The Social Mind® provides a specialised range of educational resources and training opportunities for professionals, paraprofessionals, parents and carers, working with kids and adults whose brains are wired differently.

We are both Pro-Social and Neuro-Affirming,.. a Blog Post explaining that coming soon… but in short, we believe that understanding neurodiversity will lead to social change, simply because current “organisational” structures no longer work for everybody, but especially for those of us with diversely wired brains, we should no longer be told to simply learn how to fit in.

That said, we also believe that co-operation and empathy are important traits for all of us to develop.  We believe that relationships are important, and that society is better off when we champion both self understanding and an understanding of the perspectives of others.  Being both Pro-Social and Neuro-Affirming go hand in hand… and promoting both, will lead to a more inclusive society.

We believe that understanding how your brain works is a great place to start. After that, learning how to make “smart guesses” about the perspectives of others, will help you navigate relationships… which, for many of us with neurodiverse brains, is not always easy.

The Social Mind® is the Registered Trademark of The Social Mind Pty Ltd ABN 61 624 876 624.  We are based in Canberra, the Capital City of Australia.  Peter, our Executive Director, is a trained Therapist and Educator with a wealth of experience using all the resources we sell (and many we don’t).  He’s always up for a chat about the particular needs of your client or child.  You can call Peter at our Office on (02) 5105 5262 or contact him via email [email protected]

The Social Mind® is in its 16th year of trading with a few name changes along the way (Social Thinking Australia/Social Inclusion Australia), reflecting the steady growth and development of the business.  For over a decade now we have established a reputation for delivering quality service and supplying educational resources that help individuals achieve their social goals and strengthen their relationships.  Scroll down to see some of the feedback we have received. All our Policies are accessed via links at the bottom of this page, on the right.

The Social Mind embraces neurodiversity and acknowledges the unique skills, identity and aspirations of every child and adult accessing our resources. We encourage users of our resources to work cooperatively with clients, to strengthen their unique sense of identity, and further develop their capacity to exercise agency in their lives.

We hope that our business provides our clients with the tools and strategies they need to achieve their social goals, whatever they may be, and strengthen their relationships. We love seeing those who sometimes struggle with the “social world”, being valued by their community simply for who they are. The article Respecting Neurodiversity by Helping Social Learners Meet Their Personal Goals is a good place to start a conversation about respecting Neurodiversity.

Here’s some information about the major authors we recommend and support.

The Social Mind® Pty Ltd is proud to be Australia’s only licensed reseller of Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking® books and training resources. We supply Social Thinking® resources to countries in the region and host Michelle’s speaking tours of Australia.

We believe that Social Thinking® provides a terrific framework for teaching our kids the social cognition skills they may lack, to help them navigate the social world.  Peter, our Company Director and CEO, was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2008 and as part of his three month study tour across the USA and UK, trained in Michelle Garcia Winner’s Clinic in San Jose California.  Peter has a wealth of experience using Social Thinking® resources across the whole range of social learning challenges, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, and is always happy to answer your questions about our Social Thinking® products. You can contact him by phoning (02) 5105 52 62 (if phoning from Australia) or +61 2 5105 5262 (if phoning from outside Australia) or by email [email protected]

If you are new to Social Thinking® and want to know more about the methodology, this page on Social Thinking’s website is a good place to start. You can view Michelle Garcia Winner explaining Social Thinking® on YouTube here. More YouTube Social Thinking® videos can be found here. Many FREE articles on Social Thinking® can be found here. Find out how Michelle Garcia Winner Came to be in the Film “Life, Animated” here.

Social Thinking® is a registered trademark of Michelle Garcia Winner and Think Social Publishing Inc.  A guide to sharing Social Thinking’s® Intellectual Property can be found here.  Evidence to support the Social Thinking® Methodology is available here: https://www.socialthinking.com/evidence

 

The Zones of Regulation®, is a certified Woman-Owned Small Business in the USA. The Social Mind® is a proud collaborator with Leah Kuypers, the creator, author and founder of The Zones of Regulation®, a framework to foster self-regulation and emotional awareness.  The Zones of Regulation® has been enthusiastically received by educators, therapists and parents around the world.

