Meet your Social Coaches.

Meet our experienced facilitators. We are here to help!

  • Founder, Certified PEERS® Provider and Social Behavioural Coach

    Christine is a Social Communication Specialist and Founder of Social Skills Australia. With 28 years of experience and post-graduate university qualifications in professional communications, she has dedicated her career to helping people communicate effectively. As a Certified PEERS® Provider, she has extensive experience facilitating PEERS® programs and is committed to helping adolescents and their families develop crucial social skills and self-confidence.

  • Certified PEERS® Provider and Social Behavioural Coach

    Maria holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education and has international teaching experience. As a PEERS® facilitator with Social Skills Australia since 2023, she is also an experienced social skills coach. Maria is committed to helping individuals build meaningful connections and overcome social challenges.

    PEERS® Credentials

  • Certified PEERS® Provider and Social Behavioural Coach

    Kim is a dedicated mental health professional and educator with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Education, currently pursuing a Master’s in Autism and Neurodivergent Studies. With over two decades of experience across various healthcare settings, Kim specialises in social skills development, therapeutic interventions, and support for neurodivergent individuals. As a Mental Health Accredited member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), Kim brings expertise in evidence-based practices including CBT, DBT and animal-based therapy. Her integrative approach combines clinical expertise with educational strategies to foster supportive and inclusive learning environments across all age groups.

    PEERS® Credentials

  • Enrolments and Memberships Coordinator

    Vanessa is a passionate youth advocate and facilitator with extensive experience in youth development, community engagement, and lived experience advocacy. At Social Skills Australia, she coordinates enrolments and leads the development of ongoing membership supports to help participants stay connected and continue growing beyond the program. Vanessa brings a unique blend of creativity, empathy, and expertise in fostering inclusive, youth-led spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

more About me

Hello, I'm Christine but my friends call me Chris.

If your adolescent or young adult needs help to make and keep friends and gain social skills and confidence - you're in the right place!

I'm a fellow parent and over the past 16 years, I have been raising my own children and step-children (now young adults and adolescents) with autism and ADHD and supporting them with their social challenges. I first discovered PEERS® when my son asked for help with learning social skills and he and I completed the PEERS® course, with me as his social coach.

The difference for my son was profound, and since then, I've had many parents ask me about social skills training for adolescents. I know what it's like to have a child who finds it hard to make and keep friends, who feels socially awkward and is beginning to isolate, and is vulnerable to bullying, depression and anxiety. I know that as a parent, it can be really worrying. And it can be hard to know what to do as there are very few support programs out there for teenagers.

Today, I'm so happy to say that my son is a happy, confident and articulate young man. He has a beautiful group of friends around him, he's thriving at school, his wonderful sense of humour is shining through, he's started playing team sports and he has recently started a part-time job that fits around his studies. His teachers tell me often how wonderfully he is doing at school and the positive changes they have seen in him.

I’ve seen for myself the difference this program can make, and my passion is to share everything I’ve learned with other families.

Having completed the PEERS® program with my son and the PEERS® Certified Provider training through the University of California, I KNOW that social skills can be explicitly taught - and learned. And having these skills in their toolkit makes all the difference for these teens.

I value the uniqueness of each individual and draw on a strengths-based and adolescent-centred approach in our small-group sessions, which are warm, respectful, relaxed and inclusive. I have more than 28 years of experience as a communications specialist, and I’ve spent much of my career in the not-for-profit, education and disability sectors - and I’m a mum of adolescents on the autism spectrum myself. I bring all of that combined knowledge and experience to every session and every teen I have the honour to work with. And most of all - we have FUN! It’s true! Learning social skills is actually SO much fun.

I look forward to the opportunity to help your teen flourish as the beautiful individual they are so they can live their best life - with some extra social skills in their toolkit that they can use should they choose to.

Get in touch! I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Christine O’Leary

Certified PEERS® Provider & Social Skills Coach

Social Skills

We’re excited to work with you and your loved one to achieve your family goals!

