PEERS

PEERS® – CBVRSB Social Skills Curriculum

The development of a comprehensive social skills program for teens was identified as a priority for the CB-VRSB Autism Lead Team for the 2013-14 school year. PEERS® (UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is a fourteen-week, evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in junior high or high schools who are interested in learning ways to help them make and keep friends. During each group session teens are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice these skills in session during real play activities. This program forms the basis for the CB-VRSB social skills program.

The CB-VRSB Social Skills Curriculum is a 20-week program for students. During each group session, teens are taught important social skills (focus making and keeping friends) and are given the opportunity to practice these skills within the group session. Healthy relationships and sexuality are also discussed. Parents are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends by providing feedback through coaching during weekly socialization homework assignments. Topics covered within the curriculum include:

• Thinking with your eyes

• Good thoughts/weird thoughts –Expected and unexpected behaviours in a group

• Perspective taking

• Conversational skills I – Trading Information

• Conversational skills II – Two way conversations

• Conversational skills III – Electronic communication

• Choosing appropriate friends

• Appropriate use humor

• Entering a conversation

• Exiting a conversation

• Get-togethers

• Good sportsmanship

• Teasing and embarrassing feedback

• Bullying and bad reputations

• Handling disagreements

• Rumors and Gossip

• Friendship vs. boyfriend/girlfriend

• Emotions

• Public/private behaviors and consent

• Graduation

A parent training component has been developed to compliment the student curriculum. Parent sessions are completed in the evening of the day of the teen session. Parents are encouraged to attend these sessions. There is a pre- and post- questionnaire(s) completed with parents, teachers, and teens as a part of the program. While many students would benefit from this type of program, there are students who will not be successful within and beyond school without it – these are the students this program is hoping to reach.

For more information on the PEERS program visit:

www.semel.ucla.edu/peers