal-oriented progams
focus areas and functional goals
As part of this program, your child may focus on a specific day-to-day challenge (a 'focus area'), as shown below. Working collaboratively wth their program practitioner, they'll focus on 3 - 5 personalised skill development goals.
school attendance and participation
Some common skill development goals may include:
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Creating and consistently follow a step-by-step routine with agreed supports.
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Learning to identify and communicate their top 2 - 3 triggers for avoidance.
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Implementing agreed coping / support options.
starting and completing tasks
Some common skill development goals may include:
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Breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
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Using personalised supports to aid outcome achievement.
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Using personalised scripts to help them express themselves and ask for help when tasks feel overwhelming.
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(Older children) Receiving anxiety education with support to learn and practice coping strategies.
staying in safe, supervised areas
Some common skill development goals may include:
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Developing and implementing 'safe exit options', with the ability to use "exit / escape" communication before leaving an area.
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Co-creating and following a safty plan routine.
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Using calming tools to support emotional regulation.
tolerating feelings of anxiety
Some common skill development goals may include:
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Learning and being able to identify early anxiety and use coping strategies.
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Working towards reducing avoidance behaviours for a specific situation.
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Anxiety education and the implementation of coping strategies (tailored to age and capabilities).
Building skills to support
school attendance and participation
why doesn't my child want to go to school?
CHALLENGES WITH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Whether it's a school night bedtime routine going awry or difficulty saying goodbye at drop off, challenges going to - or taking part in activities - at school can make schooldays feel incredibly difficult - for you and your child.
Also known as 'school refusal' or 'school avoidance', a child may find it difficult to attend school or take part in schoolday activities for a range of reasons, including finding it difficult to:
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Manage big emotions at school
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Manage anxiety or wrry about activities or places
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Cope with sensory sensitivities
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Deal with the day-to-day demands of school
These feelings could occur if school feels unsafe to them, or if it feels unmanageable or uncomfortable.
school avoidance behaviours don't just happen at school and it isn't the same as 'skipping' or 'wagging'
Behaviours associated with school avoidance can occur at anytime - not just on the way - or when you get to - school. You may notice them in the morning, during the school day, or even at bedtime when thoughts about the next day arise.
RECOGNISING SCHOOL AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOURS IN CHILDREN AND teenagers
Some of the more common behaviours associated with school avoidance may include:
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Regular attempts to stay home, or frequent visits to the sick bay. Note that it's important to ensure that illnesses and health conditions have been ruled out by your GP.
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Purposely taking an extra long time to get ready for school.
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Struggling with transitions - for example, getting into or out of the car, walking into the classroom, and so on.
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Hiding, needing to run, or withdrawing when it's time to go to school or enter the classroom.
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Staying very close to parents or carers at drop off and finding it very hard to say goodbye.
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Experiencing big emotions related to thoughts of school.
When your child doesn't have to go to school, you might notice that they feel relieved and instantly calmer. They might then turn to their favourite activities to self-soothe.
program availability
The 'School Attendance and Participation' focus area is available as part of the Social Engagement and Participation program.
LOCATIONS:
Available in Adelaide, Ballarat and Melbourne's west, north west, north, and north east
ELIGIBILITY:
For NDIS participants aged 6-18 with IDL funding. Note that these programs are for children and young people with skill-based needs. Suitability will be confirmed on a case-by-case basis by our team members.
does your child need support building skills to help improve school attendance and participation?
Find out if this skills-based program is right for you and your family. Fill in the online referral form or contact us directly at 1300 575 329 / 8292 5300 or at info@activ8group.com.au.
Building skills to support
startIng and completing tasks
why won't my child do what i ask them to do?
challenges starting and completing tasks
You've asked your child to start and / or finish an age-appropriate task, but they're ignoring you, avoiding the task, or refusing to do it.
When a young person finds it challenging to start or finish tasks (also referred to as 'task refusal' or 'demand avoidance), they may be:
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Feeling overwhelmed
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Feeling anxious
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Feeling as though they've lost a sense of control
And this may stop them from doing what has been asked - or is expected - of them.
If this is happening, it's important to note that they're not 'being difficult' - they may be finding it hard to manage demands and regulate their emotions. Sensory sensitivities and difficulty with transitions may also contribute.
Why won’t my child do what’s asked... everything FEELS LIKE a battle?
If your child feels overwhelmed or anxious, or they're not sure how to start or finish a task, they might communicate this through behaviours - for example, refusing to do what's asked, even if you've asked with kindness and patience.
Sensory sensitivities, struggles with transitions, and a need to feel more in control may also contribute to these behaviours.
RECOGNISING demand avoidance (task refusal) IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
If your child is having trouble starting and / or completing tasks for the reasons discussed, you might notice them doing one or more of the below:
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Saying “no” when you ask them to do something, or finding it really hard to get started.
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Ignoring you when you ask them to help or work on a task.
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Putting tasks off - they may say "I'll do it later" or ask a lot of questions to delay starting.
