Group programs for neurodivergent children and young people in Melbourne
Our group programs support social, emotional, and relational development in ways that respect autonomy, encourage natural connection, and leverage interests to maximise fun! Groups are structured, facilitated by experienced clinicians, and grounded in neuroaffirming practice.
Holiday Programs
We run a range of activities during the school holidays, however these are only available to those who have attended our regular group sessions during the term.
Please keep an eye out here and on our socials for the schedule of upcoming holiday program events.
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Program information will be available soon! Check back in soon!
GROUPS AT ACS
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GROUPS AT ACS 〰️
LEGO
A structured, play-based program where participants work together on collaborative LEGO challenges, fostering social interaction, turn-taking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
LEGO groups are particularly helpful for children who engage best through hands-on, interest-based activities.
Suited to children aged 6-12
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At ACS we believe that every child deserves a space where they feel understood, supported, and encouraged to grow.
Our LEGO Social & Emotional Capacity Building Program is designed to meet autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent children exactly where they are, helping them develop key skills in a way that is engaging, fun, and pressure-free.
Using the power of LEGO, we create an environment where children can strengthen their social and emotional capacity through both structured builds (following set instructions) and creative, open-ended projects. This balance allows children to build confidence, flexibility, and problem-solving skills while supporting their individual learning styles, sensory needs, and communication preferences.
How It Works
Our LEGO program is tailored to different age groups to ensure that children are working alongside peers at a similar developmental level:
Younger Group (5-8 years) – Focuses on foundational skills such as turn-taking, sharing ideas, emotional regulation, and basic problem-solving.
Older Group (8-10 years) – Expands on these foundations, incorporating more complex teamwork, resilience-building, and the ability to navigate challenges collaboratively.
Each session includes a combination of:
Structured LEGO Builds – Following step-by-step instructions helps children develop executive functioning skills, patience, and attention to detail.
Creative LEGO Challenges – Encouraging imagination and flexible thinking, allowing children to express their ideas, collaborate, and build confidence in their own problem-solving abilities.
Guided Social Opportunities – Our skilled facilitators support children in learning to communicate, share space, negotiate roles, and develop friendships in a way that is natural and respectful of their unique communication styles.
Emotional Coaching & Regulation Strategies – We incorporate gentle, neuroaffirming strategies to help children navigate frustration, manage big emotions, and build resilience.
A Neuroaffirming Approach
Unlike traditional social skills programs that expect children to conform to neurotypical standards, our LEGO program is built with neurodiversity in mind. We don’t force eye contact, scripted conversations, or compliance – instead, we create an environment where children can interact in ways that feel natural to them. Whether they prefer to build side-by-side in comfortable companionship or collaborate more actively, every child is respected for who they are.
Why LEGO?
LEGO is more than just a toy – it’s a powerful therapeutic tool. It provides a predictable, structured activity that supports children who thrive on routines while also offering opportunities for creativity and flexibility. Through LEGO, children can:
Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Build fine motor coordination and spatial awareness
Learn to navigate teamwork and cooperative play
Gain confidence in their ideas, abilities, and communication
A Supportive & Inclusive Space
Our facilitators are experienced in working with children with complex neurodivergence and understand the importance of reducing social pressure while fostering authentic connection. Sessions are adapted to suit individual needs, with the flexibility to step back, take breaks, or engage in a way that feels right for each child.
We celebrate divergent thinking, creative problem-solving, and the many different ways children learn and interact.
Nuts & Bolts
Our LEGO program runs in 10-week terms at our Yarraville office. If you’re looking for a supportive, engaging way for your child to build social confidence, emotional resilience, and friendships in a neuroaffirming environment, we’d love to welcome you!
THE DRAGONS OF THE SPECTRUM (DOTS)
The Dragons of the Spectrum (DOTS) is a fun, story-based social learning program designed for children aged 10+. Built around a simplified tabletop role-playing game, DOTS helps children build social confidence, emotional awareness, and peer connection in a safe, neuroaffirming environment.
