Youth Life Skills & Community Access Day Program (Gold Coast)

carli215
Jan 15
3 min read

Finding the right support for teenagers with disability can be challenging, especially during periods away from school when routines change and unstructured time can quickly become overwhelming.

Our Youth Life Skills & Community Access Day Program is designed to bridge that gap. It provides structured, goal-focused support for young people aged 13–18 to build independence, social confidence, and real-world skills in a safe, neurodiversity-affirming environment.

This is not a recreational drop-off program. It is a capacity-building group grounded in meaningful participation and functional development.

What The Youth Life Skills & Community Access Day Program Is Really About

This program supports teens to:

practise everyday life skills
build confidence navigating the community
strengthen social communication
develop emotional regulation strategies
work toward their individual NDIS goals

Each day is intentionally structured to balance skill development with flexibility, allowing participants to engage at their own pace while still being gently supported to try new things.

Activities may include cooking, budgeting basics, teamwork challenges, creative projects, community outings, problem-solving tasks, and supported peer interaction.

The focus is always on learning through doing, not filling time.

Who The Youth Life Skills & Community Access Day Program Is For

This program is suitable for young people aged 13–18 with:

Autism (ASD)
ADHD
anxiety
psychosocial disability
intellectual disability
social communication challenges
emotional regulation needs
functional support needs

We take a neurodiversity-affirming approach and create a space where differences are respected, accommodated, and supported without pressure to mask or perform.

How the Youth Life Skills & Community Access Day Program Is Structured

We keep group sizes intentionally small to support regulation, safety, and meaningful engagement.

Program details:

Weekdays during term break periods
9:00am–3:00pm (6 hours per day)
Drop-off and pick-up at The Hub, Nerang
1:2 support ratio
Maximum of 8 participants per day

Each day includes a mix of:

structured life skills workshops
supported peer interaction
community-based learning
hands-on activities
regulation breaks and flexible participation

A sensory room is available every day, and participants are never forced to engage if they need space or downtime.

Food, Transport and Additional Supports

Meals are part of the learning experience.

Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea are provided daily, with meals prepared together as part of the program to support independence, collaboration, and practical skill development.

Optional transport and additional support before or after the program can be arranged and is quoted individually prior to booking.

When the group travels to parks, excursions, or community venues, activity-based transport may be charged to the NDIS. Exact travel charges are listed clearly on the booking form for transparency.

Out-of-pocket costs may apply depending on specific program activities and will always be communicated in advance.

Funding and Compliance

This program is delivered as a structured group support focused on capacity building and community participation.

The current NDIS rate is: $37.70 per hour(Group Activities – Community Participation 1:2, plus centre capital costs)

If a participant does not have Core funding, families are encouraged to contact us to discuss options before booking.

We take NDIS compliance seriously and design all programs with current Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits in mind.

Important Update About School Holiday Programs

Recent updates to the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits explicitly exclude supports that fall under outside school hours care, including school holiday programs and vacation care.

Because of this, we are carefully reviewing how programs are delivered during traditional school holiday periods to ensure families are not placed at risk of non-claimable charges.

While we still plan to offer small, interest-based groups where permitted, the structure and eligibility of programs may change.