PEERS® Program Improves Social Skills for Teens on the Autism Spectrum

PEERS® Program Improves Social Skills for Autistic Teens

Impairment in social reciprocity is the core, underlying feature of ASD. Socialization deficits are a major source of impairment, regardless of cognitive or language ability and do not decrease with development. In fact, distress often increases as children approach adolescence and the social milieu becomes more complex. Research evidence suggests that when appropriately planned and systematically delivered, social skills instruction has the potential to produce positive effects in the social interactions of children with ASD. Both the National Professional Development Center on

Autism (NPDC) and the National Autism Center (NAC) have identified social skills training/instruction as an evidence-based intervention and practice. 

Commonly used approaches include individual and group social skills training, providing experiences with typically developing peers, and peer-mediated social skills interventions, all targeting the core social and communication domains. Child-specific social skills interventions frequently include (a) general instruction to increase knowledge and develop social problem solving skills, (b) differential reinforcement to improve social responding,(c) structured social skills training programs, (d) adult-mediated prompting, modeling, and reinforcement, and (e) various behavior management techniques such as self-monitoring.

A study appearing in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders adds to research database suggesting that social interactive training is an effective and promising technique for promoting communication and social skills in youth with autism. The study examined the efficacy and durability of the UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®), a parent-assisted 14-week social skills group intervention for more capable adolescents on the autism spectrum. The PEERS® approach applies CBT methods of instruction including didactic lessons (psychoeducation), role-play demonstrations, cognitive strategies, behavioral rehearsal exercises, performance feedback, homework assignments and review, and parent involvement within a small group treatment format. In a series of 90-minute weekly sessions the students were taught to interact in real-world social situations through role playing and homework assignments. The teens’ parents also attended sessions to learn how to appropriately coach their kids at home. Results indicated that teens receiving PEERS® significantly improved their social skills knowledge, social responsiveness, and overall social skills in the areas of social communication, social cognition, social awareness, social motivation, assertion, cooperation, and responsibility, while decreasing autistic mannerisms and increasing the frequency of peer interactions. Independent teacher ratings revealed significant improvement in social skills and assertion from pre-test to follow-up assessment. Examination of the strength of improvement indicated maintenance of gains in nearly all domains with additional treatment gains at a 14-week follow-up assessment. 

“This is exciting news,” commented Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles who led the study. “It shows that teens with autism can learn social skills and that the tools stick even after the program is over, improving their quality of life and helping them to develop meaningful relationships and to feel more comfortable within their social world.”

Reference and further Reading

Laugeson, E. A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A. R.,  &  Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The UCLA PEERS Program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1025-1036. DOI:10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1

Research Publications on PEERS®

Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD, is a licensed and nationally certified school psychologist, and certified cognitive-behavioral therapist. He is author of the award-winning books, A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools and Overcoming Anxiety and Depression on the Autism Spectrum: A Self-Help Guide Using CBT. He is also editor of a text in the APA School Psychology Book Series,  Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention in Schools. His latest book is A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Schools (2nd Edition).