Social Skills Australia

We help adolescents and adults with autism, ADHD and social challenges to make friends and succeed socially.

upcoming Programs

Our Programs

Adolescent Program
(13-17 yrs)

  • Conversational skills.
  • Make & keep friends.
  • Handling rejection and disagreements.
  • Handling teasing & bullying.

Young Adult Program
(18-30 yrs)

  • Everything in the adolescent program.
  • Letting someone know you like them & going on dates.
  • Online dating & handling dating pressure.

Over 30’s Social Skills Workshop
(30 yrs++)

  • Develop and maintain friendships.
  • Hosting successful get-togethers.
  • Start and maintain conversations.
  • Exchange contact details with potential new friends.
  • Enter and exit group conversations.

testimonials

What participants say.

Here are the key benefits of our online PEERS® program

Benefits of PEERS® Online

As education shifts online, many families are experiencing the benefits of virtual learning, particularly for social skills programs. PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is delivered via Telehealth and is a proven intervention designed to enhance the social interactions and relationships of youth and adults who experience social challenges. Online learning is particularly beneficial for people with autism, ADHD and social anxiety - for the reasons outlined below.

  • Participants can join sessions from their own homes, a familiar and comfortable environment. This often results in lower anxiety levels, allowing them to focus better on learning and practicing new social skills.

  • The online format eliminates the need for travel, making it easier to fit sessions into busy family schedules. It also provides access to high-quality social skills training for participants in rural or remote areas who might otherwise miss out.

  • Without the barriers of commuting or health-related absences, participants are more likely to attend regularly. This consistent participation is crucial for skill development and retention.

  • Participants often feel more at ease and are more willing to engage in discussions, role-plays, and activities when they're in a setting that feels safe and controlled.

  • While the lessons are delivered online, the application of these skills happens in real-life settings. Participants practice what they've learned with their social coaches, during phone calls with peers, and within their local communities. This dual approach ensures that they are well-prepared to navigate social interactions in any environment.

  • Online sessions allow for greater involvement of parents or social coaches, who can observe and support their child's progress more closely. This collaborative approach reinforces the skills being taught and helps integrate them into daily life.

  • The online format offers greater flexibility for families. It can accommodate varying schedules and allows for make-up sessions if necessary, ensuring that participants don't miss out on crucial learning opportunities.

  • The curriculum remains identical to that of in-person sessions. Participants still engage in discussions, watch role-play videos, and practice their conversation skills. The interactive and supportive environment is maintained through Zoom, ensuring everyone feels part of the group.

Challenges

Does your family face these challenges?

Are you concerned your adolescent or young adult is having issues with:

  • Making friends: Are you concerned your adolescent or young adult doesn't seem to have many friends and is missing out on invitations to parties?
  • Bullying: Are you worried your adolescent or young adult is depressed or anxious or getting bullied at school?
  • Changing schools Do you find yourself thinking about changing schools or homeschooling?
  • Keeping friends: Has your teen or young adult stopped trying to make or keep friends because it doesn't seem to work and they don't know why?
  • Too much gaming: Is your teen or young adult online or gaming too much?
  • Attending school: Is your adolescent or young adult isolating and starting to refuse to go to school?

Extra Support

Autism, anxiety, and social challenges can make life hard for adolescents and young adults and often families need some extra support.

We are here to help!

Social Skills

Research shows improving social skills and having even just 1-2 close friendships can:

  • Increase self-esteem, confidence and independence
  • Decrease the likelihood of depression and anxiety linked to loneliness
  • Minimise the occurrence of bullying.

The PEERS® Program is a proven, internationally-acclaimed, research-based social skills course designed SPECIFICALLY for adolescents, young adults and adults on the autism spectrum or with social challenges. It works!

about The Coach

Hi, I'm

Christine O'Leary,

and I'm a Social Coach

I’m a fellow parent of adolescents with social challenges myself - and I’m here to help!


I help adolescents and young adults with autism, ADHD and other social challenges to make and keep friends and learn important social skills through relaxed and fun small group sessions, both online and in person.

Certified
PEERS® Provider

  • Completed the UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour at UCLA.
  • Certified PEERS® Provider.

Communication & Public Relations Specialist

  • Specialised skills and advanced knowledge in the communications, media and creative industries.
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, GradDip Communication, PR, Advertising, & Applied Communication.

