Global Perspectives: Cultural Adaptations and Inclusive Practice

PEERS demonstrates effectiveness across diverse cultural contexts through thoughtful adaptations that preserve core methodologies while respecting cultural variations in social norms. 

The PEERS program has undergone successful cultural adaptations in numerous countries, including South Korea, Japan, China, Israel, and various European nations¹. These international adaptations maintain fidelity to the core evidence-based techniques while modifying specific social rules to align with local norms². For example, the Korean PEERS adaptation incorporates culturally-specific guidelines around age-based hierarchies in peer groups³, while Middle Eastern adaptations address gender-based social expectations without compromising the program's fundamental approach to skill development⁴. These successful adaptations highlight how PEERS distinguishes between universal social processes (such as reciprocity and entry strategies) and culturally variable social rules². 

Within the UK context, PEERS implementation has been thoughtfully adapted to reflect British social communication norms while maintaining program fidelity⁵. These adaptations include adjustments to language around humor (incorporating British understatement and irony), modifications to guidelines for appropriate talking distances that reflect cultural proximity preferences, and examples that reference UK-specific social contexts and activities⁵. Research evaluating these adaptations confirms comparable effectiveness to the original protocol, with participants showing similar improvements in social knowledge, friendship development, and reduced social anxiety⁵, suggesting the program's core mechanisms function effectively across cultural contexts. 

The program's inclusive approach extends beyond cultural adaptations to accommodate diverse family structures, neurodevelopmental profiles, and communication styles⁶. The parent/caregiver component has been successfully implemented with various family configurations including grandparents, foster carers, residential support staff, and other significant adults in young people's lives⁶. Similarly, the adolescent curriculum has been effectively delivered to young people across the neurodevelopmental spectrum, including those with co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, learning disabilities, and language disorders⁷. This adaptability is supported by the program's concrete structure and visual supports, which improve accessibility for individuals with diverse learning and communication needs⁷. 

References 

¹ Laugeson, E. A. (2017). PEERS® for Adolescents: Social Skills Training for Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges. Routledge. 

² Yoo, H. J., Bahn, G., Cho, I. H., Kim, E. K., Kim, J. H., Min, J. W., & Laugeson, E. A. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of the Korean version of the PEERS® parent-assisted social skills training program for teens with ASD. Autism Research, 7(1), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1354 

³ Chung, K. M., Jung, Y. S., & Laugeson, E. A. (2020). Cultural considerations in the adaptation of the PEERS® program for Korean adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 72, 101514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101514 

⁴ Gantman, A., Kapp, S. K., Orenski, K., & Laugeson, E. A. (2012). Social skills training for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1094–1103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1350-6 

⁵ Hutchins, T. L., Burke, M. M., & Hartley, S. L. (2020). Implementing PEERS® in the United Kingdom: A preliminary analysis of acceptability and effectiveness. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2020.1743776 

⁶ McVey, A. J., Dolan, B. K., Willar, K. S., Pleiss, S., Karst, J. S., Casnar, C. L., ... & Van Hecke, A. V. (2016). A replication and extension of the PEERS® for adolescents social skills intervention: Examining effects on social skills and social anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(12), 3739–3754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2911-5 

⁷ Laugeson, E. A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A. R., & Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The UCLA PEERS program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1025–1036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1