Drama for Everyday Life Program

The Drama for Everyday Life Program assists children, adolescents and adults in developing appropriate social skills and self confidence. Students commence with a tailored private program before moving into small group classes. All sessions are tailored to the needs of the individual student.

Adult Program - Areas Covered

Using role plays, work sheets and improvisation exercises, the program covers the following areas:

• Social skills   This covers the standard social skills adults use regularly in everyday life.  It includes conversation skills; joining in and leaving conversations; greetings and farewells, manners, job interview skills and appropriate use of personal space.
• Relationships   This area of the program takes standard social skills a step further by learning how to make and maintain friendships and maintain appropriate boundaries in different types of relationships, for example, appropriate topics of conversation in workplaces.
• Non -Verbal Cues:  Students learn how to recognise other’s emotions through non-verbal cues, such as, body language, facial expression and tone of voice.  This area of the program also covers how to respond to others' feelings, for example, appropriate ways of responding to a friend's bad day.
• Self Confidence:  Students learn how self confidence is expressed through body language, facial expression, voice and personal grooming.  By increasing self awareness, students can be more confident in expressing themselves.
• Creativity: Students are encouraged to develop different solutions to social scenarios.

Workplace Social Skills Program

The Workplace Social Skills Program is a unique program that assists people in developing appropriate social skills in the workplace. 
Many people on the autism spectrum have specialised technical skills in their field, but experience difficulties in the social environment of the workplace.  While the program has been developed with the needs of people with Asperger’s Syndrome or high functioning autism in mind, it is effective for any person who is experiencing difficulties with social skills.

The Workplace Social Skills Program assists students in learning how to interact appropriately and positively with colleagues, supervisors and clients using specialised drama techniques.
This comprehensive, structured program covers the following topics (and more!):

• Conversation skills in the workplace
• How to use “small talk”
• The importance of greetings and farewells
• Appropriate boundaries with Supervisors and Workmates
• How to start and finish conversations appropriately
• How to ask for help
• What to do when you feel angry in the workplace
• Maintaining positive workplace relationships

The Workplace Social Skills Program consists of 10 x 1 hour sessions, conducted once per week over 10 weeks.  Participants are provided with Student Handbooks and written checklists at the completion of the program.

The Workplace Social Skills Program is tailored to suit the needs of the participants and can be conducted on site or at our premises in Mont Albert. 

Private Sessions
Private sessions are vital in laying the groundwork for group lessons.  By working one to one with a teacher, students are able to develop their skills with a positive role model.

Students commence with a ten week program consisting of one private session each week, with home activities.  After an initial consultation with the instructor, goals are set for the student's program. Programs are tailored to suit the needs of the individual, so if there are specific issues that students/carers would like addressed, they can be included.   It is recommended that students complete a minimum of ten private lessons, however if there are specific issues to be addressed, a longer time frame may be beneficial.

Instructors provide students/carers with regular feedback.  This includes weekly verbal feedback at the end of each class and written checklists at the completion of the term.

Group Sessions
After completing private lessons students can apply their skills in a group setting.  Regular attendance at group lessons provides an excellent opportunity for students not only to learn to new skills, but also to build friendships within class.  Students/Carers are welcome to suggest any issue that they might be currently dealing with so instructors can include these in the program.  Instructors provide written checklists at the end of each term. Great care is taken in matching students to the appropriate group setting.

In addition to the weekly group classes, students are provided with regular home activities. The program grows with the students. The program is tailored to suit the student’s individual needs.