Groups of
OTFC
Groups
Being part of a group helps children to build valuable skills
At the OTFC group we understand the scope for providing therapy and services within a group-based format. Groups are a great opportunity for your child to develop social and communication skills whilst participating in activities of interest. Each group is run by an Occupational Therapist.
Expressions of interest for groups are sent out each term via email. From here you will be informed whether or not your child’s application for the group is successful.
For more information visit our Contact Us page here, 08 8410 4522 or email [email protected].
Dance
OTFC Dance Factory
Purpose
- Motor planning
- Visual perception skills
- Body awareness
- Sequencing
- Postural control
- Social skills
- Ideational praxis.
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $40.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount) + $15 for a t-shirt
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria:
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Basketball
Basketball Group
Purpose
- To create a safe space for children to develop their gross motor, sequencing,
bilateral motor coordination, and motor planning skills through an identified interest of basketball.
- To create a safe space for children to socialise and develop social and communication skills.
- To facilitate a transition into organised basketball/ social clubs.
- To promote and engage team building, decision making, and co-regulation.
Aim of the group
- 1 hour session, max 6 clients per group
- Made up of warm ups/drills
- Social skill exercise/partner activity
- Team workout/group activity
- Warm down/debrief
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $60.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount). This price may be subject to change once location is finalised
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Social
Social skills Group
8-10 years
Purpose
This group has been designed to encourage more dynamic and organic social scenarios and interactions. These groups have been developed to build on previous social skill experiences and provide an opportunity to improve social skills and use a multisensory approach to work on a number of skills.
The term will aim to focus on the following Social Skill areas
- Turn taking behaviour and conflict resolution
- Tackle topics such as developing friendships, using empathy, personal space, engaging in conversations
- Introduce concepts around digital safety and technology
- Emotional understanding and ability to express emotions
- Develop leadership skills, teamwork and collaborative skills
- Ability to regulate arousal and emotion levels
- Further physical and motor skills in a social space
- Build individual confidence in a social setting
The areas will be explored in a number of ways within the OTFC space
- Demonstrations and observations of effective social skills
- Group discussion and communication with others
- Utilising the Sensory Room space to undertake team building activities
- Exploration of simple forms of activity to support social interaction (e.g. cards, games)
- Written/verbal forms to assess and understand social skills (including quizzes and activity sheets)
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $85.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount)
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Attending mainstream school
- Sensory / motor delay, ADHD, high functioning ASD, dyspraxia
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Social Skills 11-13 years
Purpose
This group has been designed to encourage more dynamic and organic social scenarios and interactions. The group aims to build on previous explicit and module based social skill groups and social skills learnt in other context. These groups have been developed to provide an opportunity to improve social skills and use a multisensory approach.
The term will aim to focus on the following Social Skill areas
- Discussing Primary to High School transition
- Explore friendships in a new context
- Understanding bullying and antisocial behaviour
- Engaging in games and causal activities amongst friends
- Furthering conversational skills
- Explore issues around digital safety
- Emotional understanding and ability to express emotions
- Further team work, leadership and collaborative skills
- Ability to regulate arousal and emotion levels
- Further physical and motor skills in a social space
- Build individual confidence in a social setting
The areas will be explored in a number of ways within the OTFC+ space
- Role Playing and observation
- Group discussion and communication with others
- Utilising the Plus Park to undertake team building activities
- Exploration of simple forms of activity to support social interaction (e.g. cards, board games)
- Written/verbal forms to assess and understand social skills (including quizzes and activity sheets)
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $85.00 per one hour session (NDIS rebate full amount).
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Attending mainstream school
- Sensory / motor delay, ADHD, high functioning ASD, dyspraxia
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Social Skills 14+ years
Purpose
This group has been designed to provide relevance for an older client group. The aim is to combine informal discussion and encourage organic social scenarios and interactions. Exploring further topics pertinent to this age group.