Each session features targeted social-emotional learning followed by a collaborative fantasy adventure. Participants create their own characters and work together to solve challenges, explore new environments, defeat enemies, and engage with playful but meaningful social tasks, using the skills they’ve just learned.
Suited to children and young people 10+
MINECRAFT
Our Minecraft Social & Emotional Capacity Building Groups offer a fun and engaging way for autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent children to build friendships, develop problem-solving skills, and strengthen their ability to work as part of a team.
This program is carefully facilitated by our experienced team to ensure that each child receives individualised support while having fun, building confidence, and developing meaningful social connections.
Suited to children aged 8-12
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How It Works
Our Minecraft groups are carefully structured to support children at different developmental levels and includes a combination of:
Cooperative Play & Team Challenges – Players work together on shared goals, learning to communicate, take turns, and support one another.
Creative Building Projects – Encouraging self-expression, flexible thinking, and the ability to plan and execute ideas in a collaborative environment.
Problem-Solving & Resilience Activities – Using the game’s mechanics to help children navigate challenges, manage frustration, and develop persistence.
Guided Social Interaction – Facilitators support children in learning to navigate friendships, understand different perspectives, and engage in respectful communication.
A Neuroaffirming Approach
Our Minecraft groups are designed with neurodiversity in mind. We don’t expect children to engage in rigid social scripts or forced interactions. Instead, we create a space where they can connect in a way that feels natural to them, whether that’s working together on a build, communicating through in-game chat, or simply enjoying parallel play in a shared world.
Our facilitators provide gentle guidance to help children navigate social challenges, build confidence, and develop emotional regulation strategies, all while having fun in a world that celebrates creativity and individual strengths.
Why Minecraft?
Minecraft is an ideal platform for social and emotional capacity building because it offers:
A predictable yet dynamic environment where children can engage at their own pace
Opportunities for collaboration, negotiation, and teamwork in a low-pressure setting
A way to practice problem-solving and resilience in a structured, supportive environment
A platform for self-expression and creativity, allowing children to share ideas in a way that feels safe and rewarding
A Supportive & Inclusive Space
Our Minecraft groups are facilitated by professionals experienced in working with children with complex neurodivergence. We understand the importance of reducing social pressure while fostering authentic connections. Children are encouraged to engage in a way that suits them, with options to step back, take breaks, or communicate in ways that feel comfortable.
We celebrate each child’s unique strengths and perspectives, creating an environment where social learning happens naturally through play rather than through forced social expectations.
Nuts & Bolts
Our Minecraft groups run in 10-week terms at our Yarraville office. If you’re looking for a supportive, engaging way for your child to build friendships, develop social confidence, and strengthen emotional resilience in a neuroaffirming environment, we’d love to welcome you!
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Role-playing games like D&D support perspective-taking, flexible thinking, teamwork, and emotional regulation through creative storytelling and adventure-based gameplay.
D&D provides a structured social framework that allows participants to practise skills in a meaningful, motivating, and low-pressure way.
Suited to young people 8-14
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Our Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Social & Emotional Capacity Building Groups provide a unique and engaging way for autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent children to develop social confidence, flexibility, and collaboration skills, all while embarking on epic adventures in a world of imagination.
Role-playing games like D&D allow children to explore different perspectives, practice problem-solving, and navigate social interactions in a structured yet creative environment. Carefully facilitated by experienced professionals, our sessions ensure that every child has fun while building real-world skills, developing friendships, and expanding their capacity for teamwork and resilience.
How It Works
Designed for children aged 8-14, our D&D group is structured to create a supportive and engaging social experience, regardless of a child’s previous role-playing experience.
Each session includes a combination of:
Collaborative Storytelling – Players work together to solve challenges, make decisions, and navigate a rich, interactive world.
Role-Playing & Perspective-Taking – Encourages children to step into different characters, helping them practice empathy, problem-solving, and flexible thinking.
Turn-Taking & Active Listening – The game naturally reinforces patience, shared decision-making, and working as part of a group.
