Lego® based therapy is a social development program for children with social communication difficulties. It uses children’s interest and motivation for playing with Lego® to help them develop communication and social skills.
Lego® based therapy is used to teach children skills like turn-taking, eye contact, sharing, listening, conversation, teamwork, shared attention and problem-solving. Lego® based therapy offers a ‘‘naturalistic’’ approach to social skills development which can improve generalisation of social skills. (Delprato 2001;Kohler et al. 1997).
When children play with Lego®, they’re more likely to interact with each other, listen and work together through collaborative play.
Age 5-9
Monday the 15th, Tuesday the 16th and Wednesday the 17th of April 2024
1:30pm - 3:30pm each day
(2 hours x 3 days - 6 hour program)
Lego® based therapy goals
- Increased confidence with social interaction and building friendship skills
- Stronger awareness of 'teamwork' and collaborating with others
- Improved use of eye contact and awareness of 'body in the group' skills
- Opportunities to practice conversation repair, turn taking and active listening strategies
- Development of problem-solving, prediction and inferencing skills
What is Social Communication?
Social communication skills play a vital role in our ability to form meaningful social relationships and enable us to function happily and successfully in everyday life. Children with social communication difficulties are less likely to initiate interactions with peers, spend less time interacting with peers, have lower ‘‘quality’’ interactions and spend a larger amount of time in non-social play.
Who is Lego® based therapy useful for?
Lego® based therapy is for children aged 5 and above with social communication difficulties including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), pragmatic language difficulties, anxiety and emotional regulation difficulties. When forming the groups we aim to match children by age and skill levels. If your child loves playing with Lego® and you feel they would benefit from social communication support in a structured group setting then this could be ideal!
Where does Lego® based therapy come from?
Lego® therapy was developed in the early 2000s by Dan Legoff, a clinical neuropsychologist in the United
States. Legoff noticed that many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were more interested in
interacting with each other if they were playing with Lego®. He set up groups for children with ASD to learn social skills while playing collaboratively with Lego®.
What skills does Lego® based therapy focus on?
Lego® therapy is used to teach children important social interaction and communication skills.
Children have to communicate and follow social rules to complete the Lego® build. Each activity requires
verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, collaboration, joint problem solving, joint creativity and joint attention to the task. It is also a lot of fun!
What does Lego® based therapy involve?
In each session, the children work together to build a model following instructions. The group focus is on collaborative Lego® building projects to prompt interaction among the children and help them come up with their own solutions. The speech pathologist acts as the facilitator who divides up the tasks within each group so that each student has a specific, clearly defined yet interactive role to perform. Students are required to work well together to achieve the end goal – the final Lego® model!
Roles in the group
Usually, there are 3-4 children in the group who are assigned different roles;
- * an engineer, who has the instructions
- * a supplier, who has the bricks
- * a builder, who builds the model
- * a foreman or director, who’s makes sure everyone works as a team.
Frequently Asked Questions
1Where is the group held?
Intensive group program sessions are held at our clinic in Lane Cove. We have a variety of purpose-built therapy rooms that are spacious, colourful and engaging for learning. Families are encouraged to wait outside the clinic approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the session. The therapists facilitating the group will meet children there, and accompany them to the therapy room. The address of the clinic is: Ground Floor, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove, 2066, NSW.
2What happens if I miss one of the sessions?
All group programs are designed so that a session can be missed without hindering future sessions. However, if you are unable to attend, we do appreciate 24 hours notice so that the facilitator can plan accordingly. Unfortunately we cannot provide a refund for missed group sessions.
3How do I pay?
All group sessions are paid for in advance. Our front desk team will provide you details on how to pay to secure your spot.
4What qualifications do the staff have?
All group programs are designed and led by certified practicing Speech Pathologists and/or Occupational Therapists. Allied Health Assistants are often on hand to assist also in the groups.
5Do parents need to stay?
No. Our therapists are very experienced with helping children transition. If a child is particularly anxious then a parent is welcome to help their child transition into the room if their child needs them to settle. Once you have left, we will be sure let you know if your child is still not settling in well though in most cases this is not required as they soon get into the fun and games of the session! There are plenty of shops and cafes in the local area that we encourage parents to explore while they wait. Please return and wait outside 5 minutes before the end of the session to allow for a smooth transition out of the clinic.
6What do I need to bring?
No need to bring anything! All resources for the group program will be provided by Sydney Speech Clinic. Children are welcome to bring a water bottle into the therapy room.
7Do groups replace one to one sessions?
No. One-to-one sessions are intensive, individualised, and tailored specifically to the needs of the client. Group sessions are seen as ‘boosters’ or supplementation to one-on-one therapy, and should not be used as a replacement in most cases.