The term group focus on the following areas
- Exploring future, plans beyond school and the ‘world’
- Discuss part time work and money management
- Friendships – existing and developing new ones in other contexts
- Social and personal independence
- Clear decision making in the face of peer pressure
- Exploring diagnoses and challenges associated with these
- Relationships, sexuality and sexual health
- Engaging in games and causal activities amongst friends
- Understanding digital safety and use of technology
- Further physical and motor skills in a social space
- Build confidence in conversations with a variety of people
- Develop team work and collaborative skills
The areas will be explored in a number of ways within the OTFC+ space
- Role Playing and observation
- Group discussion and communication with others
- Utilising the Plus Park to undertake team building activities
- Exploration of simple forms of activity to support social interaction (e.g. cards, board games)
- Written/verbal forms to assess and understand social skills (including quizzes and activity sheets)
- Community access, where applicable, to explore and build on covered skills
Costs involved
- The cost of the group is $85.00 per one hour session (NDIS rebate full amount)
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Attending mainstream school
- Sensory / motor delay, ADHD, high functioning ASD, dyspraxia
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
16+ years Social Skills
Purpose
This group has been designed to provide relevance for an older client group. The aim is to combine informal discussion and encourage organic social scenarios and interactions. The aim is to further explore topics pertinent to this age group.
The term will aim to focus on the following Social Skill areas
- Future options and plans beyond school
- Friendships – existing and developing new ones in other contexts
- Furthering understanding of financial and job independence
- Social and personal independence
- Engaging in games and causal activities amongst friends
- Exploring diagnoses and challenges associated with these
- Relationships and sexuality
- Understanding digital safety and use of technology
- Further physical and motor skills in a social space
- Build confidence in conversations with a variety of people
- Develop team work and collaborative skills
The areas will be explored in a number of ways within the OTFC+ space
- Role Playing and observation
- Group discussion and communication with others
- Utilising the Plus Park to undertake team building activities
- Exploration of simple forms of activity to support social interaction (e.g. cards, board games)
- Written/verbal forms to assess and understand social skills (including quizzes and activity sheets)
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $85.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount)
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Attending mainstream school/open access school/Uni/TAFE, work
- Sensory / motor delay, ADHD, high functioning ASD, dyspraxia
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Cooking
OTFC Pantry
Cooking Group (13+)
Purpose
The OTFC Pantry aims to develop functional independence in the kitchen, a long-term life skill.
The group aims to explore
- Kitchen safety
- Hygiene practices
- Knife skills
- Measurements
- The use of a utensils and appliances
- Social skills & team work
- Following multi-step procedures
- Complete meal preparation
- Increased self-confidence
Group members will also accumulate a ‘cooking journal’ of simplified recipes supporting task break down and visual resources to encourage continued independence in the home.
We plan to run as a small group of 4 participants to ensure adequate support and supervision is provided.
Eligibility criteria
- Existing OTFC Group clients (have completed an OTFC Assessment)
- Targeted at adolescents, 13+ years of age
- Attending/attended mainstream schooling
- Parent attendance during the session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $55.00 per session (10 weeks). NDIS rebate full amount
- A cooking essential box ($55) will also be required to be purchased prior to the first group. This box will include 10+ utensils, apron, oven mit, scales and cooking journal folder)- if purchased previously, you will not need to purchase again
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full session cost will be charged
Games
Online social group - Minecraft
Purpose
- Through using Minecraft, clients will need to communicate openly to work together on;
- Shared tasks
- Share ideas and knowledge
- Following instructions
- Building positive relationships
How sessions will look
- 1-hour session, max 6 per group
- 30 minutes of Minecraft as a group, doing group/teamwork games
- Transition to 30 minutes of video call sensory motor break
Aim of the group
- To create a safe online space for clients to socialise and develop social and communication skills
- To establish an individualised screen-time agreement to support screen-time moderation
- To facilitate transitions off video games
- To promote and engage in sensory-motor activities and breaks as a group
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $75.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount)
- If you are unable to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Adolescent Girls
GIRL GANG
Age 11-13 and 14-15 (alternate terms)
Purpose
OTFC’s ‘Girl Gang’ group has been developed for adolescent females who are seeking extra support and understanding around personal and social challenges, as well as discussions on topics that arise as they get older. This group will combine social, emotional and functional activities to support their learning and confidence in such areas as friends, relationships, school, puberty and health and well-being. The group will support the engagement of organic conversations while performing functional and interest-based tasks such as cooking, art, nails, yoga and community access.
