PEERS: What Is It and What Have We Learned?

Monday, April 10, 2023
4:00 PM EST - 5:00 PM EST
Location: virtual

Webinar Description:

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is an evidence-based social skills program for preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems that were developed by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, at UCLA.

Autism Connections is a Cincinnati, OH-based nonprofit whose focus is on transition age and adults and their families and bringing a variety of programs to support individuals and their families along their autism journey. In January 2023, Autism Connections introduced PEERS as a part of their programming to support individuals in better navigating all of the hidden rules of social interactions.

From this seminar, attendees will learn what PEERS is, its advantages, some of the challenges, and how we are adapting it to meet a wide variety of needs, skill sets, and individuals.

This webinar is sponsored by AUCD's Autism Special Interest Group for Autism Acceptance Month. 

Presenter:

With a Master of Arts in Communication and a Minor in Counseling from the University of North Dakota, Mary Helen has always had a passion for serving and working with those underserved in their communities. With nearly 30 years of experience working for nonprofits, she has held a variety of roles, from public relations to marketing, training employees, developing training procedures, and streamlining operational processes. She spent several years in Vietnam with a relief and development organization working with indigenous artisan groups and underprivileged women and children to develop their handicrafts, teach them marketing skills, and build sustainability in their craft. Before moving to Cincinnati, Mary Helen led a small Connecticut-based nonprofit that provided social and recreational programs to children, teens, and young adults on the autism spectrum. For the past five years, she has served as the CEO of Autism Connections (formerly Autism Society Greater Cincinnati) and brought increased awareness about autism through extensive recreational and social programs, educational programming, and community trainings. A certified PEERS trainer, Mary Helen's latest project with Autism Connections is teaching PEERS to autistic teens and adults and their parents and caregivers.

Please Note:

• There is no cost for this webinar.
• CEUs are not offered for this webinar.
• This webinar will be held on the Zoom Platform. You can test your connection with Zoom before joining the meeting here.
• CART captioning will be available for this webinar. For additional accommodations, email [email protected]. 
• This webinar will be archived.