Parenting Support & Consulting

  • Specialising in supporting both individuals and organisations to communicate effectively with others.
  • University-trained and post-graduate qualified communications professional passionate about helping people to communicate well.

Social Skills

We’re excited to work with you or your loved one to achieve your family goals!

Social SkillS

Why PEERS®

I first discovered PEERS® when my own son asked for help with learning social skills, and he and I completed the PEERS® course with me as his social skills coach.

The difference for my son has been profound, and since then, I’ve had many parents ask me about social skills training for adolescents. I know what it’s like to have a child who finds it hard to make and keep friends, feels socially awkward and is beginning to isolate, and is vulnerable to bullying, depression and anxiety. I know that, as a parent, it can be really worrying. And it can be hard to know what to do as there are very few support programs out there for teenagers.

Today, I'm so happy to say that my son is a happy, confident and articulate young man. He has a beautiful group of friends around him, he’s thriving at school, his wonderful sense of humour is shining through, he’s started playing team sports, and he has recently started a part-time job that fits around his studies. His teachers often tell me how wonderful he is doing at school and the positive changes they have seen in him.

I’ve seen for myself the difference this program can make, and my passion is to share everything I’ve learned with other families.

Having completed the PEERS® program with my son and the PEERS® Certified Provider training through the University of California, I KNOW that social skills can be explicitly taught - and learned. And having these skills in their toolkit makes all the difference for these teens.

I value the uniqueness of each individual and draw on a strengths-based and adolescent-centred approach in our small-group sessions, which are warm, respectful, relaxed and inclusive. I have more than 28 years of experience as a communications specialist, and I’ve spent much of my career in the not-for-profit, education and disability sectors - and I’m a mum of adolescents on the autism spectrum myself. I bring all that combined knowledge and experience to every session and every teen I have the honour to work with. And most of all - we have FUN! It’s true! Learning social skills is actually SO much fun.

I look forward to the opportunity to help your adolescents flourish as the beautiful individual they are so they can live their best life - with some extra social skills in their toolkit that they can use should they choose to.

Get in touch! I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Christine O’Leary

Certified PEERS® Provider & Social Skills Coach

about Peers

Where does PEERS come from?

Dr Elizabeth Laugeson, developed PEERS®

An Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioural Sciences at UCLA (University of California) Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour.

More than x30 peer-reviewed studies demonstrate the efficacy of this course - with adolescents consistently showing improvement on every measure of social skills and social engagement - as well as reduced problem behaviours, related social difficulties and social anxiety.

The gains are maintained well after the course has ended - a finding attributed to the involvement of a social coach, which can be a parent, another family member, a teacher or a support worker.


For more information on PEERS®, check out this video by the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic and the developer of PEERS®, Dr Elizabeth Laugeson.

PEERS® & NDIS Participants.

The PEERS® Program suits most NDIS Plans.NDIS funding can be used if your family is self-managed or plan-managed.

NDIS Information:

*NOTE: It is important to check your own individual funding options.

The investment

NDIS and Costs.

Adolescent
Program

The investment to participate in the Adolescent Program is $62.85 per hour (including GST)

  • Intake interviews
  • 90 min adolescents skill development session per week
  • 90 min parent/support worker coaching session per week
  • PEERS® App
  • Weekly handouts/practice at home materials
  • Incentive prizes each week
  • Support throughout the 14-week program

Total Investment:

$2,640

14-week program: $188.57 per week

Total investment for the entire program (includes everything) = $2,640
A payment plan is available for non-NDIS participants.

Young Adult
Program

The investment to participate in the Young Adult Program is $62.85 per hour (including GST)

  • Intake interviews
  • 90 min young adult skill development session per week
  • 90 min parent/support worker coaching session per week
  • PEERS® App
  • Weekly handouts/practice at home materials
  • Support throughout the 14-week program

Total Investment:

$2,640

14-week program: $188.57 per week

Total investment for the entire program (includes everything) = $2,640
A payment plan is available for non-NDIS participants.

Over 30's
Workshop

The investment to participate in the Over 30's Workshop is $550 (including GST)

  • For adults 30 years++
  • Delivered in a One-Day Workshop format 9am - 4pm
  • Hands-on instruction and practice opportunities in a safe and supportive environment
  • Includes course notes, role play videos and practice at home exercises
  • Presenter: Christine O'Leary, Founder of Social Skills Australia and Certified PEERS® Provider.

