fbpx

Why Secret Agent Society is Popular with the Neurodivergent Community

The Secret Agent Society (SAS) Small Group Program prepares children for life’s social and emotional challenges in a fun and effective way. It captures children’s attention through spy-themed, gamified learning and has been helping neurodivergent children to reach their social and emotional goals for over 13 years.

Parents of neurodivergent children might have noticed that they have been encouraged to act or feel more “normal” throughout their lives. The thing is, being told what to do and how to feel doesn’t always feel so good. It doesn’t give children space to play to their strengths and can lead to loneliness.

That’s why many services offer Secret Agent Society in a neurodivergent-affirming way. Rather than focusing on fixing perceived “deficits”, it acknowledges and celebrates the differences in how all our brains are wired. In fact, differences are seen as healthy and beneficial to society.

The team from the Secret Agent Society share why their courses have become so popular amongst the Neurodivergent community and how your child can go from feeling inadequate to celebrating their “Bionic Powers with these evidence-based supports

Secret Agent Society helps neurodivergent children to thrive.

It was originally developed by Dr Renae Beamont when she was completing her PhD at the University of Queensland in the early 2000s. She was inspired by a brilliant autistic flute student that she had once taught and wanted to develop a program that would help children like her to thrive.
 
The program was originally called the Junior Detective Training Program and it focused on helping autistic children to reach their social and emotional goals. The original RCT produced the highest published clinical increase in social-emotional skills for a program of its kind.
 
Since then, the name has changed to Secret Agent Society, evolved across 3 editions, and the evidence of its impact continues to grow. By cracking codes and collecting digital gadgets, neurodivergent children (and other children who have social and emotional goals) learn to:

  • Decode how people feel and act (including themselves)
  • Build their own formula for friendships and teams
  • Cope with change and the unpredictable
  • Solve social and emotional problems
  • Recognise and deal with bullying

After completing the program, they get to graduate as “Secret Agents”, with a robust social and emotional toolkit that they can draw upon throughout their lives.
 
Here are a few more reasons why the program is so popular with the neurodivergent community.

It delivers meaningful social outcomes.

Many parents who enrol their children in the Secret Agent Society program are worried that they are struggling to make friends. They might have noticed that their child is feeling lonely and/or experiencing big emotions. They are looking for support and want to help them to build their confidence.

Evidence based supports

Secret Agent Society has an extensive evidence base of its ability to create meaningful change for children and families experiencing these problems. There are over 20 publications that provide evidence of its effectiveness or demonstrate its different applications.

Recent study results

In a recent study which investigated the use of SAS for children with moderate-severe mental health disorders attending community Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, 84% of parents said that the program led to lasting positive changes for their child. 74% of teachers also believed that it contributed to lasting changes in their student’s school participation.
 
One of the ways the program creates meaningful change is by creating wrap-around support. It’s powered by a digital health platform, which enables parents, teachers, and facilitators to combine their efforts. Together, they can empower every “Cadet” with the support they need to develop and diversify their social-emotional skills.

The program values neurodiversity

Many neurodivergent individuals live in a world that has been made with the neurotypical brain in mind. The way we live doesn’t always empower neurodivergent people to play to their strengths. Neurodivergent people can also often feel like they need to change themselves in order to fit in.
 
Secret Agent Society counters this “one-size-fits-all” approach with flexible delivery options and professional training that supports neurodivergent-affirming practices. That means that the program helps children feel safe to be themselves. It comes from a perspective where different ways of interacting, thinking, or feeling are accepted and understood.

 Rather than focusing on right and wrong, it supports classroom teachers to focus on communicating and valuing our differences.
 
At the start of the program, children get to self-select the life goals that are most important to them with the guidance of their facilitators and families. Rather than being taught that there is one way to be, the program supports every “Cadet” to understand their strengths while respecting the needs of others.
 
It helps children to go from feeling inadequate to celebrating their “Bionic Powers”. It can also be flexibly applied to consider each child’s individual context, goals, and needs. Cadets are guided by expert facilitators to design their own “Conversation Codes” and “Relaxation Gadgets” so that they are empowered to start solving social-emotional problems for themselves.

The program flexibility and professional supports, mean that Facilitators are equipped to deliver outcomes for a range of child and family profiles. They are encouraged to use their “Facilitation Flexometer” to adapt evidence-based learning and extension activities for different children while monitoring their progress over time.

Secret Agent Society is accessible

When families can’t access effective supports, children can experience mental health issues and fall behind at school. That’s why Secret Agent Society’s evidence-based resources are constantly evolving to meet community needs. They are available in a small group format, or can be delivered face-to-face or via telehealth, or as a stand-alone computer game pack.
 
Cadets can build their social-emotional skills at any time, from anywhere. It’s also coordinated by a digital health platform, so that clinicians, parents, and teachers can collaborate easily.
 
Weekly parent coaching sessions, Teacher Tip Sheets, and a home-school Skill Tracker are all used to provide consistent mental health support to children, whether they’re at home or school.
 
Secret Agent Society is also offered by a global network of providers. There is even an online map that makes it easy for you to find a provider.

Find a SAS provider

Secret Agent Society is accessible

When families can’t access effective supports, children can experience mental health issues and fall behind at school. That’s why Secret Agent Society’s evidence-based resources are constantly evolving to meet community needs. They are available in a small group format, or can be delivered face-to-face or via telehealth, or as a stand-alone computer game pack.
 
Cadets can build their social-emotional skills at any time, from anywhere. It’s also coordinated by a digital health platform, so that clinicians, parents, and teachers can collaborate easily.
 
Weekly parent coaching sessions, Teacher Tip Sheets, and a home-school Skill Tracker are all used to provide consistent mental health support to children, whether they’re at home or school.
 
Secret Agent Society is also offered by a global network of providers. There is even an online map that makes it easy for you to find a provider.

Find a SAS provider

It takes a community to raise a child

Rather than leaving families to struggle, Secret Agent Society  helps children to learn social-emotional skills through professionally-led fun with a strong research backing. They get to build a toolkit that they can draw upon throughout their lives.
 
The program also doesn’t just focus on the individual. It teaches the community around them how to celebrate and support neurodiversity. By enabling the influential people in a child’s life to collaborate – Secret Agent Society delivers meaningful outcomes with more ease – and more fun!
 
Want to learn more about the program?

Check out the Secret Agent Society Family Flyer and find a provider here

Sources

Secret Agent Society

More Blog Posts

Search by category
View latest posts