Resources
Practical ideas and activities for everyday life, along with trusted NDIS, health and education resources. These are shared from lived experience, with the hope of making things a little easier for other parents. This isn’t clinical advice, so always check with your child’s provider before making changes.
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Activities at Home Expert Articles Research Papers
All ages 0 to 2 years 2 to 4 years 4 to 6 years 6 to 9 years 9 to 12 years 12 to 18 years
Social & emotional Ages 0 to 2 Beginner What this builds: Eye contact, social engagement, and the foundation for all future communication.
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Communication & language Ages 0 to 2 Beginner What this builds: Vocabulary, understanding of language patterns, and the connection between words and objects.
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Social & emotional Ages 0 to 2 Beginner What this builds: Social awareness, turn-taking, and the understanding that communication goes both ways.
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Communication & language Ages 0 to 2 Beginner What this builds: Anticipation, early requesting, and understanding of cause and effect in communication.
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Communication & language Ages 0 to 2 Beginner Sound Imitation with Toys
What this builds: Vocalisation, word-sound connections, and early verbal imitation.
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Communication & language Ages 2 to 4 Beginner What this builds: Intentional requesting, which is often the first communication goal for autistic toddlers.
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Social & emotional Ages 2 to 4 Beginner What this builds: Intentional requesting, eye contact, and the understanding that communication produces results.
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Communication & language Ages 2 to 4 Beginner What this builds: Intentional choosing, vocabulary, and early AAC skills.
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Communication & language Ages 2 to 4 Beginner What this builds: Expressive language, auditory memory, and the joy of communication through music.
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Social & emotional Ages 2 to 4 Beginner What this builds: Vocabulary, sensory tolerance, and communication during shared play.
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Social & emotional Ages 2 to 4 Beginner Emotion Faces Mirror Game
What this builds: Emotional vocabulary, facial expression recognition, and self-awareness.
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Communication & language Ages 4 to 6 Intermediate Story Retelling with Pictures
What this builds: Narrative sequencing, sentence construction, and the language skills that predict school success.
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Communication & language Ages 4 to 6 Beginner What this builds: Understanding of sequencing language, cooperation with routines, and early narrative concepts.
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Communication & language Ages 4 to 6 Intermediate What this builds: Descriptive language, listening comprehension, and the ability to give and follow instructions.
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Communication & language Ages 4 to 6 Intermediate What this builds: Question formation, descriptive vocabulary, and inference skills.
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Social & emotional Ages 4 to 6 Intermediate What this builds: Pragmatic language, social scripts, and understanding of conversational roles.
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Social & emotional Ages 4 to 6 Intermediate What this builds: Emotional recognition, perspective-taking, and empathy language.
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Communication & language Ages 6 to 9 Intermediate What this builds: Narrative structure, expressive language, and the ability to share personal experiences. One of the most important functional communication skills.
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Social & emotional Ages 6 to 9 Intermediate What this builds: Conversational turn-taking, topic maintenance, and listening skills.
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Social & emotional Ages 6 to 9 Intermediate What this builds: Social scripts, pragmatic language, and confidence in difficult situations.
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Social & emotional Ages 6 to 9 Intermediate What this builds: Emotional vocabulary, self-reflection, and the language to express internal states.
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Communication & language Ages 6 to 9 Intermediate Following Multi-Step Instructions
What this builds: Auditory memory, instruction-following, and processing of sequential language.
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Communication & language Ages 9 to 12 Advanced What this builds: Reasoning language, expressing opinions, and supporting statements with evidence. Key skills for school and social life.
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Social & emotional Ages 9 to 12 Advanced Perspective-Taking Stories
What this builds: Theory of mind, perspective-taking, and understanding that other people have different thoughts and feelings.
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Social & emotional Ages 9 to 12 Intermediate Interview a Family Member
What this builds: Questioning, active listening, topic maintenance, and the ability to synthesise information. All of which help at school and with friendships.
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Social & emotional Ages 9 to 12 Advanced Script Writing and Role Play
What this builds: Social pragmatics, self-advocacy, and confidence in difficult situations.
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Communication & language Ages 9 to 12 Intermediate What this builds: Vocabulary, word retrieval speed, and the ability to make and explain verbal connections.
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Social & emotional Ages 12 to 18 Advanced Real-Life Conversation Mapping
What this builds: Reflective social reasoning, flexible communication, and strategies for real-world social situations.
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Communication & language Ages 12 to 18 Intermediate What this builds: Understanding of how tone changes meaning. One of the most frequently missed social cues for autistic teenagers.
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Communication & language Ages 12 to 18 Advanced Structured Debate on Real Topics
What this builds: Argumentation, active listening, summarising, and sophisticated expressive language.
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Social & emotional Ages 12 to 18 Intermediate Written Conversation Practice
What this builds: Self-expression, written communication, and the ability to maintain a topic across time. Skills that directly transfer to texting, email, and workplace communication.
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Social & emotional Ages 12 to 18 Advanced Social Scenario Card Game
What this builds: Social problem solving, flexible thinking, and confidence in navigating real social challenges.
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