Is There NDIS Support for Developing Social Skills?

Making friends. Joining a conversation. Handling conflict. Asking for help. For many people these social moments come naturally, but for others they can feel genuinely overwhelming or confusing.

If you or someone you support needs help developing social skills, the NDIS can fund this through both 1:1 support and group-based programs.

Here is what is available, how it works, and how the right support can build lasting confidence and connection.

Why social skills matter

Strong social skills help people:

• Build friendships and a sense of community

• Feel more confident in public spaces

• Communicate needs and feelings clearly

• Handle tricky or unexpected social situations

• Advocate for themselves in everyday life

• Build emotional safety in relationships

For many participants this is not about becoming more outgoing. It is about feeling understood, accepted, and in control of their own social world.

How the NDIS can fund social skills support

There are three main ways NDIS funding can support social skills development.

1:1 support

A support worker can work alongside a participant to practise turn-taking and conversation starters, support community access such as buying something at a shop or asking for directions, help navigate unwritten social rules in public spaces, use role-play and visual supports to build skills in a low-pressure setting, and encourage gentle, gradual exposure to new social situations.

You can read more about our 1:1 NDIS support on the Gold Coast and how we approach this kind of individualised skill building.

Group programs

Group-based supports give participants the chance to practise communication in real time with peers, build friendships in safe and supported environments, engage in teamwork and shared tasks, learn how to navigate group dynamics, and grow confidence through gentle, well-scaffolded challenge.

Our Gold Coast group programs are specifically designed with social skills development at their core.

Therapeutic supports

Participants may also work with a psychologist for confidence, anxiety, or social-emotional learning, an occupational therapist for emotional regulation and social routines, or a speech pathologist for communication and pragmatic language skills. These sit under capacity building funding rather than core supports.

What we offer at Loving Life

At Loving Life on the Gold Coast, we support social skill development through both 1:1 sessions and small group programs tailored to teens and young adults.

We use visual aids and social scripts, low-demand and low-pressure environments, gentle coaching and positive reinforcement, and activities like bowling, cooking, and team challenges that build real connection alongside real skills. We also build in space to reflect and try again without judgment.

Some participants prefer calm, supported 1:1 sessions to start. Others thrive in group settings designed to build friendships slowly over time. Many benefit from both running alongside each other.

What goals might be funded?

If a participant has goals like wanting to build confidence around others, make friends, handle conflict more calmly, or speak up for themselves, then social skills supports are generally a strong fit for NDIS funding.

Funding may come from Core Supports under Community Participation, Capacity Building under Improved Daily Living, or Capacity Building under Increased Social and Community Participation. A support coordinator or plan manager can help work out the right allocation.

Social skills are not just for kids

We support many teens and adults who want to feel more socially confident, whether that means being comfortable in a small group of three, navigating a shopping trip independently, or preparing for a job interview.

Everyone deserves to feel included. With the right tools and the right people alongside them, social confidence can and does grow.

Explore our Gold Coast group programs here.

Or get in touch with the team to talk through what might suit your situation.