Social Skills Group For Teens
- Use appropriate conversational skills
- Use humour appropriately
- Use electronic communication
- Enter & exit conversations
- Be a good host during get-togethers
- Be a good sport
- Handle arguments and disagreements
- Change a bad reputation
- Handle rumours and gossip
- Handle rejection, teasing and bullying
What is PEERS® for Teens?
PEERS® for Teens is a 14-week evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in high school who are interested in learning new ways of making and keeping friends. This internationally acclaimed program, used in over 35 countries, was originally developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson.
During each group session, teens are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice these skills in session during socialisation activities.
Parents attend separate sessions and are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends by helping to expand their teen’s social network and providing feedback through coaching during weekly socialisation homework assignments.
PEERS® may be appropriate for teens with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression or other social and behavioural disorders. Parent participation is required.
What happens in a PEERS® for Teens session?
Attendees are presented with targeted skills through step-by-step instruction, role-play demonstrations, and the opportunity to practice the real-world skills through behavioural rehearsal exercises. During these behavioural rehearsals, attendees have the opportunity to practice with direct coaching from our program team.
Adolescents and young adults must be socially motivated and attend each session with a social coach.
Social coaches, these may be parents, practitioners, or educators, attend a separate group in which they are provided with additional instruction on how to coach participants through practice and provide constructive feedback.
Social coaches will learn:
Social coaches (i.e., parent, family member, adult sibling, life coach, job coach, peer mentor, support worker) attend seperate sessions at as the teens.
In these sessions, they are taught how to assist teens by providing feedback and practical support during weekly socialisation homework.
All programs meet once a week for 90 minutes over a 16-week period.
How much does PEERS® for Teens cost?
The cost of our 14 -week PEERS® Program amounts to approximately $4850. A detailed quote will be provided upon registering.
This is inclusive of:
- 1 X personalised initial session for parent and teen
- 14 X 90 minute social skills group
- 14 X 90 minute group training for the allocated social coach
- Resources provided to support participant and social coach
- Weekly homework tasks to build and develop skills between sessions
Why choose PEERS® for Teens?
The PEERS® program has been shown to be effective through multiple randomised controlled trials and maintenance of gains 1-5 years after treatment has been evidenced.
To be evidence based the program has had to undergo substantial clinical trials and research to gather data to support its efficacy. After the 14 week PEERS® program, research results revealed an overall improvement in social skills, reported by caregivers. This included cooperative social behaviour with peers and caregivers, social assertiveness and self-control. Participants also showed significant improvements in social responsiveness, due to the programs attention to receptive and expressive social communication skills. Participants also significantly improve their empathy after the 14 week program. This may be due to an increase of social cognitive skills, leading people to understand people’s mental and emotional states to make sense of the people’s behaviour.
The PEERS® program reduced self-reported loneliness due to greater participation in social activities and hobbies, as well as the development of friendship.
Frequency of invited get-togethers (i.e., social invitations extended to the participant from non-PEERS friends) increased greatly according to caregiver report.
Where can I read more about the research?
PEERS® for Adolescents
- Examining the feasibility and effectiveness of PEERS for adolescents via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lee et al., 2023)
- Efficacy of PEERS® for Adolescents via Telehealth Delivery (Estabillo et al., 2022).
- A randomized controlled trial to examine the efectiveness of the Dutch version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) (Idris et al., 2022).
- Perceived and Observed Treatment Gains Following PEERS: A Preliminary Study with Latinx Adolescents with ASD (Veytsman et al., 2022).
- Improving Social Anxiety and Social Responsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorder through PEERS® (Factor et al., 2022).
- Social Skills Training Using the Thai Version of UCLA PEERS® in Thai Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Sittanomai et al., 2021).
- New Approaches to Social Skills Training: Blended Group Interventions for Girls with Social Communication Difficulties (Wolstencroft et al., 2021).
- Improving Social Knowledge and Skills among Adolescents with Autism: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of UCLA PEERS® for Adolescents (Zheng et al., 2021)
- Research on effect of social PEERS training for mother and children with autism spectrum disorder in Shanghai (publication written in Chinese) (Zu et al., 2020)
- Development and preliminary testing of the Dutch version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) (Idris et al., 2020).
- An Israeli RCT of PEERS®: Intervention Effectiveness and the Predictive Value of Parental Sensitivity (Rabin et al., 2020).
- Implementation of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills Social Skills Intervention in a University-Based Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinic (Garbarino et al., 2020).
