"Many young adults with ASD struggle to make and keep friends and establish romantic relationships. Despite caregivers and relatives best efforts, these individuals are often socially isolated and despondent about their future social life. Dr Elizabeth Laugeson and her team have risen to this challenge by building upon their successful and widely used PEERS program for teenagers to produce The PEERS for Young Adults Manual: an evidence-based group treatment program for able young adults with ASD or other social difficulties. The manual is targeted at clinicians knowledgeable about ASD in adult life and provides a self-contained and comprehensive approach to teaching the ecologically valid social skills necessary for establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships. It is not difficult to see why this CBT approach is so effective: the focus of individual sessions is on key skills and the session formats are predictable and build upon prior learning; the teaching style is Socratean and encourages problem solving and perspective taking; whilst there is a strong emphasis on the logical underpinnings of successful social interactions, much use is also made of humor to reinforce learning; therapists encourage participants to use easily remembered buzzwords and phrases to encapsulate important learning points; clear homework tasks are set to provide opportunities to rehearse newly learnt skills, and, particularly importantly, caregivers attend parallel group sessions where they learn how to provide social coaching to support rehearsal in the individuals' social environment. Laugeson displays a deep understanding of the nuts and bolts of both social interactions and running therapy groups and gives advice based on extensive experience. She also thoughtfully highlights where adaptions may be necessary to deal with varying social norms. Although not all clinicians will have the resources to provide a group based intervention, I still highly recommend they read this manual: even the most experienced therapists will find helpful knowledge and tips on how to improve the social interactions of their clients."
Dr Anthony J. Bailey, chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UBC, Institute of Mental Health chair
"Liz Laugeson's PEERS (R) was the first evidence-validated system for teaching autistic kids to make friends and work together. Her program began with teens, and this important new work extends PEERS (R) into young adults of college age and beyond. As an autistic adult I'm proud to have been a supporter of Dr. Laugeson's work from the beginning, and I hope you will see as much value in her new book as I do."
John Elder Robison, New York Times bestselling author, neurodiversity scholar, College of William & Mary
"Elizabeth Laugeson is to be congratulated for taking on the enormous task of attempting to systemise the social world for adults with autism. The rules governing the social world are complex, subtle and implicit. People with autism often complain that the social world lacks a "manual." This book is an impressive effort to provide one and is supported by evidence for its effectiveness."
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
"This manual provides a self-contained and comprehensive set of lesson plans for teaching able young adults with ASD ecologically valid social skills, supported by social coaching from their caregivers. It combines well established CBT principles with deep, and often humorous insights into the mechanics of establishing and keeping meaningful relationships; it is a must read for all clinicians managing able adults with ASD."
Dr. Anthony J. Bailey, chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Institute of Mental Health
"Since the vast majority of interventions for autism focus on very young children, this manual, which extends the scope of the well-established PEERS (R) intervention to adults with autism, is particularly welcome. The group-based program described provides practical and evidence based strategies for dealing with the day-to-day social challenges faced by individuals with autism as they approach adulthood. It should prove a valuable resource for clinicians and other professionals working with this client group."
Patricia Howlin, emeritus professor of clinical child psychology, King's College, London
"The social difficulties in autism remain both the most important and most challenging to treat. This comprehensive volume is a major contribution to the treatment literature. Practical and yet evidence-based, this book will be of great value to individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their parents, and supporters. It is highly recommended."
Fred R. Volkmar, MD, Irving B. Harris professor, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, editor in chief, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, editor, Encyclopedia of Autism