Total Investment:

$550

Total investment for the entire workshop (includes everything)(incl GST)

we got answers

Frequently asked questions.

  • We offer a range of programs tailored to different age groups and needs. Below is a list of our key programs and their associated costs:

    • 14-Week Program for Adolescents and Young Adults:

      • Price: $2,640incl GST (or $188.57 per week x 14 weeks)

      • Overview: This comprehensive program spans 14 weeks and is designed to help adolescents and young adults develop crucial social skills, including conversation techniques, managing social interactions, and building friendships.

    • Over 30s Workshop:

      • Price: $550 (Full one-day registration fee for one attendee, including GST)

      • Overview: A one-day intensive workshop for individuals over 30, focusing on refining social skills, improving communication, and navigating social relationships in adulthood.

    • Boot Camps:

      • Price: $869 (Includes full 2-day registration fee for one attendee - one accompanying parent attends for FREE)

      • Overview: These bootcamps are designed to provide concentrated social skills training over two days. They include hands-on activities, role-playing, and real-world practice to reinforce the skills taught.

    • PEERS® 4-Week Dating Intensive:

      • Price: $869 (Includes full 4-week registration fee for one attendee and two social coaching webinars, including GST)

      • Overview: This intensive course runs for four weekly 2-hour sessions, focusing on dating skills such as initiating conversations, asking someone on a date, and handling rejection. It also includes two parent coaching webinars to support participants.

  • PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is an evidence-based social skills training program designed to improve social interactions for individuals with autism, ADHD, and other social challenges. It focuses on teaching practical skills for building and maintaining friendships and relationships.

  • Our programs are open to adolescents, adults, and parents. We tailor our courses to meet the needs of individuals with social challenges, including those on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, or experiencing other social difficulties.

  • Program durations vary depending on the specific course. 

    Our Dating Intensive is a 4-week program, while our PEERS® courses typically run for 14 weeks. We also offer a Self-Paced Start Anytime PEERS course that allows you to progress at your own pace. Bootcamps are 2-day full days on a weekend and our Over 30’s Workshop is a one day program

  • Yes, parental involvement is highly encouraged, especially in our PEERS® programs. Parents often serve as social coaches, reinforcing the skills taught during the sessions. For the 14-week programs parents have their own coaching sessions each week. For the Dating Intensive, parents receive coaching webinars to support their child’s progress.For Bootcamps parents are FREE to join.

  • Once you enroll in a course, you’ll receive login details to access the materials online or via email. For the Self-Paced PEERS® course, you’ll have access to the videos, PDFs, and other resources.

  • Participants are encouraged to ask questions during weekly sessions. You’ll also have access to our private Facebook forum where you can ask questions and share experiences with other participants. Additionally, for certain courses like the Self-Paced PEERS® program, you receive two 30-minute 1:1 coaching calls with the instructor to address any specific concerns or questions.

  • Yes! If you missed the current round of PEERS®, you can enrol in our Self-Paced Start Anytime PEERS® course, which will be available starting October 1, 2024. This allows you to start the program at your convenience.

  • Yes, our programs are suitable for NDIS participants, depending on their plan. Please check with your NDIS provider to ensure coverage.

  • We do not offer refunds for any of our courses. Please ensure you’re committed to the program before enrolling.

  • You can schedule your two 30-minute coaching calls through our Calendly link at any time within 4 months of purchasing the course. These sessions are conducted via Zoom.

  • The online format of our courses, combined with the flexibility of accessing materials at your convenience, helps promote consistent attendance. Participants attend one 90-minute session each week for the 14-week program. We also provide tools and reminders to help you stay on track.

  • The online PEERS® course offers the same evidence-based curriculum as our in-person sessions, with the added benefits of reduced anxiety for participants, greater convenience, and more focused learning. The virtual format allows participants to engage deeply with the material in a comfortable setting. If you want more practical and proven benefits of PEERS® online please click here. https://www.socialskillsaustralia.com.au/blog

  • After enrolling in one of our courses, you will receive an invitation to join our private Facebook forum, where you can connect with other participants, ask questions, and share your experiences.

  • We offer introductory videos and sample lessons on our website, so you can get a feel for the course content and structure before making a commitment. We also share with you the breakdown of topics per week. https://www.socialskillsaustralia.com.au/sample-content