Getting ready for social and community participation

Who is this guide for?

This guide has information for participants (over 18 years of age) who are getting ready for social and community participation and:

are on the autism spectrum
live with intellectual disability
live with psychosocial disability

Other people may also find it helpful.

How can this guide help you?

Understanding how this guide is organised will help you use it.
It will help you think about:

what you enjoy doing
what you may need to help you participate socially and within your community
the benefits of building connections and social and communication skills

It is important to remember social and community participation is about doing things you want as part of everyday life. These are activities you do for fun and can help your health and wellbeing.

We have used research to find the supports that help with social and community participation. Research is one type of information to help you think about social and community participation. It can help you learn about what supports, programs and activities are available to you and how well they may work.

The research in this guide is in 2 parts. The first part is a summary to help you learn about how supports may help with community participation.

The second part gives more detailed information about the outcomes or changes that social and community participation supports may lead to.

Remember you are unique, so understanding your own goals and needs is important. You may also find advice, ideas and direct support from your family, carers, friends, local area coordinator (LAC), NDIS planner, support coordinator, psychosocial recovery coach or support or activity providers helpful when choosing the best supports and activities for you.

We have provided some questions and a link to the checklist to help you write down your ideas. Discuss these with people who are helping you think about social and community participation.

Getting ready to participate socially or in the community means working out:

what you enjoy doing
what your goals are
if you need supports to build your confidence and skills to socialise and participate
what supports and activities are available where you live.

Research shows that a range of supports can help you participate in activities you enjoy. These are guided by your needs and goals. The research says that social and community participation can be supported by having:

good health and wellbeing
a safe place to live
activities that interest you
access to transport
access to any assistive technology you may need
independence and the right support for self-care

Participating socially and within your community may also help support these needs.

You may want to work on these other goals while you get ready to participate.

Your activities may change over time. You can ask for help to make these changes when you are ready.

The research showed a range of supports that can help you prepare for social and community activities.

These may be available through your NDIS plan or mainstream and community supports. One or more of these may suit your needs.

Supports that help you find and connect with participation opportunities like a local area coordinator (LAC), support coordinator or psychosocial recovery coach.
Informal supports like family, friends, peer supporters, or paid supports like support workers, to help you find opportunities to participate.
Building skills and confidence in sharing your needs and preferences, like self-advocacy training or recovery colleges, can help with positive social connections. Building these skills can help you:
- Feel listened to and respected
- Listen to and show respect for others
- Build friendships and feel confident to spend time with new people in new activities
- Learn skills in important life roles like parenting, getting a job or becoming an employee
- Have successful romantic relationships
- Use social media, the internet and send emails or messages
Attend training to help with your social skills. This training may happen during work experience or at work, in a group, or on your own with a trainer. This can help you build skills in:
How to talk to new people
Make friends
Focus on your wellbeing
Apply your skills while you are at work.

You can download the research in detail for getting ready for social and community participation.

You can talk to your family, carers, friends, local area coordinators (LAC), NDIS planners, support coordinator, psychosocial recovery coach, service providers, or other people you know. They can help you think about supports you may need to work towards your goals. They can also be good role models and provide support as you look for programs, activities and opportunities to participate.

These questions can help you start the conversation:

How do I include social and community participation goals in my plan?
How do I know what social and communication skills or wellbeing goals I need to develop to make participating in the community a positive experience?
How do I develop a routine that is good for my physical and mental health and that is also interesting?
What supports, programs and activities are available to:
- Understand what new skills I may need to help me participate?
- Connect to available activities I may be interested in?
- Increase my independence in getting out in my community?
What can I do if an activity or community group is not experienced in including people with disabilities?
How can I find out if an activity or community group has any experience with including people with disabilities?
What groups or activities have I done in the past that I enjoyed, and how can I find or restart that activity again?
How do I find a service or activity provider, support worker, or program that can help me participate in activities?
Where can I find community activities?

National Disability Insurance Agency 2021. ‘Interventions to improve social, community & civic participation of adults on the Autism Spectrum or living with Intellectual or Psychosocial Disability: A systematic review. Australia. Prepared by M Giummarra, L O’Brian.
National Disability Insurance Agency 2021. ‘Getting out into the world’: pathways to community participation and connectedness for NDIS participants with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and/or with psychosocial disability. Australia. Prepared by L Smith, M Bennett, B Gardner, R Morello.

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