The Peers Program and Bullying Prevention: A Discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Ph.D.

EPISODE 122
The Peers Program
and Bullying Prevention:
A Discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Ph.D.

Play the Episode…

Show Notes

Two of the major priorities that are now being addressed in the autism and neurodivergent communities are the development of friendships and social relationships, and how to address bullying. Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Clinical Professor at UCLA, has focused on both of these issues over the past two decades, from a research as well as a programming perspective. She describes the PEERS program, now being implemented in over 150 countries, as well as bullying prevention with Barry and Dave.

Learn more about PEERS

Featuring

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Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and is a licensed clinical psychologist. Elizabeth is the Director of the UCLA Tarjan Center, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and is the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS Clinic, which is an outpatient hospital-based program providing parent-assisted social skills training for individuals from preschool to adulthood. She also serves as the Program Director for the Predoctoral Psychology Internship Program in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at UCLA. Elizabeth has trained tens of thousands of mental health professionals, educators, and families worldwide. As one of the only empirically supported and internationally recognized programs for neurodivergent youth and adults, PEERS is currently used in over 150 countries and have been translated into over a dozen languages.

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

  1. 1) Why did Dr. Laugeson develop the PEERS program? What did she see that was missing or needed in education and support for autistic individuals that led her to develop the priorities that underlie PEERS (The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills)?2) Many neuro-affirming educators and clinicians now believe that working on “social skills” misses the point. How is this concern addressed in PEERS? How do the opinions of autistic and neurodivergent participants influence how each program is implemented?3) There are many forms of bullying. What are some of the different ways that a person might be bullied? What do we know about the short and long term impacts on an individual and the family when a neurodivergent individual is bullied?4)   What some of the most effective approaches shared by Dr. Laugeson for preventing bullying?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.