LEGO Creations Club is an 8 week Social Skills Program. What makes it unique, is that it is a collaborative, peer led, play based model drawing upon the principles of LEGO-Based Therapy developed by its pioneer, Dr Daniel LeGoff.
Living Without Boundaries Director and Principle OT, Carly Treloar, recently travelled to Malaysia late 2019, in search of more comprehensive training surrounding LEGO-Based Therapy and met with Dr Daniel LeGoff to complete the ‘Foundations of LEGO-Based Therapy’; After meeting with the Pioneer of LEGO-Based Therapy and other Experienced Health Professionals in Social Skills Development, we are now ready to share our knowledge by implementing these well researched findings into our own Social Skills Development Program ‘LEGO Creations Club’
LEGO Creations Club is an individually tailored program to assist your child in meeting their needs in building ‘Social Competency’ and is facilitated by experienced Health Professionals that work with children who experience social engagement challenges.
This program is appropriate for children diagnosed with Neurodevelopmental or Mental Health challenges including:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (High Functioning)
- ADD/ADHD
- Social Anxiety
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Selective Mutism
- Social Withdrawal, Reduced Confidence and Social/Emotional Regulation challenges
How is LEGO Creations Club Beneficial to my child?
Drawing upon the objectives of LEGO – Based Therapy, we will be working on KEY social experiences including:
- Turn Taking
- Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication skills
- Eye contact
- Collaboration
- Joint Attention
- Joint Accomplishment
- Gaze Following
- Sharing
- Division of Labour
- Building Positive Releationships
Is There any Evidence?….YES
- Long Term outcome of social skills interaction based on interactive LEGO (c) play
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908476
- Use of LEGO as a Therapeutic Medium for Improving Social Competence
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15628609
- An Exploration of a Community based LEGO (R) Social Skills Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=eei
- LEGO Therapy and the Social use of Language Program: An Evaluation of two Social Skills Interventions for children with High Functioning Autism and Aspergers Syndrome
http://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2008_Owens_etal_Lego_Therapy.pdf
HOW to get your child involved!
Step 1. Call or email the clinic for more information and set up an initial appointment
The purpose of this session is your child’s initial intake and to engage with an Occupational therapist to help identify and determine your child’s needs. Your therapist will explain how LEGO Creations Club works and help you determine whether or not you feel the program is best suited to your child’s needs..
Step 2: BUILDING BLOCKS
You and your child will attend the ‘BUILDING BLOCKS’ session where assessment and Evaluation will occur in the form of semi-formal standardised goal setting and a 1:1 Functional Play – Based assessment with one of our team members ending in provision of recommendations on the best intervention process to meet your child’s individual needs.
Step 3: JOIN THE GROUP!
Your child will be required to attend 8 x 60min weekly sessions in clinic and possibly individual 1:1 sessions with their OT dependent on the agreed upon needs for Occupational Therapy Intervention. This is determined and discussed in the BUILDING BLOCKS session.
Step 4: ‘SORTING OUT THE PIECES’ Parent Workshop
This 90min workshop is held on week 4 and is for the parents! We come together as a group with other parents on week four of the program to meet with your child’s team to discuss the key elements to your child’s success! and to help you navigate what’s needed for these skills to be transferred and applied at school, home and in the community.
These include:
- ‘The Elephant in the room’ (parent child relationship)
- Helping your child become a ‘Social Thinker’ and more aware of their actions
- Direct vs Indirect instruction- ‘How to empower your child in making the ‘Right Choice’ in a social encounter
- Skills and strategies manual for parents and teachers with resources including LEGO workshops school holiday activities in clinic and around Melbourne/local areas
Step 5: LEGO Creations Club GRADUATION!
Your child graduates from LEGO Creations Club on week 8!
This includes:
- Completion of creations/Freestyle
- Certificates + take home surprise!
- Round circle achievements activity
Step 6. WHERE TO FROM HERE? ( End of Term review)
You will be provided with a final report summarizing our findings and will engage in a 30min virtual meeting to discuss the amazing progress you child has made during LEGO Creations Club.
During this session you will have an opportunity to discuss ‘Where to Next’ in relation to Therapeutic Intervention associated with your child’s goals