Life-stage guide
The PEERS program, developed at UCLA, is the gold standard for social skills intervention in autistic adolescents. Research shows significant improvements in social knowledge, social engagement, and friendship quality, with gains maintained at 1-5 year follow-up. PEERS teaches concrete skills: how to enter conversations, electronic communication, organizing get-togethers, handling disagreements, and managing rejection.
Ontario PEERS providers include York University (research program), Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, and private practitioners trained in the PEERS model. Some Children's Treatment Centres also offer modified social skills groups based on PEERS principles.
Other evidence-supported approaches available in Ontario include: social thinking programs (designed for teens who are cognitively able but socially challenged), drama-based social skills groups (leveraging the structured nature of scripts and role-play), and peer mentorship programs where neurotypical peers are trained to support autistic classmates.
Laugeson, E.A. et al.
The PEERS Intervention for Adolescents with ASD: Evidence-Based Social Skills Training. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2012; 42(6):1025-1036
Sedgewick, F. et al.
Gender Differences in Social Motivation and Friendship in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adolescents. J Autism Dev Disord, 2019; 49(4):1263-1276
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
89,799
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23%
Only 20,633 children have active funding agreements — less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement