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Therapy Decision Guide

Social Skills Group Therapy for Autism in Ontario

Social skills group therapy provides structured peer interaction opportunities where autistic children and adolescents practise conversation, cooperation, perspective-taking, and friendship skills with guided support. Programs like PEERS (UCLA) and Secret Agent Society have moderate evidence from randomized controlled trials. In Ontario, social skills groups are delivered by psychologists, behaviour analysts, and social workers, with OAP funding available for clinician-led groups.

Evidence review in progress · May be OAP-covered

Direct answer

Social skills group therapy provides structured peer interaction opportunities where autistic children and adolescents practise conversation, cooperation, perspective-taking, and friendship skills with guided support. Programs like PEERS (UCLA) and Secret Agent Society have moderate evidence from randomized controlled trials. In Ontario, social skills groups are delivered by psychologists, behaviour analysts, and social workers, with OAP funding available for clinician-led groups.

Laugeson et al. (2012) · Beaumont et al. (2015) · Verified 2026-08-20

Quick summary

In brief

Social Skills Groups, Quick Summary

  • This page is general information, not an individualized treatment recommendation.
  • Evidence labels summarize the page sources and should not replace clinical judgment.
  • Confirm provider credentials, coverage, goals, monitoring, alternatives, and fees before starting.

General information only, not a diagnosis, treatment plan, crisis service, or individual estimate. Confirm your next step with the linked source or a qualified professional.

At a glance

Evidence level
Evidence review in progress
OAP funding
Eligible under OAP core clinical services
Typical cost
Provider fees vary by setting; request a current written quote
Typical frequency
Individual plan varies; confirm the schedule with a qualified clinician
Target age range
Age suitability varies; confirm fit with a qualified clinician

OAP Coverage Note

OAP eligibility depends on current program rules, the funded service category, and the provider's credentials. Confirm coverage with AccessOAP or your service coordinator before committing to care.

Who provides this therapy

Provider credential check
Ask any prospective provider which of these credentials they hold, and confirm the credential with the relevant regulatory college before starting.
Credentials listed for this therapy
  • Psychologists (College of Psychologists of Ontario)
  • Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA)
  • Social workers with autism specialization
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Occupational therapists

Evidence-Based Social Skills Programs

Several manualized social skills programs have research support for autistic individuals. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS), developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, is one of the most extensively studied. PEERS teaches concrete social skills including conversational rules, electronic communication etiquette, handling disagreements, and managing bullying through didactic instruction, role-play, and coached social activities.

Secret Agent Society (SAS), developed by Dr. Renae Beaumont, uses a spy-themed computer game and group activities to teach emotion recognition, regulation, and social problem-solving to autistic children aged 8–12. A 2015 RCT published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry demonstrated significant improvements in social-emotional functioning maintained at five-month follow-up.

In Ontario, many children treatment centres, autism service providers, and private clinics offer social skills groups. When selecting a program, families should look for groups that use a structured curriculum, match participants by age and developmental level, include parent training components, and provide opportunities for practising skills in natural settings.

What to Expect in Social Skills Groups

Social skills group sessions vary in length and group size depending on the program. Sessions typically follow a predictable structure: review, a new skill, guided practice, and a home practice task. Ask your provider about their specific session format and group composition.

Parent involvement is a key component of effective social skills programs. Many programs include concurrent parent sessions where caregivers learn strategies to support skill practice at home and facilitate peer interactions outside of group. Research shows that parent-mediated generalization is critical for translating group-learned skills into real-world social success.

Evidence and sources

  1. Laugeson et al. (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.

  2. Beaumont et al. (2015)

    A randomized controlled trial of a social skills intervention for autistic children using the Secret Agent Society program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(1), 58-67.

Before you commit

Questions worth asking any provider
  • What certification or regulatory college licenses you to deliver this therapy, and can I verify it?
  • How will you measure progress, and how often will you share results with our family?
  • What does a typical session look like, and can we observe one before committing?
  • How does this approach get adjusted if it is not working after a few months?
  • What happens to our data, our schedule, and our funding if you leave or the practice closes?
Signs to slow down
  • The provider cannot name a regulatory college or certifying body, or asks you not to check it.
  • You are asked to sign a long-term contract before seeing a session or meeting the therapist.
  • Progress is described only in general terms, with no way to see or measure it over time.
  • The provider discourages you from getting a second opinion or asking about other approaches.
  • Fees, cancellation terms, or what OAP funding covers are unclear or change after you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

Clinician-led social skills groups with defined clinical goals may be eligible under OAP core clinical services. Recreational or drop-in social groups without defined objectives are not OAP-eligible. Confirm eligibility with AccessOAP before enrolling.

Most evidence-based social skills programs target children aged 5 and up, when peer interaction expectations increase. Programs are typically age-grouped (5-7, 8-12, 13-17). The PEERS program for adolescents (ages 12-17) has the strongest research base. Early programs for younger children focus on foundational skills like joint attention and turn-taking.

Look for groups that use a manualized curriculum (like PEERS or Secret Agent Society), have trained facilitators, match participants by age and skill level, include parent training, and measure progress with standardized tools. Ask the provider about their curriculum, group size, facilitator credentials, and how they track outcomes.

Where the waitlist stands

Families navigating autism services in Ontario face a documented multi-year wait. Here is the Ontario data — and a two-minute way to push back, when you are ready.

See where the waitlist standsEmail your MPP

Verified references and sources

Official Organizations

  • [2025]
    Autism Spectrum Disorders Fact Sheet (updated September 17, 2025)
    World Health Organization (WHO) • Official • 2025-09-17
    View

Peer-Reviewed Research

  • [2010]
    Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Toddlers With Autism: The Early Start Denver Model
    Dawson G, Rogers S, Munson J, et al. (Pediatrics) • Academic • 2010-01-01
    View
  • [2018]
    Early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
    Reichow B, Hume K, Barton EE, Boyd BA (Cochrane Systematic Review) • Academic • 2018-05-09
    View

About this page

Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.

Written by

Founder & Autism Advocate

Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system