Peers

PEERS®

Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills

This evidence-based program from UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, helps adolescents with Autism Spectrum, ADHD, anxiety, and socio-emotional challenges improve social skills.

Offered globally, PEERS® provides group sessions for older elementary and high school students to enhance friendship abilities through facilitated activities and conversations, along with real-world homework assignments.

This program aligns perfectly with socialskilled’s fundamentals of making and keeping friends. The topics covered will be responsive to the specific needs of the participants and may include:

  • Developing and maintaining friendships
  • Conversational skills
  • Entering and exiting conversations
  • Appropriate use of humour
  • Handling disagreements
  • Being a good sport
  • Electronic communication
  • Organizing get togethers
  • Handling teasing and bullying
  • Changing a reputation

The program runs weekly and is led by an experienced, certified instructor. To support consolidation of skills, parent involvement may be required throughout the program. 

*If your child has funding through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), our services may be covered. Please visit our FAQs page for more details.

*Participants should not demonstrate unsafe, at-risk, or aggressive behaviours. Participants require a readiness to manage in a group with a 1:3 or 1:4 support ratio.

Fee:

$699 – 10 weeks

Age Group:

Ages 13 and up: (Max 8 participants)

*Age ranges are flexible

Session:

RETURNING FALL 2025

Pre-Registration Form for New Friends

Spring Registration Open Now

Old Friends Click Here to Register

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Join the Friend Zone

"All programs that we have attended have been amazing! I like that even when we register for the same program each season, the programming is different. They encourage my child to try new things but don’t push him to the point he feels pressured."

socialskilled parent

"My hopes for my child are the same as any other parent … I hope for him to have friends and be able to have the same kind of fun I know other kids are having in their extracurricular activities."

Jennifer
Mother of an exceptional boy

 

"I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the activities my son completed during the Fun with Friends program. My son has attended other social groups which focused mainly on skill building. I loved that this program focused on hands-on learning and was actually fun for my son. I think this is the best way to learn!"

socialskilled parent

"Fun With Friends establishes core skills and understanding of making and maintaining friendships. Social skills have improved, he wants to play and have fun. This is a comfortable environment for learning and expressing himself without the fear of being judged by others. He realizes there are other kids like him and that he is well liked, he belongs and can be himself."

socialskilled parent