Guided Social Interaction & Emotional Regulation – Facilitators provide support in navigating frustration, celebrating victories, and working through setbacks in a constructive way.
Our Neuroaffirming Approach
Traditional social skills programs often place unrealistic demands on neurodivergent children, expecting them to conform to neurotypical communication styles. Our D&D group is different. We don’t force scripted conversations, eye contact, or compliance—instead, we create an immersive and engaging space where children can practice social interaction in a way that feels natural and meaningful to them.
D&D provides a structured yet flexible environment where children can engage on their own terms. Some may prefer to be bold leaders, while others enjoy strategising in the background—both are valid and valued contributions to the group.
Why Dungeons & Dragons?
D&D is more than just a game—it’s a powerful tool for developing social and emotional skills in a low-pressure, engaging format. Through structured storytelling and interactive play, children can:
Build confidence in speaking, making decisions, and advocating for their ideas
Develop flexibility and adaptability when faced with unexpected challenges
Learn cooperative problem-solving and teamwork
Strengthen emotional regulation and resilience when handling setbacks and in-game conflicts
Practice friendship skills in a fun, supportive environment
A Supportive & Inclusive Space
Our D&D groups are carefully facilitated to ensure that all children feel safe, valued, and included. The game is tailored to meet the needs of each participant, with adjustments made to support different communication styles, processing speeds, and sensory needs. Whether a child prefers to be highly involved or take a quieter role in the background, every contribution is respected and encouraged.
Our facilitators ensure that sessions remain fun, engaging, and accessible, helping children develop their social and emotional capacity at their own pace—without pressure or unrealistic expectations.
Nuts & Bolts
Our D&D groups run in 10-week terms at our Yarraville office. If you’re looking for a fun, imaginative, and neuroaffirming way for your child to develop social confidence, teamwork skills, and emotional resilience, we’d love to welcome them on this adventure!
SECRET AGENT SOCIETY
Secret Agent Society (SAS) is a Social & Emotional Capacity Building Program that provides autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent children with an engaging way to develop social understanding, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills. Designed as a fun, spy-themed adventure, SAS helps children learn how to navigate friendships, manage emotions, and understand social situations in a structured yet interactive format.
This program is carefully facilitated by our experienced team to ensure that each child receives individualised supportwhile having fun, building confidence, and developing meaningful social connections.
Suited to children aged 8-12
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How It Works
SAS is an evidence-based program that uses a combination of gamified learning, interactive activities, and real-world skill-building to help children improve their ability to communicate, self-regulate, and understand social cues.
The program is structured into weekly missions, with each session focusing on a different skill. Children are guided through a series of challenges, games, and role-playing activities that encourage them to practice:
Recognising and managing emotions
Understanding different social perspectives
Navigating friendships and peer interactions
Solving social challenges using logic and strategies
Handling frustration, anxiety, and conflict in a constructive way
Sessions include a mix of computer-based learning, hands-on activities, and role-play scenarios, all within a supportive and engaging environment.
Why Secret Agent Society?
SAS is a powerful way to teach social and emotional skills in a format that is fun, engaging, and highly motivating. The program helps children:
Strengthen emotional awareness and self-regulation
Develop social confidence and problem-solving strategies
Improve peer interactions and friendships
Learn practical strategies for managing everyday social situations
Build resilience and flexible thinking
A Supportive & Inclusive Space
Our SAS program is carefully facilitated to ensure that every child feels safe, supported, and encouraged. Sessions are adapted to meet the individual needs of participants, with a strong focus on reducing anxiety, building confidence, and creating positive social experiences.
Children learn at their own pace, with facilitators providing encouragement, practical guidance, and tailored strategies to help them apply what they learn in real-life situations.
Nuts & Bolts
Our SAS program runs in 10-week terms at our Yarraville office. If you’re looking for an engaging, interactive way for your child to build social confidence, emotional resilience, and friendship skills in a neuroaffirming environment, we’d love to welcome them on this exciting journey!