Evidence-Based Social Skills Program For Australian Kids Aged 8-12
Teaching kids how to make friends and keep them.
The skill of reading social situations does not come naturally. Neurodivergent children often find social interactions overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Without proper support, this challenge can significantly affect their social and emotional well-being. Fortunately, we can teach these complex social skills! The Secret Agent Society (SAS) program is an evidence-based program designed to do just that in a fun and engaging format.
The espionage-themed program engages 8–12-year-olds in social and emotional development through gamified learning, skill generalisation, reward systems, and interactive clinician-led sessions.
Beginning as ‘Cadets’, children join regular Club Meetings guided by professionally-trained SAS Facilitators. A sophisticated and specially-designed online platform connects Cadets, their adult support network and their SAS Facilitator in a digitally-enabled wraparound approach.
At the end of the program, children graduate as ‘Secret Agents’ having learnt and practised codes and tools that focus on four key life skills: emotion recognition (in self and others), emotion regulation (particularly for anger and anxiety), social problem solving and social skills (for friendship and teamwork!
SAS Cadets learn to:
- Recognise emotions in themselves and others
- Express emotions in helpful ways
- Cope with anxiety and anger
- Talk and play with others
- Cope with change
- Build and maintain friendships
- Solve friendship problems
- Cope with mistakes and losing
- Recognise and deal with bullying and teasing.
The program features a computer game with animated characters, interactive activities and home missions that teach children how to recognise and control their emotions and cope with social challenges such as talking and playing with others and coping with bullying. Parents and children have all the tools in their mentor/cadet online portals that help them continue learning and practising skills at home.
How will this group help my child?
SAS is an engaging and evidence-based program which helps children learn how to feel happier, calmer and braver.
It also teaches them how to make friends and keep them!
The program includes 9 weekly sessions with your child that run for 90 minutes, plus a 3-month and 6-month follow up session.
New skills are explored and reinforced each week through conversation, role play and games.
Parents and schools are an integral part of the group program and receive resources and support to help young ‘secret agents’ develop and generalise new skills to the home and school environments.
At the end of the program, your junior detective will graduate as a ‘secret agent’, armed with the social and emotional tools they need to continue their work in the ‘real world’.
What does the Secret Agent Society involve?
Child Group Meetings
(SAS Cadet Club Meetings)
Over 11 sessions your child learns a new social skill each week in a fun engaging way.
The first 9 sessions are typically delivered weekly with the following 2 boosters sessions spread over a six month period.
Parent Group Meetings
Parent Group Sessions: commence with a 2-hour parent information session, followed by 4 x 2-hour sessions, over the course of the program.
- Parent meetings are typically held as close as possible to the child meeting and without children present.
- Parent group meetings are held throughout the program to advise and support parents on the content of child group meetings and how to help their children apply their SAS skills in real life.
- Parents have the opportunity for networking and facilitated discussion on the successes and challenges they have faced in supporting their children to use their newly learnt social skills.
School Support
Classroom teachers are updated on the skills and content children are learning through SAS and how they can support the application of skills in the classroom and playground. This occurs through a combination of providing a series of SAS Teacher Tip Sheets, the Skill Tracker, and teacher consultation.
- SAS is often written into children’s individual learning plans to assist teachers to meet the social-emotional goals of their students.
- The SAS Small Group Program is mapped to the Australian National Curriculum.
Skill Tracker System
A short-term daily motivation tool is used to encourage children to practice specific skills at home and school, aligned with progression through each module of the program.
NDIS Funding Options
Self-Managed Families & Plan-Managed Families
NDIS funding may be used if the family are self-managed or plan-managed.
Please note that for participants with plan-managed NDIS there may be an out of pocket expense for the family for people on some types of plans. It is always best to speak with your plan manager.
Which Funding Categories?
Chat with your plan manager for what is relevant to your situation. It is helpful to know that other families have told us they use these categories:
- Community Participation Activities
- Improved daily living
How much does the
program cost?
The total program cost is $3810. A detailed quote will be provided before commencing the program. Please note make up sessions may incur an additional charge if you are not able to attend any of the sessions on the given day.
Frequently Asked Quesions
What is the Secret Agent Society (SAS)?
SAS is a manualised, evidence-based small-group programme that uses an “espionage” theme—including comic-book stories, computer games and real-world “missions”—to teach children practical social and emotional skills.
Which skills are covered in the programme?
Children learn to:
- Setting goals
- recognise face, voice and body clues in others,
- recognise emotions in themselves
- Learn to measure degrees of anger and anxiety
- Learn ‘gadgets’ that can be used to make you feel better
- Learn ‘deep breathing’
- Learn what to do when you are very angry or anxious
- Understand that helpful thoughts can lead to feeling better
- Learn to track unhelpful thoughts
- Find helpful tools for relaxation
- Learn why friends are important
- Identify qualities that make a good friend
- Learn steps to solve social problems
- Learn helpful negotiation tactics
- Learn the steps for successful conversations
- What to do when things don’t go to plan or you make a mistake
- Identify the difference between accidents, jokes and nasty deeds
- How to identify a bully
- How to bully-guard yourself
- What to do when you don’t know what to do
Who is SAS best suited for?
Designed for children with social-emotional needs—particularly those aged 8–12 years (evidence supports use from 7–14 years)—including kids on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, anxiety or related communication challenges.
When and where are the child sessions held?
Sessions run for nine weeks, with two follow-up meetings approximately three and six months after the completion of the initial nine weeks. You can choose weekly cohorts Monday–Thursday at approximately 4:30 pm or 6:00 pm AEST, or Saturday afternoons. Sessions are offered either online or from our office in Cheltenham, Victoria.
