WELCOME TO
PEERS® Dorset
An Evidenced-Based
Social Skills Program for Teens and Young Adults, based on Science
Now enrolling for Teen and Young Adult groups in Autumn!
PEERS is a weekly course, following school Term Times, with a break for half term. The course will run between 12 - 14 weeks.
PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) was developed at the University of California, Los Angeles. The group was created to be a parent-assisted social skills training for youth and young adults on the Autistic Spectrum, those with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Social Communication Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, and the twice exceptional persons with social impairments.
The group is tailored for teens and young adults who are motivated to learn the ecologically valid skills (or what people who are socially accepted naturally do) that are proven to improve their abilities to make and keep friends.
Parental participation is a key component of our PEERS® program. Research shows that parental support, instruction, and supervision significantly benefit the development of friendships. Parent groups are run as well at designated times.
Among the few social skills programs that exist, the vast majority do not provide evidence to support their claims of improving social skills, nor do they provide parent assistance. To date, the only known research-supported social skills program available for teens and young adults with ASD and other social challenges is PEERS®.
MORE ABOUT THE PEERS PROGRAM
PEERS® or the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, is a social skills training intervention for adolescents and young adults. This program, developed by Elizabeth Laugeson at UCLA , has a strong evidence base for use with teens and young adults on the Autistic Spectrum, but it is also appropriate for teens and young adults with ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Social Communication Disorders and other Socio-emotional problems. 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 unique and unlike other Social Skills Programs in that it:
Is evidence-based
Includes parents
Teaches ecologically valid social skills
Tailors teaching methods to shared social skills
Prerequisites for Being Accepted into the Program:
Have friendship problems
Teens in the equivalent of year 9 upwards in UK schools and also older. Could be in college, university, apprenticeship, working or not yet engaged in a career program.
Young Adults aged 17+
Teens or Young Adults must be interested in attending the program
Teens must agree to participate in the program voluntarily
Entry is after the Application Process
Teens must consistently attend the program
Parents must be willing to participate
For more information about PEERS® check out the UCLA Website: The UCLA PEERS® Clinic
Frequently Asked Questions
F.A.Q.
-
The first step in the process is to do a phone screen with just the parent(s). The phone screen is free, takes about 20-30 minutes, and gives us a chance to see if the group sounds like it could be a good fit. From there, we will meet for a 50-minute intake with the teen or young adult as well as the parent(s). To schedule a phone screen, please send us a message here:
Dr.Isi@freowellbeing.com
-
Yes.
One parent is required to come consistently each week as the primary "social coach." As long as this primary social coach is coming consistently, a second parent can attend as much or as little as they are able. Although parents sometimes substitute for each other, if needed, we strongly discourage this any more than 2 -3 times for the duration of the program, as having one consistent coach typically yields better outcomes for group members.
-
They are often fun and engaging. Members of the group usually grow to enjoy – and sometimes even look forward! – to each meeting, feeling safe among like-minded youth, and learning through our weekly group activities.
-
Overall, we use a solution-focused and strengths-based approach. While presenting the new lesson each week, we use a "Socratic method" of teaching, which challenges group members to ask and answer questions, to think about other people's perspectives, and to understand why the social skills we teach are important. To help different types of learners, we utilise visual aids, role-play demonstrations, and structured practice opportunities. We are often able to provide group members with accommodations upon request to support their learning process, whenever possible.
-
Parents often find our "social coach" groups supportive and informative. The purpose of the parent group is to help parents understand how they can most effectively support their teens or young adults with learning and applying the skills in the real world outside of our group. Parents, in the role of "social coaches," will learn to help teens and young adults with using these skills in between our weekly meetings. Then, our ultimate goal is for parents to feel prepared to offer social coaching to their teen or young adult even after our program ends.
-
Currently, it is often difficult to set up contracts with traditional insurance for comprehensive programs like this. PEERS® is similar to a Term or Semester course, a unique learning opportunity and a valuable long-term investment in your child’s social and emotional education.
The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is world-renowned for providing evidence-based social skills treatment to preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems.
First developed at UCLA by PEERS® Clinic director, Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, the program has expanded to locations across the United States, other parts of the world, has been translated into over a dozen languages, and is used in over 125 countries across the world.