The Science of Making Friends

Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Friday & Saturday, December 5 & 6, 2014

Elizabeth Laugeson, PsyD
Founder and Director, PEERS Clinic, University of California Los Angeles

SFU Harbour Centre
Vancouver, BC

Level	Introductory to Intermediate
For	Family members, community professionals, para-professionals
Focus	Adolescents/young adults with age-appropriate language skills
Autism-specific?	No; relevant to Autism, ADHD, Anxiety and other conditions

Page Index

About the Event

The UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is a manualized, social skills training intervention for adolescents and young adults. It has a strong evidence-base for use with teens and young adults with ASD, but is also appropriate for teens and young adults with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other socioemotional problems.

PEERS is recognized as an outstanding model in which professionals learn how to teach youth and their parents the steps of social etiquette to promote the development and maintenance of friendships. In this two day event, parents, community workers, school staff, and others will learn how to coach young people with social cognitive deficits. This workshop will be based on Dr. Laugeson's book The Science of Making Friends, released in September 2013. Within the framework of solid research evidence, concrete rules and steps of social etiquette will be highlighted to promote the development and maintenance of friendships for youth with ASD who have age-appropriate language skills.

Participant Comments

"The role-plays and videos were great." (professional)
"I really liked the way this program breaks down social skills into specific components steps" (professional)
"Fantastic, most helpful and hands-on training I have attended" (professional)

(these comments are from the 2012 PEERS training for professionals)

About the Presenter

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. More information about Dr. Laugeson.

Cost/Funding

	Date	Parents, Para-Pros & Students	Professionals
Early Bird Rate ends	October 29th, 2014	$225	$275
Regular Rate ends	November 26th, 2014	$300	$350
Late Rate begins	November 27th, 2014	$350	$400

Bursaries

ACT fundraises to provide bursaries for low-income participants and/or those travelling from outside their home regions to an event. ACT only provides bursaries prior to registration in the form of reduced registration fees. Please read Bursary Information. You are welcome to call or email ACT's office (info@actcommunity.ca) for more information. ACT provided over $27,000 in bursaries in 2016 and gratefully accepts donations to our bursary fund to allow us to provide a greater level of support. Donate to our bursary fund.

Autism Funding

Parents who receive Autism Funding may use 20% of the total for equipment, books, training and travel costs. ACT's live events are considered eligible expenses by the Autism Funding Branch. Please pay when you register; the Autism Funding Branch will reimburse parents after the event.
More Autism Funding Information >

Workshop Location

SFU Harbour Centre, Fletcher Challenge Theatre (Room 1900)
515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

Click to view full map

This event is close to many bus routes, all three skytrain lines, the West Coast Express and sea bus. For information on public transit, visit the Translink website.

Hotel Information

Looking for a hotel? View the hotels that give ACT a preferred rate.

Workshop Schedule

8:30	-	9:00	Check-in
9:00	-	10:15	Session 1
10:15	-	10:45	Break (coffee and light snacks served)
10:45	-	12:00	Session 2
12:00	-	1:00	Lunch (buy or bring your own)
1:00	-	2:15	Session 3
2:15	-	2:30	Break (coffee and light snacks served)
2:30	-	3:30	Session 4

Note: This schedule is for both days.