What is PEERS® for Young Adults?
Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is an evidence-based social skills group intervention to support interpersonal skills in friendships, workplace relationships, and romantic relationships. It has been empirically studied and shown effective in populations with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems.
PEERS® is unique because it is the standard in evidence based social skills for young adults. It breaks down social skills into understandable steps and includes role-plays and videos for multifaceted learning. Research shows that skills are generalizable to real life settings. Having these skills allows young adults to increase confidence in independent living and being an advocate for themselves.
<< Sign up for free 15-minute consultation >>
This group will be led by Dr. Laura Rowley, Ph.D. (https://ucebt.com/about-us/primary-staff/primary-staff/laura-rowley)
Learn more about PEERS®: (https://www.semel.ucla.edu/peers/young-adults)
Who is PEERS® for?
PEERS® is for young adults (18-35) who have:
- Social/behavioral challenges
- Autism spectrum disorder
- ADHD
- Social pragmatic communication disorder
Parents, caregiver or other support persons may serve as social coach in young adult group.
Anyone living in a PSYPACT Participating State may attend this group: https://psypact.org/mpage/psypactmap
What will you learn from PEERS®?
- Developing and maintaining friendships
- Handling disagreements and conflicts
- Building conversation skills in person and through technology, like email, texting, and social media
- Organizing and participating in group gatherings
- Practicing self-advocacy in workplace and school settings
<< Sign up for free 15-minute consultation >>
When will PEERS® group be held?
PEERS® is a 16-week program that can be in-person or virtual. Each session is 90 minutes. This group is set to begin in July 2024. Please complete this PEERS® for Young Adults Interest Form to learn more and for a free 15-minute consultation.
Where will PEERS® group be held?
- In-person: Utah Center for Evidence Based Treatment, 170 South 1000 East, Suite 201, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Virtual
- Hybrid
Anyone living in a PSYPACT Participating State may attend this group: https://psypact.org/mpage/psypactmap
How much does the PEERS® for Young Adults Program Cost?
PEERS® Groups are $75 per session ($1200 for all 16 weeks), and due to the curriculum, group members must commit to attending the full program.
<< Sign up for free 15-minute consultation >>
What does research say about the PEERS® for Young Adults Program?
- Effects of an Abbreviated and Adapted PEERS® Curriculum as Part of a College Transition Program for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (Howorth et al., 2022).
- Improving Social Anxiety and Social Responsiveness in Autism Spectrum Disorder through PEERS® (Factor et al., 2022).
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Korean Version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills for Young Adults (PEERS®-YA-K) With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study (Oh et al., 2021)
- Effectiveness, durability, and clinical correlates of the PEERS social skills intervention in young adults with autism spectrum disorder: the first evidence outside North America (Chien et al., 2021)
- A Pilot Study of a Brief Inpatient Social-Skills Training for Young Adults With Psychosis (Moe et al., 2021).
- Effects of PEERS® Social Skills Training on Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities During College (Rose et al., 2021).
- 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)
- A Replication and Extension of the PEERS® for Young Adults Social Skills Intervention: Examining Effects on Social Skills and Social Anxiety in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (McVey et al., 2016)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Social Skills in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The UCLA PEERS Program (Laugeson et al., 2015)
- Social Skills Training for Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders- A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study (Gantman et al., 2012)
- Transition to Adulthood for High-Functioning Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Kapp et al., 2011)
- Program evaluation of an adapted PEERS® social skills program in young adults with autism spectrum disorder and/or mild intellectual impairment and social skills difficulties (Honan et al., 2022)
- Effect of PEERS® Class on Conversational Skills of Adults with Autism in College (Howorth et al., 2022)
- Fostering Friendship and Dating Skills Among Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Polish Version of the PEERS® for Young Adults Curriculum (Płatos et al., 2023)
