School Age Therapy
Our School Age Therapy service provides tailored support to children and teens to succeed throughout their schooling years.
Receive support with the goals that are important to you and your family
Our multidisciplinary therapy team of speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and teachers, can work together with the important people in your life to develop a plan that is personalised to your unique strengths, needs and aspirations.
The School Age Therapy Service is person and family centred, meaning we work collaboratively with families, schools, and other community services to support children and teens to succeed throughout their schooling years.
Our School Age Therapy Team
Our School Age Therapy service is led by a dedicated, passionate team of Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Teachers and Social Workers.
Each family works closely with a therapist, who is their key contact. Your key contact works in partnership with you to develop and deliver your individual plan.
Therapy is provided in everyday environments to suit your child’s life and activities. This can occur at our specialist hubs or within home, school, or community environments.
Your personalised therapy plan can support with participation and inclusion across a wide range of goal areas including:
- Transitions and school readiness
- Understanding behaviour
- Emotional and physical wellbeing
- Development of social skills and relationships
- Building skills
- Developing independence
- Increasing participation at home, school and in the community
Direct therapy sessions can help to increase skills and independence to achieve your goals in the following areas:
- Play and Leisure
- Managing their sensory systems and emotions
- Doing daily self care tasks
- Mealtimes
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Participating in learning activities in school
- Communication and Building Friendships
- Building positive behaviours
We can visit your school to provide direct therapy, integrate strategies into your education plan and work with your teachers so you can join in and get the most out of your school day.
As you reach your final years of school, you can work with our Stepping Out therapy team to plan your pathway beyond school.
Whether your goal is to attend university and TAFE, to get a job, or to focus on community activities, The Stepping Out for Teens and Young Adults Program can help you to build skills and make the connections you need to get you on your chosen path.
Express your interest in our Social Skills Programs
If you are currently accessing therapy services with us, speak to your therapist to register for our Social Skills Therapy Programs. If you are not currently accessing therapy services at the Association, enquire about the School Age Therapy service below.
Contact our team to find out more about our School Age Therapy service.
Social Skill Therapy Programs
If you are accessing our comprehensive therapy services, you may choose to participate in one of our social skills programs to learn more about topics such as self-awareness, understanding others, communication, and building friendships. Find out more about these groups below.
Facilitated by our therapy team and specialist sports coaches, children and teens can try out a range of sports and meet new friends in a safe and supported environment.
Over two full days in the school holidays, attendees can experience a range of sports to try and find the ones they enjoy most. Afterwards, we can support you to link in with your local community sports programs. Programs include:
- Sports Academy for Children in School Years 4 to 6
- Sports Academy for Teenagers in School Years 7 to 11
Developed by the Autism Association, the Social Magic program is a social skills curriculum focused on self-awareness, understanding others, communication, and friendships.
The program consists of five therapy groups tailored to the specific support needs and goal areas of participants.
These five magical topics are Making Magic, Social Sorcerers, Mystical Bites, Fantastical Feasts, and Myths and Magic.
Each program runs over eight weeks from 3.30pm to 5.30pm and is offered from different locations across the Perth metro area.
To find out more about each Social Magic Program click here.
The 2026 timetable will be available soon.
KONTAKT® is a 16-week social skills program for Autistic children and young adults aged from 12–17 years.
Delivered through small groups, KONTAKT® provides an opportunity for motivated teenagers to further advance their social skills, develop skills to manage complex social challenges and practice their skills in a supportive social space.
The KONTAKT® program incorporates an initial assessment meeting and 16 weekly group sessions. It also involves home practice; three parent sessions; a community excursion; the development of personalised social skills goals; a summary report, and optional follow-up sessions.
We are pleased to offer this program following the success of our KONTAKT® Social Skills Group Research Trial in partnership with the Curtin Autism Research Group and the Karolinska Institute of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Upcoming program dates below:
Term 3 and 4 2025 (Thursdays)
Autism Association of WA, Midland
Commences week 3, term 3 (7th July) and concludes week 8 of term 4 (4th December).
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a research-based social skills program for adolescents and young adults with Autism. You can find out more about this program here.
The PEERS® group suits Autistic adolescents aged 15-18 years who are motivated to build social skills and are confident communicators
Throughout the program, a social mentoring coach is also required to attend each week to learn strategies to support the young adult to implement these skills. This may be a parent, sibling, or support worker.
Upcoming program dates below:
Tuesdays, 5:15pm – 6.45pm
Autism Association of WA, Shenton Park
Commences Tuesday 13th May and runs until Tuesday 9th September 2025.
News
Programs & Services
Events
School Age Events
Related Pages
Early Childhood
Support for children during the early years
Children & Adolescents
Support for children & adolescents during school years
Preparing For Life After School
Support for transitioning from adolescence to adulthood
Accessing Our Services
We are a registered NDIS provider. If you are interested in our therapy services and have an NDIS plan relevant to your support needs, enquire today or contact us to find out more about this service.