 

we got answers

Frequently asked questions.

    • 14-Week Program for Adolescents and Young Adults

      • Price: $2,640 incl GST (or $188.57 per week x 14 weeks)

      • Overview: This comprehensive program spans 14 weeks and is designed to help adolescents and young adults develop crucial social skills, including conversation techniques, managing social interactions, and building friendships.

      Self-Paced Start Anytime PEERS® Course

      • Price: $695 incl GST (one-time payment)

      • Overview: A flexible, on-demand course covering the full PEERS® curriculum, including conversation skills, friendship building, bully-proofing, and dating etiquette. Includes lesson videos, workbook, app access, private Facebook forum, and two 1:1 coaching calls.

      Self-Paced PEERS® Dating Intensive

      • Price: $495 incl GST (one-time payment)

      • Overview: A focused self-paced program designed for individuals aged 16+ who want to strengthen their dating skills. Covers choosing appropriate partners, flirting, asking someone out, handling rejection, and going on successful dates. Includes bonus lessons and personalised coaching.

      Self-Paced PEERS® Over 30s Social Skills Workshop

      • Price: $385 incl GST (one-time payment)

      • Overview: Tailored for adults aged 30+, this workshop helps participants develop and strengthen social confidence, communication skills, and strategies for building meaningful friendships and connections.

  • PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is an evidence-based social skills training program designed to improve social interactions for individuals with autism, ADHD, and other social challenges. It focuses on teaching practical skills for building and maintaining friendships and relationships.

  • Our programs are open to adolescents, adults, and parents. We tailor our courses to meet the needs of individuals with social challenges, including those on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, or experiencing other social difficulties.

  • Our main program runs for 14 weeks.

    And our Self-Paced courses can start anytime but with a limited access of 4 months.

  • Yes, parental involvement is highly encouraged, especially in our PEERS® programs.

    Parents often serve as social coaches, reinforcing the skills taught during the sessions. For the 14-week programs parents have their own coaching sessions each week.

    For the Self-Paced courses, parents receive pre recorded coaching webinars to support their child’s progress.

  • Once you enroll in a course, you’ll receive login details to access the materials online or via email. For the Self-Paced PEERS® course, you’ll have access to the videos, PDFs, and other resources.

  • Participants are encouraged to ask questions during weekly sessions. You’ll also have access to our private Facebook forum where you can ask questions and share experiences with other participants. Additionally, for certain courses like the Self-Paced PEERS® program, you receive two 30-minute 1:1 coaching calls with the instructor to address any specific concerns or questions.

  • Yes! If you missed the current round of PEERS®, you can enrol for the next round we do 3 intakes a year or enrol in our Self-Paced Start Anytime PEERS® course, which will is available all year. This allows you to start the program at your convenience.

  • We are not NDIS registered and we require payment upfront. However if you are Self Managed you may be able to claim a reimbursement from the NDIS.

  • We do not offer refunds for any of our courses. Please ensure you’re committed to the program before enrolling.

  • You can schedule your two 30-minute coaching calls through our Calendly link at any time within 4 months of purchasing the course. These sessions are conducted via Zoom.

  • The online format of our courses, combined with the flexibility of accessing materials at your convenience, helps promote consistent attendance. Participants attend one 90-minute session each week for the 14-week program. We also provide tools and reminders to help you stay on track.

  • The online PEERS® course offers the same evidence-based curriculum as our in-person sessions, with the added benefits of reduced anxiety for participants, greater convenience, and more focused learning. The virtual format allows participants to engage deeply with the material in a comfortable setting. If you want more practical and proven benefits of PEERS® online please click here. https://www.socialskillsaustralia.com.au/blog

  • After enrolling in one of our courses, you will receive an invitation to join our private Facebook forum, where you can connect with other participants, ask questions, and share your experiences.

  • We offer introductory videos and sample lessons on our website, so you can get a feel for the course content and structure before making a commitment. We also share with you the breakdown of topics per week. https://www.socialskillsaustralia.com.au/sample-content