- The ACCEPT-study: design of an RCT with an active treatment control condition to study the effectiveness of the Dutch version of PEERS® for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (van Pelt et al., 2020)
- Examining the Treatment Efficacy of PEERS in Japan: Improving Social Skills Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Yamada et al., 2019)
- Brief Report: Reductions in Parenting Stress in the Context of PEERS—A Social Skills Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Corona et al., 2019)
- Multicentre, Randomised Waitlist Control Trial Investigating a Parent-Assisted Social Skills Group Programme for Adolescents with Brain Injuries: Protocol for the Friends Project (Gilmore et al., 2019)
- Brief Report: Effectiveness of an Accelerated Version of the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention for Adolescents (Matthews et al., 2019)
- Learning How to Make Friends for Chinese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Hong Kong Chinese Version of the PEERS® Intervention (Shum, et al., 2019)
- A Review of Social Skills Manuals for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hall et. al., 2018)
- Age as a Moderator of Social Skills Intervention Response Among Korean Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hong et al., 2018)
- The Dutch Translation of the PEERS Training (Jagersma et al., 2018)
- Exploring the Effectiveness of a Peer-Mediated Model of the PEERS Curriculum: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial (Matthews et. al., 2018)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the Hebrew Adaptation of the PEERS® Intervention: Behavioral and Questionnaire-Based Outcomes (Rabin et al., 2018)
- The Effects of a Modified PEERS Ciriculum on Accurate and Novel Responding of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Radley et. al., 2018)
- Research progress on the effect of program for the education and enrichment of relational skills on social skill improvement among adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Song & Du, 2018)
- A Pilot Study Examining the Effectiveness of the PEERS Program on Social Skills and Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hill et al., 2017)
- Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents with ASD Completing the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention (Schiltz et al., 2017)
- Brief Report: Does Gender Matter in Intervention for ASD? Examining the Impact of the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention on Social Behavior Among Females with ASD (McVey, et al., 2017)
- Examining the Efficacy of an Adapted Version of the UCLA PEERS® Program with Canadian Adolescents (Marchica & D’Amico, 2016)
- Parents Perceive Improvements in Socio-emotional Functioning in Adolescents with ASD Following Social Skills Treatment (Lordo et al., 2016)
- Brief Report: Assessment of Intervention Effects on In Vivo Peer Interactions in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Dolan et al., 2016)
- Examination of a Parent-Assisted, Friendship-Building Program for Adolescents With ADHD (Gardner et al., 2015)
- Parent and Family Outcomes of PEERS- A Social Skills Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Karst et al., 2014)
- Using a CBT Approach to Teach Social Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges The PEERS Method (Laugeson & Park, 2014)
- Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders- The UCLA PEERS Program (Mandelberg et al., 2013)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Korean Version of the PEERS Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training Program for Teens With ASD (Yoo et al., 2014)
- Predicting treatment success in social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders- The UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (Chang et al., 2013)
- A Replication and Extension of the PEERS Intervention- Examining Effects on Social Skills and Social Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Schohl et al., 2013)
- Measuring the Plasticity of Social Approach- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of the PEERS Intervention on EEG Asymmetry in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Van Hecke et al., 2013)
- Evidence-Based Social Skills Training for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders- The UCLA PEERS Program (Laugeson et al., 2012)
- Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training to Improve Friendships in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Laugeson et al., 2009)
- Brief Report: A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of PEERS® for Adolescents Telehealth for Autistic Adolescents (Adler et al., 2022)
- Effects of Social Skills Training for Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: a Randomized Controlled Trial of the Polish Adaptation of the PEERS® Intervention via Hybrid and In-Person Delivery (Platos et al., 2022)
- Use of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) Intervention to Improve Social Skills and Peer Relationships among Adolescent Adoptees (Helder et al., 2022)
- Exploring Caregiver and Participant Experiences of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Youth with Acquired Brain Injury and Cerebral Palsy (Gilmore et al., 2023)
- Lessons Learned from a Predominantly Latinx Autistic Population: Preliminary Effects of the PEERS Intervention on Neural and Perceived Educational Performance (Baker et al., 2023)
- Social skill training for children with autistic spectrum disorder on the uncertainty of the disease from mothers (Zu et al,. 2022)
- Effectiveness of Adapted Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) in Adolescents with ASD (Saima & Amin, 2023)
- Adaptation and Feasibility of the Mandarin Version of PEERS® for Autistic Adolescents (Lao et al., 2023)
- Vinaleysi og vanlíðan hjá börnum og unglingum: Rannsóknir á árangri af PEERS- námskeiðum í félagsfærni á Íslandi (Karlsdóttir et al., 2023)