The areas of conversation addressed in the group:
- Meaningful and positive friendships – what makes a true friend
- ‘Frenemies’- what this might look like
- Puberty
- Health and diet
- Mental wellbeing
- Home dynamics
- School relationships
- Appropriate social media use
- Social interactions
Cost involved
- The cost of the group is $75.00 per session (NDIS rebate full amount)
- If you are unable to attend a session, the full group cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing clients only (have completed an OTFC Group Assessment)
- Parent attendance during session is not required
- Able to attend the group for 10 weeks
Horses
OTFC Stables
OTFC Stables School Holiday Group – Aged 5-7 years
OTFC have collaborated with Four Oaks Farm (located in Little Hampton) to offer an exciting group for our clients. OTFC Stables group has been established to provide participants with a unique opportunity to enhance their physical skills, explore new sensory experiences, build self-confidence and develop new interests in a group setting with their peers. The group will include a combination of riding-based activities as well as unmounted team exercises.
The group aims to explore:
- Physical skills including:
- Motor planning
- Coordination of both sides of the body
- Body awareness
- Postural control
- Visual perception skills
- Sensory experiences
- Self-esteem, confidence, emotional control, new interests
- Social skills: interacting with peers, team-based activities
- Community participation
We plan to run as a small group of 10 participants to ensure adequate support and supervision is provided.
Date & Time
- One-off group to be run at discretion of the OTFC Group.
Structure
- 2-hour group, max 10 clients per group
- 1 hour of horse-based activities (pony rides, carriage rides, fire truck rides) and 1 hour of group activities and transition time
- Parents will be required to drop children off at Four Oaks Farm in Little Hampton for the group
- Participants are encouraged to bring their own drink and snacks to have as needed
- Participants will be required to wear full length pants and closed in shoes, helmets to be provided
Eligibility criteria
- Existing OTFC Group clients (have completed an OTFC Assessment)
- Targeted at children aged 5-7 years old
- Attending/attended mainstream schooling
- Parent attendance during the session is not required
Cost involved
- $200 per child (subject to change). NDIS rebate full amount
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full session cost will be charged
OTFC Stables School Holiday Group – Aged 8 - 10 years
OTFC have collaborated with Four Oaks Farm (located in Little Hampton) to offer an exciting
group for our clients. OTFC Stables group has been established to provide participants with
a unique opportunity to enhance their physical skills, explore new sensory experiences,
build self-confidence and develop new interests in a group setting with their peers.
The group will include a combination of riding-based activities as well as unmounted team exercises.
The group aims to explore:
- Physical skills including:
- Motor planning
- Coordination of both sides of the body
- Body awareness
- Postural control
- Visual perception skills
- Sensory experiences
- Self-esteem, confidence, emotional control, new interests
- Social skills: interacting with peers, team-based activities
- Community participation
We plan to run as a small group of 6 participants to ensure adequate support and supervision is provided.
Date and time
- One-off group to be run at discretion of the OTFC Group
Structure
- 2-hour group, maximum of 6 clients per group
- 15 minutes learning how to approach and interact with a horse, 45 minutes of riding, 15-30 minutes of feeding and grooming,30 – 45 minutes of group-based activities
- Parents will be required to drop children off at Four Oaks Farm in Little Hampton
- Participants are encouraged to bring their own drink and snacks to have as needed
- Participants will be required to wear full length pants and closed in shoes, helmets to be provided
Cost involved
- $200 per child (subject to change). NDIS rebate full amount
- If you are not able to attend a session, the full session cost will be charged
Eligibility criteria
- Existing OTFC Group clients (have completed an OTFC Assessment)
- Targeted at children aged 8-10 years old
- Attending/attended mainstream schooling
- Parent attendance during the session is not required
Camp
Camp Evolve
What is Camp Evolve
This is a Camp about growth and accomplishment, where every child is given the opportunity to engage in a real-life experience within an intensive therapy context. CampEvolve provides an opportunity that allows children and young adults to engage in a new experience that is supported by professionals.
What to expect at Camp EVOLVE
OTFC Clients will have the opportunity to participate in a three-day program to improve their sensory-motor skills and engage with their environment in a meaningful and purposeful way.
Campers will be provided with opportunities to engage in a range of therapeutic activities
- Develop camper’s gross and fine motor skills
- Develop social skills including their ability to negotiate conflict
- Ability to be responsible and organised
- Confidence and functional capacity
- New friendships