Over 100,000 copies of The Zones of Regulation Curriculum book have been sold and the framework has been implemented in schools across Australia to support students’ social emotional learning. ​ Leah’s simple to use framework is having an impact where it matters most, by giving kids strategies to self-regulate their emotions, enabling them to not only understand the impact their behaviour has on others, but to ensure that their behaviour is putting them in the best position to succeed.  Leah’s work is changing lives.

The Zones of Regulation® is the only comprehensive framework specifically designed to foster well-being by helping individuals understand and manage their emotions, behaviours, and sensory needs. The Zones of Regulation® empowers everyone — from learners to educators, therapists, and families — with tools to improve self-regulation and thrive together.

The Zones of Regulation® Digital Curriculum, the next evolution of the original best-selling book by Leah Kuypers, offers a comprehensive approach to help learners of all ages understand and manage their emotions effectively.

All the information about the The Zones of Regulation® Digital Curriculum is on our website HERE. 

The Zones of Regulation® is the Registered Trademark of Leah Kuypers (Kuypers Consulting Inc).  A guide to sharing The Zones of Regulation Intellectual Property can be Found here.

Customer Service

The Social Mind is always happy to answer your questions, provide advice about our products and solve any problems.  You can contact us by email [email protected] or by phoning (02) 5105 5262 (if phoning from Australia) or +61 2 5105 5262 (if phoning from outside Australia).

Feedback

Here is just some of the feedback we have received:

Dear Peter, It was such a delight speaking with you recently – thank you for sharing your expertise, encouragement and resources. Your support has been invaluable! My sincere gratitude for your generosity! (Learning Support Assistant)

“Hi Peter, Thank you for sending through all of that information. I have finished the course – it was absolutely brilliant!! The MP3 files have been hugely beneficial to listen to and review whilst driving/on the road.” (Speech Pathologist)

“Hey Peter, Thank you so much for your help in organising this course and providing me access to it. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much about me when I only attended so I could help my son. My perspective of the social world has changed, my perspective of myself has changed, and we have some new social goals for our family, and for my son.” (Parent)
“Hi Peter, The book has arrived and I am about to log in to start the training. What fabulous service you provide. Thanks again.” (School Principal)
“Hi Peter, Thanks very much for making the purchasing process super easy, and providing such good customer service!” (Parent)
“Hi Peter, I attended the training last week with Ross Greene – this is by far the best training I have ever done – it fills so many gaps for me in my clinical practice – Ross Greene’s ideas about lagging skills and unresolved problems aligns beautifully for me…. thank you for providing the opportunity to do this training – warm regards” (Child Behaviour Specialist)
“I truly love attending your workshops, and have now seen Michelle Garcia Winner, Leah Kuypers and Ross Greene. I am always so inspired by the information and it truly changes my practice every time. I don’t think I have ever been to any other courses that are so well organised, great food and venues and such extensive resources and books available. Your communication with participants is also second to none.” (Therapist)
“Thanks so much for bringing such a valuable speaker to a regional town. Please keep me on your mailing list for any upcoming workshops this year and the years to follow. I am now looking to get certified in this area and help others implement Ross’s model. Just a quick note to say thank you for doing this valuable service!!!” (Teacher)
“Dear Peter, I wanted to thank you for what you’ve done to make this event happen. It is so fundamentally important for our children, and our world.  Looking forward to Ross’ next visit.  Please keep me on your mailing list!” (Therapist)
“Please pass on to Michelle my profound thanks, today was a literal LIFE ALTERING day.  It was a pleasure to meet you both and appreciate first hand the work Michelle does. Many thanks.” (Autism Support Coordination Team Leader)
“Thank you so much for making the opportunity available to have Social Thinking in Melbourne. It was by far the best PD I have ever done. Not only was the content extraordinary but your organisation of the last few days was on point.  Thank you again.” (Occupational Therapist)
“I Just wanted to say a big thank you to yourself, Michelle, Ryan and Carrie for the 3 day workshops. It was worth the trip from Copenhagen. It was absolutely fantastic. So thanks again.”  (International School Psychologist)
“I have learnt so much in the last 3 days. Hearing fantastic personal stories and meeting fellow workers on the learning journey as we strive to understand more about how our clients see their world.  I listened in awe to Michelle as she shared her “Social Thinking” knowledge. It was mind blowing!!!!  Now the challenge will be to digest and understand more fully her words of wisdom and begin applying her little gems into my workplace and life.“  (Preschool Field Officer)
“A huge thank you goes to you and your team for assisting with getting Michelle here, to Melbourne, to share her wisdom and knowledge on the informative topic of ‘Emotions’. Both seminars I attended were superb with a lot of ‘aha moments’ for myself.  I’m looking forward to broadening my learning with help and guidance from your wonderful speakers in the future.” (ASD Integration/Education Support Officer)
“Many thanks to Michelle for such an insightful and inspiring workshop! I have learnt so much from it and am really grateful for the wonderful information.” (Speech Language Pathologist)
“The workshop was outstanding and very informative, Michelle is an amazing and inspiring speaker and great advocate for people with social/communication issues. Your efforts for the day were much appreciated.”(General Practitioner)
“BEST PD I have ever attended. It was just…wow!!! Thanks Peter!” (Teacher)

