PEERS® for Young Adults Social Skills Training for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges

PEERS® for Young Adults presents the first evidence-based group treatment program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders and social challenges. Inside, readers will find a critical step forward in the dissemination of effective behavioral interventions for young adults in the form of 16 engaging group session outlines that are both user-friendly and backed by empirical research. Each session is accompanied by homework assignments and practice suggestions designed to reinforce the group’s understanding of the skills learned during each meeting. This practical resource will prove to be an invaluable reference for any clinician or educator working with this population.

List of Tables Preface Acknowledgements Author Biography 1.GettingStarted 2. Session 1: Trading Information and Starting Conversations 3. Session 2: Trading Information and Maintaining Conversations. 4. Session 3: Finding a Source of Friends. 5. Session 4: Electronic Communication 6. Session 5: Appropriate Use of Humor 7. Session 6: Entering Group Conversations 8. Session 7: Exiting Conversations 9. Session 8: Get-Togethers 10. Session 9: Dating Etiquette – Letting Someone Know You Like Them. 11. Session 10: Dating Etiquette – Asking Someone on a Date 12. Session 11: Dating Etiquette – Going on Dates 13. Session 12: Dating Etiquette – Dating Do’s and Dont's 14. Session 13: Handling Disagreements 15. Session 14: Handling Direct Bullying 16. Session 15: Handling Indirect Bullying 17. Session 16: Moving Forward and Graduation References Appendices

Dr. Elizabeth A. Laugeson is a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Laugeson is the director of the Help Group—UCLA Autism Research Alliance, a collaborative research initiative dedicated to developing and expanding applied clinical research in the treatment of children and adolescents with ASD. She is also the training director for the UCLA Tarjan Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), and the founder and director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, an outpatient hospital-based program providing parent-assisted social skills training for individuals with ASD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and other social impairments across the lifespan.