NDIS

What does Code Blue do?
Designs, develops, and implements innovative evidence-based social skills programs that support young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The programs provide opportunities for access, participation, and genuine inclusion in the community, ultimately empowering young adults on the spectrum to self-direct their social choices. The programs are called Chill.

Chill programs address three (3) critical areas of need:

Social skills coaching
Providing real-world social skills coaching for individuals with autism that is evidence-based utilising peer mentoring to role model and support the development of social skills needed to establish and maintain healthy long-term friendships.
Access, participation, and inclusion
Providing opportunities for young adults on the autism spectrum to have better access, participation, and genuine inclusion in the community.
Self-empowerment
Empowering young adults with autism to self-direct their social choices.

NDIS Support Categories

CORE
(01) Assistance with daily life (includes SIL)

(04) Assistance with social & community participation

CAPACITY BUILDING
(09) Increased social and community participation

(10) Finding and keeping a job

(11) Improved relationships

(12) Improved health and wellbeing

(14) Improved life choices

(15) Improved daily living

NDIS Registration Groups

0102 Assistance to Access and Maintain Employment or Higher Education (SLES)

0106 Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions and Supports

0115 Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement

0117 Development of Daily Living and Life Skills

0125 Participation in Community, Social and Civic Activities

Do the Chill programs represent value for money?

Code Blue for Autism understands that all supports funded by the NDIS must demonstrate value for money. When the NDIS decides if a support represents value for money, it considers the following 8 factors:

If other supports would achieve the same result at a substantially lower cost i.e., there should be a real or material difference in cost.
If there’s evidence that the support will substantially improve your life stage outcomes and benefit you in the long term.
If the support will likely reduce the cost of other supports over time.
How the cost compares to other supports of the same kind in your area.
If the support will make you more independent and mean you won’t need as many supports in future.
If the support will help you achieve milestones at different ages of your life and have long term benefits.
The cost and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
The support meets the NDIS reasonable and necessary guidelines (section 34 of the NDIS Act).

This “Value for Money” statement addresses how the Chill programs that are designed, developed, and implemented by Code Blue for Autism, represent value for money for NDIS participants.

Social Skills and Autism – Evidence-Based Best Practice

As described in the DSMV, autism spectrum disorder is defined by two core symptoms:

a deficit in social communication
the presence of repetitive behaviours and/or restricted interests.

The deficit in social interaction has been the defining feature of autism since its conception.

Social ability crosses into all areas of life…our ability to work with others, our ability to study with others, our ability to live with others, our ability to be socially independent.

The Chill programs have been designed to provide opportunities for young adults on the spectrum to develop skills that can lead to social independence. In doing this, participants will have better access, participation and genuine inclusion in mainstream community and employment.

Below lists the themes and priorities across the latest literature on social skills programs for adults with autism including the key elements of successful social skills programs. This table shows that Chill programs provide evidence-based best practice:

Key Elements of Successful Social Skills Programs	Chill Programs
Evidence-based curriculum	✓
Social skills development through individual coaching	✓
Active participation	✓
High level of engagement	✓
Building socialisation into programs	✓
Social network and tribe focus	✓
Creative play component	✓
Strengths and interest-based approach to engage participant and build social capital	✓
Individually tailored programs with capacity streaming	✓
Special interest streaming for skill generalisation	✓
Small group learning	✓
Peer mentoring for appropriate role modelling	✓
Parent involvement & education	✓
Self-advocacy and self-determination	✓
Evaluation and reporting outcomes to inform participant’s future needs	✓

There are no alternative programs to compare to Chill.

In fact, Chill is the only social skills coaching program of its kind in Australia. Chill is the only program that offers evidence based best practice social skills coaching that includes all the key elements of successful social skills programs.

We all know that cheaper is not always better. There is a myriad of providers who offer services such as social outings, social get-togethers, and centred based social activities. However, whilst these services offer respite for families and carers, and a level of engagement and fun for the participant, they do not provide evidence-based individualised social skills coaching in combination social skill transfer and generalization support in special interest programs. They also do not provide authentic peer role modelling, the use of creative play required for social risk taking, or high levels of engagement with a strength-based program approach. These activities also are not tailored to each participant with an evaluation process that provides progress reports to inform future needs of the participant.

The cost of the Chill programs falls within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. All Chill programs meet the NDIS reasonable and necessary guidelines (section 34 of the NDIS Act).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Whelan, M (2017). Promoting Social Inclusion, Equity and Well-Being for Young People with Autism Spectrum Condition: A Community Music Facilitator (and Parent) Perspective. Music, Health, and Wellbeing. pp.65-80. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95284-7_4

Whelan, M (2015). Art changing the world: one person at a time. Arts Queensland Blog

Whelan, M (2013). Autism; it’s for life, not just the weekend. ABC Online – Ramp Up

Attwood, T. (2006). The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Gadke, D. L., McKinney, C., & Oliveros, A. (2016). Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms and Comorbidity in Emerging Adults. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. 47, 194-201. https://doi:10.1007/s 10578-015-0556-9

Zachor, Ditza A., Merrick, Joav, ProQuest. (2013). Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Current Research Aspects. New York, NY: Nova Biomedical. 8, pp.222.

Grandin, T., & Panek, R. (2013). The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

VanBourgondien, M., Dawkins, T., & Marcus, L. (2014). Families of adults with autism spectrum disorders. In F. Volkmar, B. Reichow, & J. McPharland (Eds), Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. pp. 15-40. New York, NY: Springer

Neary, P., Gilmore, L. & Ashburner, J., 2015, Post-school needs of young people with high- functioning autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, vol. 18, pp. 1–11.

Ashburner, J., Bobir, N., & van Dooren, K., 2016, Studio G Multimedia Program for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Examining the Impact on Social Participation, Well-Being, and Post-School Transition. Full report, Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, Brisbane.

Autism Spectrum Australia (2013), We Belong: The experiences, aspirations and needs of adults with Asperger’s disorder and high functioning autism, Autism Spectrum Australia, Sydney.

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