Social and Interpersonal Skills Programs
Arkansas Families First offers two social skills programs for youth ranging from 7 to 18 years-of-age. The programs frequently includes youth with social anxiety, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The PEERS Social Skills Program, or the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, is a 14-week evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle or high school (ages 13-18) who are interested in learning ways to help them make and keep friends. The program was developed and researched at UCLA and was adopted by our clinic because of its impressive results. Groups are on Tuesday evenings at Arkansas Families First, and run from 5:15 to 6:45 pm. Regular attendance and parent participation are required.
The Friendship Program is a successful 12-week program designed for children in elementary school who have difficulty making and/or keeping friends. To more effectively meet the needs of each child, the Friendship program offers two groups, one for children ages 7 – 9, and another for those ages 10 – 12. Groups are on Thursday evenings at Arkansas Families First, and run from 5:15 to 6:15 pm. Regular attendance and parent participation are required.
During each session, children and teens in both groups learn skills and practice new skills with group members. They provide and receiving coaching on the skills, and are given a homework assignment to further develop their new skills. Parents attend a concurrent group and learn strategies to help their children make and keep friends. Parents also love the support and resources they receive from other parents in the group.
The cost of the programs, including both the parent and student components, is $30 per session. The complete payment for PEERS is $360 and the Friendship program is $300, due prior to attending the first class.
Topics of Instruction:
How to use appropriate conversational skills
How to find common interests by trading information
How to appropriately use humor
How to enter and exit conversations between peers
How to handle rejection, teasing, and bullying
How to handle rumors and gossip
How to be a good host during get-togethers
How to make phone calls to friends
How to choose appropriate friends
How to be a good sport
How to handle arguments and disagreements
How to change a bad reputation
To read more about the program, refer to the UCLA Semel Institute website, where the program was developed and is still running. If you’d like to sign up for the program, complete the form on our Contact Us page and we will contact you as soon as possible. If you have additional questions about the program, contact Dr. Adam Benton at the number above.
