As part of the “Get a Life” program, the Emory Autism Resource Center (EARC) pairs adults with autism with volunteers from the community matched by age and interest.  The volunteers, many of whom are Emory students, commit to spending at least 2 hours a week for a minimum of six months with their participant playing sports, watching movies, volunteering with a community organization or just hanging out.

To read more about Andrew, the “Get a Life” program, and other Adult Community Assistance programs sponsored by the center, click here: Emory Autism Resource Center.

According to an article in the New York Times, now teens living in the UCLA vicinity have an opportunity to learn the skills they need to help them make and keep friends in a new teen friendship-making program called PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationsal Skills), a 14-week evidence-based social skills intervention where motivated 7th-12th graders are taught important social skills and are given the opportunity to practice the skills. Parents are required to participate; they learn to become social coaches so their teens can retain their newly-acquired skills.

As part of the program, the teens learn how to make phone calls, exchange pleasantries, take turns, show good sportsmanship, and to have a two-way conversation (vs. being a conversation “hog”).

Obviously, the teens that graduate from this program benefit in more ways than just learning to make and keep friends, although that’s its primary focus. The skills they acquire will be useful in all areas of life, including helping them find and keep a job. Alex Gantman, the UCLA postdoctoral fellow who runs the parent session, is working to expand the training to young autistic adults who struggle not only with friendship issues, but also employment and relationship issues, such as dating.

(To read the entire article, click here.)