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Getting distracted by another activity before they can begin.
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Negotiating or pushing back on tasks.
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Having a strong emotional reaction - including feeling overwhelmed or upset - when being asked to do something.
program availability
The 'Task Avoidance' focus area is available as part of the Social Engagement and Participation program.
LOCATIONS:
Available in Adelaide, Ballarat and Melbourne's west, north west, north, and north east
ELIGIBILITY:
For NDIS participants aged 6-18 with IDL funding. Note that these programs are for children and young people with skill-based needs. Suitability will be confirmed on a case-by-case basis by our team members.
could skill-building support help your child feel more confident starting and completing tasks?
Learn more or request our support. Fill in the online referral form or contact us directly at 1300 575 329 / 8292 5300 or info@activ8group.com.au.
Building skills to support young people to
Stay in safe and / or supervised areas
why might my child be leaving safe, supervised spaces without telling anyone or asking permission?
Many people might think of this behaviour as 'running away' or 'fleeing'. You might also hear clinicians call this 'absconding'.
Whatever you choose to call it, when a child or young person leaves a safe, supervised area without first asking permission or telling a trusted adult - and without understanding the potential risks of doing so - it can become a serious challenge.
This behaviour can happen quickly and without warning - for example, moving quickly away from a caregiver at the playground or leaving a classroom and school grounds.
Behavious like this may occur when a child feels distressed, overwhelmed, or very curious about something they're interested in (i.e. they know that their are ducks in the pond, and they want to see them now).
what might be making my child want to leave?
In this type of scenario, leaving without asking or telling a trusted adult isn't about sneaking out and purposefully breaking the rules
It's usually a response to feeling overwhelmed, confused, or full of big emotions - emotions that feel tricky to manage.
For example, they may:
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Feel overwhelmed or distressed
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Be experiencing sensory sensitivity
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Feel unable to pause before leaving
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Not consider or be aware of the risks associated with their behaviours
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Be struggling to communicate unmet needs
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Be seeking predictability or control
RECOGNISING THESE behaviours IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
In your child or teen, you might notice them:
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Leaving the house, yard, classroom, school grounds, public places (i.e shopping centre, playground, park), or any other supervised area without asking or telling a parent, carer, or teacher.
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Moving away from a group during an excursion or community outing
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Running off when feeling overwhelmed, distressed, or asked to complete a task
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Wandering away to explore something of interest (e.g. water, playground equipment, a favourite place)
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Going into unsafe areas (e.g. roads, car parks, or unfamiliar spaces) without recognising the risk
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Hiding or finding a quiet place away from others without letting anyone know
program availability
The 'Absconding' focus area is available as part of the Social Engagement and Participation program.
LOCATIONS:
Available in Adelaide, Ballarat and Melbourne's west, north west, north, and north east
ELIGIBILITY:
For NDIS participants aged 6-18 with IDL funding. Note that these programs are for children and young people with skill-based needs. Suitability will be confirmed on a case-by-case basis by our team members.
is your child finding it difficult to stay close when feeling overwhelmed, distressed, or curious?
Is this program suitable for your child? To find out, fill in the online referral form or contact us directly at 1300 575 329 / 8292 5300 or at info@activ8group.com.au.
Skills to support children to
tolerate feelings of anxiety
why is my child is avoiding activities, situations, places, and / or trying new things?
Also known as 'anxiety avoidance', young people may find themselves avoiding situations, activities or expectations that feel worrying, unsafe, or overwhelming to them.
This may be due to:
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Feeling anxious or fearful of the unknown
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Having difficulty coping with change or uncertainty
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Experiencing challenges with emotional regulation
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Being unsure how to start tasks, i.e. not knowing where to begin
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Fixating on and replaying distressing or overwhelming experiences from the past
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Needing greater predictability, routine, or a sense of control
Avoiding places, actitivies, and situations may help to reduce feelings of distress in the moment, but over time, it can impact confidence and stop them from taking part in activities - even those that they previously enjoyed.
program availability
The 'Anxiety Avoidance' focus area is available as part of the Social Engagement and Participation program.
LOCATIONS:
Available in Adelaide, Ballarat and Melbourne's west, north west, north, and north east
ELIGIBILITY:
For NDIS participants aged 6-18 with IDL funding. Note that these programs are for children and young people with skill-based needs. Suitability will be confirmed on a case-by-case basis by our team members.
RECOGNISING anxiety avoidance behaviours IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
When a child or young person is struggling to navigate anxiety and change, you might notice behaviours such as:
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Avoiding school, social events, or new experiences
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Needing lots of reassurance before giving things a go
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Withdrawing, staying in their room, or sticking very closely to routines
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Becoming distressed or overwhelmed when something feels unfamiliar
Is your child finding it hard to cope with anxiety or change?
Request our support or ask us if this program is suitable for your child, Fill in the online referral form or contact us directly at 1300 575 329 / 8292 5300 or at info@activ8group.com.au.