Diane Gould Therapy
Specializing in serving neurodivergent humans and those who support them.
Specializing in serving neurodivergent humans and those who support them.
After 10 years of offering the PEERS® program for Teens and Young Adults, we’re making a thoughtful shift. Moving away from traditional social skills models, our new program is designed to be neurodiversity-affirming while helping participants build understanding of and comfort within the social world.
At its heart, the goal remains the same: to help teens and young adults form meaningful, satisfying relationships. Research from Harvard and other leading institutions confirms that strong social connections are central to our health and happiness. We all need and deserve that.
PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills), developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson and Dr. Fred Frankel, has long been a respected, evidence-based intervention for adolescents and young adults with autism. It has also proven beneficial for those with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other social-emotional challenges. Studies show that the gains made in the program are often sustained for 3–5 years (Laugeson et al., 2013).
While we will keep the most impactful elements of the PEERS® curriculum, we’ve updated and expanded the program based on what we’ve learned from our participants. The new, PEERS®-inspired version includes:
We’ve also removed some outdated components, such as mandatory eye contact, and we make it clear: this is not a program designed to make anyone appear more neurotypical. That is not our goal or value.
We continue to offer two separate programs:
Every participant attends with a program partner (a parent, caregiver, adult sibling, life coach, peer mentor, etc.). Partner and participant groups meet simultaneously in the same location. Program partners play a crucial role in supporting weekly practice homework and must attend all sessions. A program partner should attend all concurrent group sessions and supports the generalization of skills outside of the group. While most participants use a parent as a program partner, adult siblings, therapists, mentors, or others are also welcome.
Each week includes a 90 minute in-person session with:
This program is designed for individuals who want to be here. It’s not effective when participants are pressured by others. We do not focus on basic conversational skills, but rather on deeper understanding, nuance, and relationship-building.
PEERS® co-horts start when the programs are filled (6-10 participants). We don’t run programs in the summer. All programs are private pay, check your individual insurance policy for out of network group therapy coverage
To get started, complete the application questionnaire linked below…