The PEERS® programme (a manualised Programme for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is one of the only evidence-based interventions focusing on social skills for teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder, and has also been used clinically for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and other social challenges.
The programme, developed by Dr Elizabeth Laugeson, Founder and Director of the ULCA PEERS Programme and Dr Fred Frankel, enables individuals with social challenges:
- To manage demands of the social world
- Develop capacities for social referencing and engagement with others
- Achieve an understanding of differing situations
- Develop strategies to adjust responses appropriately
- Achieve social goals (such as communicating ideas and forming friendships)
- Develop skills for social reciprocity
In addition, the PEERS® programme has been shown to be effective through multiple randomised controlled trials and maintenance of gains 1-5 years after treatment has been evidenced. Overall, the PEERS® programme facilitates developmental, learning and social competencies for individuals with social challenges which may contribute to self-efficacy and well-being.
