PEERS® Social Skills

Enhance Social and Emotional Health with PEERS® Group Therapy

Feeling Supported and Nurtured by a Peer Group, while Building Self-confidence and Self-esteem

Rooted in Evidence

Learning and strengthening emotional intelligence through social skills training.

I foster a safe space to explore and practice emotional skills without fear of rejection or teasing.

Understanding PEERS

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is an evidence-based social skills training intervention/therapeutic approach to support children who have autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, depression or other social, emotional and behavioral disorders.

The program was originally developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, and Dr. Fred Frankel. Since its inception in 2005, PEERS® has expanded to locations across the U.S. and around the world.

It has a strong evidence-base for use with teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome and similar social and communication challenges but is also appropriate for other populations. Recent research has demonstrated that gains made over the course of this program are maintained 3-5 years later (Laugeson et al., 2013).

PEERS® is different from other Social Skills Programs because it:

Is evidence-based and included parents

Is structured like a class, not a therapy group

Teaches ecologically valid social skills based on how socially successful individuals behave

Breaks down social skills into understandable steps taught in an effective way

Builds in the generalization of skills to “real life” settings

Teaches skills that transfer to the school and workplace and beyond

Parent Participation Required

PEERS® For 4-6 Year-olds

PEERS® is always accepting applications and we meet year round!

Diagnosis Requirements

Have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or have other social challenges.

Age Requirements

Child must be between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.

Language Requirements

Must be able to speak consistently and flexibly in phrases or sentences of more than four words.

Behavioral Requirements

Child must not have any significant behavioral problems (e.g., aggression).

Focus Outcomes

During this 12-week series of group therapy sessions, we’ll focus on:

Playing cooperatively with others

Finding common interests with playmates

Walking up to and joining kids in play or conversation

Building confidence socially with others in safe play and art therapy context

Learning how to handle teasing and resolve conflicts

Let’s Get Started

Parent Participation Required

PEERS® For 7-18 Year-olds

This 16-week series of both telehealth and in-person therapy focuses on:

How to use appropriate conversational skills

How to appropriately use electronic forms of communication

How to appropriately use humor and assess humor feedback

How to start, enter, and exit conversations between peers

How to organize successful get-togethers with friends

How to be a good sport

How to handle arguments and disagreements with friends

How to handle rejection, teasing, bullying, and rumors/gossip

Let’s Get Started