How long does a child session last?
Each Cadet session runs for 90 minutes. During this time, children participate in engaging activities, games, and discussions designed to build their social and emotional skills in a supportive and fun environment.
What are the ages of the children in the group?
SAS is offered to children between the ages of 7 and 14. We know that children’s chronological age does not always match their social/emotional developmental age. For this reason, we take great care in matching your child with other children that we feel they will work well with. This may mean they are in a group of children who are not the same age, but rather have similar interests and needs. We aim to find a group that matches the needs of each child and their family.
Do we need to commit to the whole program?
Yes, we ask that families commit to the whole Secret Agent Society program, which runs for nine weeks, with an additional two follow up sessions. Each week builds on the skills learned in the previous sessions, so full participation is important to ensure you child gets the most out of the experience. That said, we understand occasional absences may occur and will work families to support continuity where needed. This may mean your child requires a make-up session at a different time, and potentially with a different facilitator. What is important is that your child learns the skills they need to feel calm and confident in social situations.
What parent involvement is required?
Initial parent briefing before your first Cadet meeting, this two hour information session provides you with everything you need to know to feel prepared for the upcoming program.
Weekly online parent groups at 8 pm via Zoom (multiple time-options). There is a parent group meeting for every child Cadet meeting. Parent meetings generally take between 30-45 minutes depending on the groups needs.
One of the strongest indicators of your child’s success is your ability to help them complete their weekly missions. You will need to set aside approximately 10-20 minutes each day to prompt and guide your SAS Cadet through computer game challenges, online mission journals, and real life practice of the skills learned in session.
How does SAS support school integration?
Teachers receive SAS Tip Sheets and the Skill Tracker tool. Tailored consultations can be arranged. The programme maps to the Australian Curriculum and can be written into students’ Individual Learning Plans to reinforce social-emotional goals.
What online and at-home resources are included?
Access our SAS Digital Headquarters for four levels of gamified learning, digital gadget packs, a Mission Journal for self-reflection, and a multi-user Skill Tracker. Weekly “missions” encourage skills practise at home and school.
How is progress measured?
Progress is tracked via parent/teacher questionnaires, observational tools, computer-game performance data and daily Skill Tracker logs—providing clear, objective outcome reports.
How do I enrol or find out more?
Register now by emailing hello@thesocialskillshub.com.au or calling 0483 901 819. Once registered, you’ll receive a detailed quote and service agreement.
Who delivers the Secret Agent Society at The Social Skills Hub?
Led by educators Anne-Marie O’Hagan, Martin Papavgeris, and Emmalyne Day, all officially trained as SAS facilitators with extensive backgrounds in neurodivergent support and social-emotional interventions. All facilitators have current NDIS worker clearance checks.
How will my child learn social skills online?
Our online programs at The Social Skills Hub use the same evidence-based, structured approach as our face-to-face groups, with the added benefit of learning from home. Even though many children participate in school and extracurricular activities, key social skills—like starting and maintaining conversations, reading social cues, using humour appropriately, and managing online communication—aren’t always picked up “naturally.” Here’s how we teach them explicitly online:
- Structured, live sessions
Each session is led by a trained facilitator in small groups, so every participant gets ample opportunity to practice new skills in real time. - Explicit instruction & modeling
We break down each skill into clear steps; for example, how to open a conversation and demonstrate with role-plays and video examples. - Guided practice with feedback
Participants take turns role-playing scenarios while the facilitator and peers provide supportive, constructive feedback—just as they would on the playground or in a club. - Homework & real-world application
After each lesson, we set weekly “missions” so skills transfer beyond the screen. - Parent involvement
You’ll receive clear session summaries and tips on how to reinforce each skill during everyday routines—helping your child generalise what they learn online to school, sports teams, and other social settings.
By teaching social skills explicitly—rather than assuming they’ll be “picked up” informally—we ensure every child gains confidence, practical strategies, and the opportunity to master the social toolkit they need to thrive both online and offline.
Is there a difference between online and face-to-face sessions?
Yes and no. The core content and structure of the program remain the same across both formats however there are a few key differences:
- Face-to-face sessions allow for more hands-on activities, and parents/care givers are not involved in the Cadet sessions, rather they drop off and pick up.
- Online sessions are ideal for families who prefer or need remote access. These sessions include all core activities adapted for a digital format and they may involve parental involvement during the session if your child prefers this.
Both formats are evidence-based and led by trained facilitators. We will help you choose a format that best suits your child’s needs and your family’s preferences. Current research suggests the social outcomes for your child are the same whether they participate online or face-to-face. You can read more about the research below.
The other difference is the frequency we run the programs. Online gives us more flexibility meaning you can join a group sooner, our face-to-face sessions run less frequently.
What does the program cost?
The total program investment is approximately $3,810, which covers all child and parent sessions, follow-ups and portal access. A detailed quote and service agreement are provided upon registration.
Is the cost of the online program any different to face-to-face sessions?
In most cases the cost is the same for both online and face-to-face formats as the program content, facilitator time, and resources provided are equivalent. However in the instance that your child requires a makeup session for a face-to-face session there may be an additional cost. Makeup sessions are more readily available for those participating online, if you are participating face-to-face and require a makeup session you can always join an online group as a once off. We will provide a full breakdown of fees up front and discuss any funding or payment options available.
Can I use NDIS funding for SAS?
Yes—self-managed or plan-managed participants may apply NDIS funds. Plan-managed families should check for any out-of-pocket expenses with their plan manager.