PEERS Social Skills Bootcamp for Teens

Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) (R)

PEERS®  is a parent-assisted program that focuses on skills such as having  conversations; appropriate electronic communication; choosing  appropriate friends; handling teasing, bullying, and other forms of  social rejection; handling arguments and disagreements with friends;  socializing with friends; and sportsmanship.

• Teens learn targeted social skills through didactic lessons, role-play demonstrations, and will practice these skills through small group exercises with direct coaching from our team.
• Parents are taught how to assist their teens in making and keeping friends.
• Parent participation is required.

The goal of PEERS®:

• To help teens learn how to make and keep friends
• To  help parents more effectively support their teen's efforts at finding suitable friends.
• To help teens foster independence with his or her social relationships

Eligibility requirements for participating in PEERS®:

• 12 - 16 years old
• adequate verbal abilities to participate in group lessons
• interest in making and keeping friendships
• motivation and willingness to attend
• can engage meaningfully in groups without significant behavior problems
• commitment and willingness from both parent and teens to fully participate

PEERS® is not appropriate for teens with significant  behavior problems such as violent or aggressive behaviors, an IQ under  70, inability to function without one-on-one assistance, inability to  function in a group setting, inability to respond to limit setting, has  severe speech or articulation issues, visual or hearing impairment,  major mental illness.