Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS)

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) was originally created at UCLA by Drs. Elizabeth Laugeson and Fred Frankel. It is an evidence-based social skills training program for youth with social challenges between the ages of 13-18.

PEERS has a strong research base for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but is also appropriate for youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, intellectual disabilities, and other socioemotional difficulties. The program includes a teen group and a parent group that meet concurrently. Teens learn about conversations, electronic communication, joining groups, humor, handling teasing and disagreements, and planning get-togethers with other teens. Parents learn how to coach their teens to continue to use the skills when the program is complete.

We offer a 12-week evidence-based social skills intervention at our Burnet Campus and College Hill location. Teens are appropriate if they have struggled with social interactions and are motivated to improve their social skills. This program is led by Rebecca Shaffer, PsyD.