“With regard to Ross, WOW. So proficient, he makes it sound so logical and easy doesn’t he? Clearly it’s not easy, and it didn’t come about overnight, but the way Ross’ thinking has evolved to put in such a practical model for us all to use, that will ultimately have such important implications who all we work with…. well that’s just so commendable.  Can’t wait to get “good at this” and apply it daily in my life, and in my practice at work.  Cheers and thanks for making this happen.” (Teacher)

“Thanks so much for hosting the workshop yesterday. It was super informative and my husband and I both feel we have a better understanding of the CPS model to support our 3 kids. I thought I’d cheekily offer our family if you need a volunteer case study for when Ross returns for advanced training!” (Parent)

“It was an absolute pleasure attending Ross’s workshop yesterday – my brain is full, and inspiration overflowing! I am definitely interested in attending Ross’s advanced workshop in future.  I would like to add a BIG thank you for organising and managing the event! You and your colleagues managed to make a big group still feel intimate, and your passion and respect for Ross’s work really shone through. What a joy it was!” (Therapist)

“Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to listen to Ross in Brisbane. He is truly an inspiration. I hope to be able to use some of the knowledge I have gained from the workshop with in my classroom and at home with my own children. I have begun reading his book The Explosive Child and I am already learning so much.” (Teacher)

“Peter, Thank you again for bringing such great PD to Melbourne.  I have already changed my practise and met with a preschool team last night and removed the focus from behaviour management – we plan to try the ALSUP next week. I am also grateful for the reminder to include the children in the problem solving process – I know I do that in clinic sessions but possibly not enough in initial planning.” (Therapist)

“Thank you Peter! I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.” (Parent)

“Hi Peter, Thank you so much for organising Ross Greene to come out. The workshop was amazing and I am super inspired to give it a “red hot go”.  Can’t wait for next year’s workshops so please keep me in the loop.” (Teacher)

“Hi Peter, Thanks so much for this organisation! I must say I have used 2 of the skills that he taught yesterday with 2 children in today’s sessions and although I am still grappling with the language I am mighty impressed with the process and the outcomes that we achieved with this, so nice to be reminded to just let things happen in the time that is needed. Looking forward to Ross’s next instalments.” (Therapist)

“Hi Peter, Thank you so much for your amazing customer service this afternoon! I appreciate it so much! Can’t wait to use this resource with our students!!” (Teacher)

“Thank you Peter! The last 3 days were immensely interesting and will be practically useful in my Speech Pathology clinic and services. Thank you again, this week has been excellent! It has really shifted my view of supporting our client’s social learning with practical intervention tools and strategies I can put into effect immediately.” (Speech Pathologist)

“Thanks again Peter for all of your help (and for the free gift that was kindly included in our order!!) We look forward to using all of the lovely resources to help boost social thinking in our household!!” (Parent)

“Hi Peter, The book has arrived and I am about to log in to start the training. What fabulous service you provide. Thanks again.” (School Principal)