Gameplan is committed to helping young people build and maintain relationships to develop their social emotional learning and wellbeing in ways that honour and support neurodiversity.

Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs are evidence-based, tailored to the needs of each individual participant, are offered during the school term or school holiday period, and provide exceptional value.

We provide different programs for different ages and groups:

Programs are delivered by highly experienced Gameplan speech therapists and special educators who genuinely care about enhancing the lives of the individuals they work with.

 
 
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BIG Thinkers (6-11yo)

Gameplan’s BIG Thinkers are SEL programs designed for 6-11 year-olds that honour authentic communication between all people. We do not teach "appropriate and inappropriate" ways to navigate the social world. Instead, we employ neurodiverse affirming practices to assist in social emotional development. By focussing on perspective taking, self-advocacy and personal empowerment, we assist individuals to take part in engaging and fulfilling interactions with each other. 

In each session, we focus on an area of need derived from our detailed observation processes as well as a range of super fun, structured activities where your children can practice their developing skills. They will engage in craft, science, art, building, gardening and cooking activities each week. No week is ever the same and our participants love attending our engaging groups each week, especially our end of term parties!

Each program is based on the individual needs of the group.

Term 2 2024: 4.30pm - 5.30pm Monday (60min)

Participants will learn about:

  • Making authentic connections with others

  • Advocating for one's wants and needs

  • Requesting

  • Making choices

  • Expressing opinions

  • Describing personal boundaries

  • Asserting oneself

  • Problem-solving

  • And more!

CONSULTANTS

Gameplan Consultants Emma Squires, Charlotte Scaunich, and Megan Sequeira are the experts delivering BIG Thinkers.

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ConnX (10-14yo)

We love assisting our participants to develop their social-emotional well-being through carefully planned, evidence-supported, neuro-affirming, super fun group sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

Program goals are derived from on the individual needs of the group members.

CONSULTANTS

Gameplan Speech Pathologists Bronte Fraser, Celia Schild, Rebecca Wong, Eliza Walsh, and Chloe Ford, together with Minecraft expert Veronica Senior, are our passionate program organisers.

ConnX Minecraft Missions - Term 2 2024: Tuesdays: 4.30pm - 5.30pm (60min) \ laptop required

Our Tuesday afternoon Minecraft Missions group is perfect for 11-14 year olds who love Minecraft and gaming!

Our group provides an opportunity for participants to engage with like-minded individuals through the shared interest of Minecraft, thus promoting authentic experiences for growth and reflection.

ConnX Wednesdays - Term 2 2024: 4.30pm - 5.30pm (60min)

Our Connx Wednesday afternoons are inspired by the interests of the attendees. Once planned together, the team engages in with others through board games, cooking, art, craft, science, physical movement, role-plays and music!

ConnX Minecraft Missions (School Holiday Program)

Gameplan’s Minecraft expert Veronica has curated a set of incredible Minecraft challenges for our super fun holiday program!

But it’s not all about gaming, of course! We’ll be assisting participants to develop teamwork and communication strategies via our challenges.

 
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Gameplan PEERS (Adolescents and Young Adults)

Gameplan is pleased to offer both PEERS for Adolescents and PEERS for Young Adults programs in 2024.  

These are online 16-week evidence-based, social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for motivated teens or young adults who are interested in learning new ways of making and keeping friends, developing romantic relationships, and navigating social situations across the life span.  

During each group session, teens and young adults are taught a range of social strategies and are given the opportunity to practice these strategies both in and out of the groups.  

Parents/caregivers attend separate sessions at the same time and are taught how to assist their teens or young adults in their daily living environments.

This internationally acclaimed program, used in over 35 countries, was originally developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson.
Enquiries NOW OPEN for 2024

CONSULTANTS

Gameplan’s Speech Pathologists Nicole Whyte, Kate Augello, and Bronte Fraser with the support of Allied Health Assistants and fabulous education and allied health university students.

SNAPSHOT OF KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Strategies for making and keeping friends

  • Reciprocal communication

  • Handling disagreements and teasing

  • Social coach support for parents/care givers

  • And more!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. Of course, if you need any other information, please get in contact with us. We’re here to help.

Will the programs help my child improve academically and socially?

Absolutely. We address the gaps that classrooms can’t fill, using standardised assessments and research supported tools to identify and target learning gaps with effective tools that will achieve results.

Busy classrooms often do not have time to go back and teach the fundamentals that students miss along the way. We provide an opportunity to do this in a fun yet targeted and efficient way.

To ensure long term success, we can also help guide the teachers at your child’s school. Our Consultants are able to use specialised assessments to pinpoint exactly what your child needs to achieve greater success. We can then talk to teachers about how best to implement these in the classroom and the playground.

How is Gameplan qualified to help my child?

Gameplan has been successfully operating for over 11 years, parents can rest assured that we are using our expertise gained from working with hundreds of students to tailor, adapt and individualise intervention that is right for your child. There is plenty of non-evidence based advice being sold in education but Gameplan works closely with both Melbourne and Monash universities to ensure that what we deliver is driven by research into practice.

On top of that, all of our clinicians hold Masters level qualifications which means that they are specialists in their fields. They know what strategies work and work fast.

The evidence-based component sounds great, but Are the programs still fun?

Of course! Our programs are supposed to be fun and ours are no different! Our intervention is embedded in activities that are game based and ALL of the activities are engaging and interesting. Think of us as personal trainers for your child’s brain - activities are fun, targeted and results driven. Our staff love working with your kids, too!

Is there any ongoing support available after the program?

Yes, this is something we pride ourselves on. We work hard on our relationships with parents to build a team of support around the child for the long term. We will continue to provide advice, support and ideas for intervention after the conclusion of the program. You become part of the Gameplan family.

The programs aren't cheap. I'm not sure they're affordable.

Studies show that gaps in learning only increase in size over time. The earlier intervention is provided, the faster the problems may be overcome. Our clients receive the most effective, targeted, and individually tailored assessments, programs and interventions available. To help easy the financial burden, we are NDIS registered and offer Medicare and private health rebates.

How long do the programs run?

Our programs are held weekly during the school term and range from 50-90mins. We make every minute count by using tools that have been proven by research to be effective. We can help your child make important gains within this time-frame.

What other benefits do your programs offer?

Quite a few, actually.

Reduced anxiety - students with gaps in their learning often feel increased anxiety because they cannot keep up. We help reduce feelings of anxiety by filling the gaps.

Increased confidence - we teach skills that kids need for academicand social success. When students can go into a classroom or playground and know what to do, they feel empowered and more confident.

Improved grades - we work with individuals from primary, secondary and tertiary so we know what they need to learn and how to get there fast.