PEERS Training

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is an evidence-based social skills program for patients who are interested in developing and maintaining close friendships. Developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson at UCLA, this program is a structured curriculum for patients who have social skills differences and disabilities, including those with autism, ADHD, anxiety, learning disorders, social communication disabilities, and/or other impairments.  

As part of the group, each participant has a designated social coach. A social coach can be a parent, adult family member, or trusted adult. This social coach also participates in weekly meetings, which occur at the same time as the PEERS social skills group. Social coaches review the weekly lessons and discuss ways to support the PEERS participant. 

Ideal candidates for the group are interested in learning to make friends and maintain friendships, have average speech and language abilities, and average thinking skills. Patients will complete an intake evaluation with our speech-language pathology team to ensure that the patient would benefit from the instruction. 

Groups meet for 14-16 weeks, depending on the program. 

They focus on:  

• Conversation skills
• Appropriate use of humor
• Electronic communication
• Handling direct and indirect bullying
• Handling arguments and disagreements
• Organizing get-togethers with friends
• Dating etiquette (Young Adults Groups only) 

PEERS Group Meetings:  

• In person at the Center for Disabilities and Development (link address)
• Include a PEERS participant group and a social coach group
• Meet once per week on a designated afternoon from 3:30-5pm 

PEERS is not a friendship matching group.  Instead, it is a group that teaches skills for finding friends in the community.  

New in 2026, we will be offering PEERS for Preschool. More information on this curriculum is coming in the near future.

Cost: We bill through insurance, so costs vary based on your insurance plan.  

Referrals: Internal Referrals: please have your primary care provider send a consult to the Center for Disabilities and Development for a Speech-Language Evaluation for PEERS. Please indicate the age range in the referral.  

External Referrals: Please have your primary care provider call the Center for Disabilities and Development at 319-353-6900. Follow the prompts to talk with our scheduling team. They will assist you in referring for a Speech-Language Evaluation for PEERS. 

Groups: At CDD, we offer PEERS for Adolescents, PEERS for Young Adults, and will be offering PEERS for Preschoolers in the near future. 

Questions? Please reach out to CDD at 319-353-6900. Our scheduling and patient care team will be able to help answer your questions.