What is PEERS?

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training intervention developed at UCLA by Elizabeth Laugeson to support individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other social disorders who have difficulty with peer interactions and relationships. See more information here.

Who is Peers for?

PEERS® has a strong evidence base for use with adolescents and young adults with ASD but is also appropriate for preschoolers, adolescents and young adults with ADHD, anxiety, depression and other socioemotional challenges. Research has demonstrated that gains made over the course of the program are maintained 3-5 years later. For links to published findings of the efficacy of the program go to PEERS research. https://www.semel.ucla.edu/peers/research

Other requirements:

Participants must be interested in joining the program

Participants must join the program voluntarily

Participants must be able to commit to 10-sessions

Guardian/Coach must commit to coaching sessions and support the participant’s learning at home

How much does it cost?

The 10 week group will be an investment of $160/session for in person and $120/session virtually for your child’s emotional well-being and social development. The cost includes an intake assessment, sessions for the participant and the parent/coach. Now including the new PEERS® app. The new PEERS® app provides information, video examples and assignments to stimulate your social cognition, skills, and experiences. See app here.

Will Virtual Sessions Work For Us?

The research suggests that telehealth PEERS is a viable and effective alternative to in-person delivery, offering a valuable option for supporting the social skills development of adolescents with ASD and their families. Most encouragingly, outcomes from telehealth delivery were relatively equivalent to in-person treatment, suggesting that participants were able to learn important friendship skills in a remote learning context. The telehealth delivery of PEERS significantly increased social communication, motivation and significantly increased aspects of executive functioning.   See research here.

Will It Be Covered By Insurance?

The groups are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals. We are out of network with insurance. At your request, we can provide a receipt of services to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement after paying for sessions out of pocket. It is important that you check with your provider prior to beginning services to determine your plan’s out of network coverage. Tumi Therapy cannot guarantee reimbursement. Additionally, Health Savings Accounts/Flexible Spending Accounts (HSA/FSA) are accepted.

Some questions to ask your insurance provider:

1. What out-of-network mental health services will my plan cover?

2. What is my deductible? How much must I pay out of pocket before receiving reimbursement?

3. How many sessions per year are allowed under my out-of-network coverage?

Where are group held?

Groups are in person or virtually in Texas. Contact us for more details.

How can I sign Up?

Start the process by completing the Inquiry Form here.