PEERS® for Preschoolers

Friendship Skills for Autistic and Neurodivergent Children

Elizabeth Laugeson, Mina Park, Jennifer Sanderson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• Topic: Psychology
• eBook ISBN:
  9781040264874
• Subtopic: Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Index: Psychology

This manual builds on the success of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®), an internationally renowned program used in over 150 countries and translated into numerous languages. PEERS® has now expanded to work with autistic and neurodivergent preschool-aged children, as well as those with other social challenges. Through this new manual, providers will learn about important skills to enhance positive peer interactions and friendship development for young children, how to structure sessions and encourage skill-building effectively, and how to educate and empower parents to be valuable social coaches for their children. Every chapter includes a therapist guide for each session and parent resources such as lessons, homework, handouts, worksheets, and social coaching play cards. This latest edition to the PEERS® program is ideal for professionals and educators who provide social-emotional therapeutic services and support to young children (between the ages of four to six years) diagnosed with autism or other social challenges.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of tables
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author Biographies
• Introduction
• SESSION 1 Introduction and Listening and Following Directions
• SESSION 2 Finding Playgroups and Meeting and Greeting Friends
• SESSION 3 Choosing Playgroups and Sharing and Giving a Turn
• SESSION 4 Preparing for Playgroups and Asking for a Turn
• SESSION 5 Planning Playdates and Keeping Cool
• SESSION 6 Suggesting Playdates and Being a Good Sport
• SESSION 7 Preparing for Playdates and Show and Tell During Play
• SESSION 8 Coaching During Playdates and Don’t Be Bossy
• SESSION 9 Social Coaching Strategies and Asking a Friend to Play
• SESSION 10 Joining a Game
• SESSION 11 Asking to Play Something Different
• SESSION 12 Asking and Giving Help
• SESSION 13 Staying in Our Own Space
• SESSION 14 Using an Inside Voice
• SESSION 15 Disclosing a Diagnosis or Condition with Others and Final Review (Part 1)
• SESSION 16 Sharing a Diagnosis or Condition with Your Child and Final Review (Part 2)
• Reference List
• Appendix A: Sample PEERS® for Preschoolers Intake Interview Document
• Appendix B: Sample PEERS® for Preschoolers Welcome Letter
• Appendix C: Quality of Socialization Questionnaire – Preschool (QSQ-Pre)
• Appendix D: PEERS® for Preschoolers Planned Absence Sheet
• Appendix E: PEERS® for Preschoolers Homework Compliance Sheet
• Appendix F: Sample PEERS® for Preschoolers Graduation Diploma
• Index