Research
Research at the UCLA PEERS® Clinic is both ongoing and exciting! Publications in pivotal journals of the evidence supporting the PEERS® for Adolescents and PEERS® for Young Adults interventions can be found at the bottom of this page. For more information on these publications, please contact us at 310-26-PEERS or peersclinic@ucla.edu.
Research Collaborations
California Institute of Technology: Dr. Ralph Adolph's lab at Cal Tech is currently conducting innovative and exciting research on Autism Spectrum Disorder with a variety of studies open to participation. One of these studies investigates changes in the social brain after participation in the PEERS® intervention. For more information regarding these studies and how to participate, please see the flyer (file below) or contact research@caltech.edu or 626-395-4868.
Marquette University: Researchers at Marquette University in Wisconsin, under the direction of Dr. Amy Vaughan Van Hecke, conduct research on the changes observed in EEG readings of the social brain as a result of the PEERS® intervention. For more information regarding research conducted at Marquette University, please contact amy.vanhecke@marquette.edu.
Virginia Tech University: Researchers at the Virginia Tech Autism Clinic, under the direction of Dr. Angela Scarpa, are conducting research on the PEERS® intervention with adolescents, young adults, and preschoolers. For more information about PEERS® research at Virginia Tech, please contact autism@vt.edu.
Seoul National University South Korea: Dr. Hee Jeong Yoo in the department of psychiatry at Seoul National University has translated and cross-culturally validated the PEERS® intervention in South Korea, and has published the first translated version of the PEERS® manual in Korean. For more information about PEERS® research in South Korea, please contact hiyoo@snu.ac.kr.
Bar Ilan University Israel: Dr. Ofer Golan in the department of psychology at Bar Ilan University is conducting cross-cultural validation research on the PEERS® interventions for adolescents, young adults, and preschoolers in Israel. For more information about PEERS® research in Israel, please contact ofer.golan@biu.ac.il.
Erasmus MC and Yulius: After translating and culturally adapting the PEERS® program for the Dutch population, researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry and Yulius Academie are now conducting a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and to establish the evidence-base for the Dutch PEERS® intervention. The researchers will be conducting the randomized controlled trial using an active control condition, ROAD (puberty psycho-educational intervention). In addition to PEERS®, Erasmus MC and Yulius also conduct research on various interventions that focus on optimizing care throughout the lifespan for individuals with ASD. For more information about PEERS® research in the Netherlands, please contact the Project Leader, Dr. Kirstin Greaves-Lord, at k.greaves-lord@erasmusmc.nl.
Shanghai Jiaotong University: Researchers at Shanghai Jiaotong University, under the direction of Dr. Yasong Du, conducted a randomized controlled trial to culturally validate and to establish the efficacy of the Mandarin version of the PEERS® for Adolescents (Parent-Assisted) intervention. For more information regarding research conducted at Shanghai Jiaotong University, please contact yasongdu@163.com.
UC Riverside: Under the direction of Dr. Jan Blacher and Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos, researchers at the University of California Riverside's SEARCH Family Autism Center will be implementing PEERS with middle-school teens with Spanish-speaking parents. Since PEERS has never been offered before in the Inland Empire for Spanish-speaking parents, the study will begin with a focus group with potential parents to understand how the program should be culturally adapted in order to maximize accessibility for families. The study will investigate the impact of PEERS on teens and their parents, as well as changes in the social brain after participation in PEERS. For more information regarding PEERS at UCR or to participate in the focus group (in the summer/fall of 2018), please see the flyers below, visit http://searchcenter.ucr.edu, or contact searchcenter@ucr.edu or 951-827-3849. SEARCH staff are fluent in both English and Spanish.
Research Publications on PEERS®
Research on PEERS® for Adolescents
- Learning How to Make Friends for Chinese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Hong Kong Chinese Version of the PEERS® Intervention (Kar-man Shum, et al., 2018)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the Hebrew Adaptation of the PEERS® Intervention: Behavioral and Questionnaire-Based Outcomes (Rabin, et al., 2018)
- Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents with ASD Completing the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention (Schiltz, et al., 2017)
- Brief Report: Does Gender Matter in Intervention for ASD? Examining the Impact of the PEERS® Social Skills Intervention on Social Behavior Among Females with ASD (McVey, et al., 2017)
- Examining the Efficacy of an Adapted Version of the UCLA PEERS® Program with Canadian Adolescents (Marchica & D'Amico, 2016)
- Parents Perceive Improvements in Socio-emotional Functioning in Adolescents with ASD Following Social Skills Treatment (Lordo, et al., 2016)
- A Replication and Extension of the PEERS® for Young Adults Social Skills Intervention: Examining Effects on Social Skills and Social Anxiety in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (McVey, et al., 2016)
- Brief Report: Assessment of Intervention Effects on In Vivo Peer Interactions in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Dolan, et al., 2016)
- Examination of a Parent-Assisted, Friendship-Building Program for Adolescents With ADHD (Gardner, et al., 2015)
- Parent and Family Outcomes of PEERS- A Social Skills Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Karst, et al., 2014)
- Using a CBT Approach to Teach Social Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges The PEERS Method (Laugeson & Park, 2014)
- Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders- The UCLA PEERS Program (Mandelberg, et al., 2014)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Korean Version of the PEERS Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training Program for Teens With ASD (Yoo, et al., 2014)
- Predicting treatment success in social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders- The UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (Chang, et al., 2013)
- A Replication and Extension of the PEERS Intervention- Examining Effects on Social Skills and Social Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Schohl, et al., 2013)
- Measuring the Plasticity of Social Approach- A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of the PEERS Intervention on EEG Asymmetry in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Van Hecke, et al., 2013)
- The Cochrane Report: Social Skills Groups for People Aged 6 to 21 with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Reichow, 2012)
- Evidence-Based Social Skills Training for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders- The UCLA PEERS Program (Laugeson, et al., 2012)
- Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training to Improve Friendships in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Laugeson, et al., 2009)
Research on School-Based PEERS® for Adolescents
Research on PEERS® for Young Adults
- Emotion Dysregulation and Anxiety in Adults with ASD: Does Social Motivation Play a Role? (Swain, et al., 2015)
- A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Social Skills in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The UCLA PEERS Program (Laugeson, et al., 2015)
- Social Skills Training for Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders- A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study (Gantman, et al., 2012)
- Transition to Adulthood for High-Functioning Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Kapp, et al., 2011)
Research Posters on PEERS®
- Please visit our Facebook page to view the most recent research posters published by Team PEERS®.
