The PEERS Revolution: Meeting a Critical Need

PEERS addresses the urgent gap in evidence-based social skills interventions for neurodivergent youth at a time when social connection has never been more challenging.

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) emerges as a vital response to the growing recognition that social skills challenges represent one of the most significant barriers to well-being for young people with autism and those with other neurodiversity and social communication difficulties. Unlike general social skills programs, PEERS specifically targets the nuanced social challenges that clinical research has identified as most impactful for these young people, offering structured, concrete strategies rather than vague advice or neurotypical expectations. In an era where digital communication increasingly replaces face-to-face interaction, these young people need more support than ever to navigate complex social landscapes.

We are aware of concerns around increased social isolation among neurodivergent youth, growing waitlists for social communication support, and rising rates of associated mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression in young people with neurodiversity. PEERS addresses this crisis by providing clinically-validated tools that bridge the gap between understanding social rules intellectually and applying them successfully in real-world contexts—a translation challenge that lies at the heart of social communication difficulties.

PEERS provides young people with information and tools to help them understand situations from new perspectives and learn new tools to widen their skills and choice of approaches in navigating different social situations, whilst still embracing their true self. It offers a concrete intervention for young people whose mental health challenges are exacerbated by social difficulties.