PEERS® 

Social Skills Groups

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training intervention developed at UCLA by  Elizabeth Laugeson to support individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other social disorders who have difficulty with peer interactions and relationships.

PEERS® has a strong evidence base for use with adolescents and young adults with ASD but is also appropriate for preschoolers, adolescents and young adults with ADHD, anxiety, depression and other socioemotional challenges. Research has demonstrated that gains made over the course of the program are maintained 3-5 years later. For links to published findings of the efficacy of the program go to PEERS research.

PEERS differs from other social skills programs because it:

 Summer Boot Camps 

Girls Bullying & Friendship 

for those that identify as male, non-binary or questioning 

Dates: July 22 & 23 - 9 am to 1pm 

Ages: 11-17 years 

Topics include:


Must Register by: July 8th 

Register by June 8th for early registration discount 

Boys Bullying & Friendship 

for those that identify as male, non-binary or questioning 

Dates: August 12 & 13 - 9 am to 1pm  

Ages: 11-17 years s

Topics include:


Must Register by: August 1st 

Register by July 1st for early registration discount 

Pricing: $975 a bootcamp, $850 early registration discount

Price includes boot camp and orientation/mental health screening appointment. 


Enrollment Process- 

 Full 10-week Program -Fall 2023

Dates

Tuesdays from 6:30 pm to 8pm. 

Sept 5 to Nov 15 (with the week of halloween off)

Ages:  Young teens 11-15 years

Weekly Groups:  10-weekly groups

PEERS® for Teens is a 10-week, evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle and high school interested in learning ways to make and keep friends. 

The Teens program is open to clients ages 11-18 who have difficulty initiating and maintaining friendships. Teens learn social skills through didactic instruction, live demonstrations by trained coaches, and extensive practice via group play activities such as sports, board games, etc., while receiving real-time, individualized coaching from clinical staff. Regular attendance is imperative to program success.

Parents attend weekly group sessions, held simultaneously with the client group, where they learn how to assist their teen by providing feedback and coaching for weekly socialization homework assignments. Weekly attendance for parents/caregivers is a program requirement.

Topics include:


Pricing

Price includes boot camp and orientation/mental health screening appointment. 

Total price for program- $1,850 ($185/session- parent and child group) 

Sign up by  for a early registration discount - $1,650 ($165/session-  parent and child group) 


Enrollment Process- 

Meet the Team:

Group Leader

Jillianne Grayson, MD

Dr. Jillianne Grayson was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She completed her undergraduate training in biology at Johns Hopkins University. She obtained her medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. She completed an intern year in internal medicine at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and subsequently completed two years of neurology residency before deciding to follow her passion and switch specialties to psychiatry. Dr. Grayson completed her adult psychiatry training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s National Medical Center. 

She is a certified yoga instructor and has a special interest in mindfulness. With a personal belief in making every day count, she makes time for her passions of painting, yoga, traveling, and spending time with her husband and son. 

https://www.graysonpsychiatry.com/

Group Leader

Amy Dombrosky, LCMHC, NCC

Amy was raised in Virginia and has resided in the Charlotte area for over 10 years. Amy has two young children and enjoys being outdoors. She enjoys being active whether that be hiking, gardening, or playing tennis. On the weekends you might find Amy and her family playing in Freedom Park, riding e-scooters, or using the Lynx to explore the Charlotte area.   

Amy holds a MA from Marymount University in Community Counseling. Amy is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Amy is licensed to provide Telehealth in South Carolina and Florida. Amy completed EMDR training in 2012 and the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Certification in 2022. https://dombroskycounseling.com/

Intern

Lauren Davenport, BSN, BA, RN, IBCLC

Lauren attended high school and college in North Carolina. She holds a BA in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Science in Nursing from East Carolina University to specialize as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She has clinical experience in Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Functional Medicine, with her most recent position as a birth center nurse. Lauren is also an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and is passionate about supporting women during their transition to motherhood. She enjoys coffee, walking, reading and yoga in addition to spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Office Manager

Dannielle Gozelski

Born in a small town just outside of Portland, Maine, Dannielle’s love for working with children began when she accepted a position at a local childcare center.  After a few years in that field, in the summer of 2005, a career opportunity for her husband brought the couple to North Carolina.  Once arriving here, Dannielle made a career move into office administration.  She served in this role for multiple Lake Norman area establishments from 2006-2015.  At this point, and with the ambitions of soon having a child of her own, Dannielle again switched paths and became a full-time nanny, she held this position until becoming a mom herself at the end of 2016.  After 4 years of being a full-time mom, Dannielle jumped back into the childcare industry when she began working as a preschool teacher at a Montessori school in Mooresville.  With her daughter moving on to kindergarten this year, Dannielle felt it was time to move back into the administrative world.  Her background in office management and her love for children merged when she got the amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Grayson.  

Published Research about the PEERS® Program

Examination of a Parent-Assisted, Friendship-Building Program for Adolescents With ADHD (Gardner, et. al., 2014)

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, et al., 2014)

The ABC’s of Teaching Social Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom- The UCLA PEERS® Program (Laugeson, et al., 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)

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)

Reichow (2012)- The Cochrane Collaboration

Social Skills Training for Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders- A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study (Gantman, et al., 2012)

Evidence-Based Social Skills Training for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders- The UCLA PEERS® Program (Laugeson, et al., 2012)

Contact Information

Address

107 Commerce Centre Dr 

Ste 201

Huntersville NC 28078


Phone number: 

(980) 202-2490


Secure E-fax: 

(732) 605-5910


Email: 

PEERS@graysonpsychiatry.com