The Science of Making Friends - by Elizabeth Laugeson (Mixed Media Product)

About the Book

"The groundbreaking book that puts the focus on teens and young adults with autism. While a number of programs help young children with autism to develop social skills, until now there have been no such approaches for older kids and adults on the spectrum. This book is based on UCLA's acclaimed PEERS program, the only research-based approach in the world to helping adolescents and young adults with autism make and keep friends. This step-by-step guide helps parents, educators, and others to provide "social coaching" to teens and young adults on the spectrum. The book includes concrete rules and steps of social etiquette identified through research. Parents can use the book to assist in improving conversational skills, expanding social opportunities (including dating), identifying strategies for handling peer rejection, and developing and enhancing friendships. Lessons are taught using didactic teaching narratives, followed by key rules and steps. Laugeson and this groundbreaking approach have been profiled in People magazine. DVD videos included demonstrate the book's lessons clearly and show how to present the material to teens and young adults Offers a treasure trove of behavior exercises for practicing each skill, ranging from joining conversations to handling bullying The book features a bonus DVD with video demonstrations of the skills taught and a mobile application that helps teens and young adults use the strategies in real-world situations"--

Book Synopsis

The groundbreaking book that puts the focus on teens and young adults with social challenges

This book offers parents a step-by-step guide to making and keeping friends for teens and young adults with social challenges--such as those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, bipolar, or other conditions. With the book's concrete rules and steps of social etiquette, parents will be able to assist in improving conversational skills, expanding social opportunities, and developing strategies for handling peer rejection.

Each chapter provides helpful overview information for parents; lessons with clear bulleted lists of key rules and steps; and expert advice on how to present the material to a teen or young adult. Throughout the book are role-playing exercises for practicing each skill, along with homework assignments to ensure the newly learned skills can be applied easily to a school, work, or other "real life" setting. Bonus content shows role-plays of skills covered, demonstrating the right and wrong way to enter conversations, schedule get-togethers, deal with conflict, and much more.

• PART ONE: GETTING READY
• Ch. 1: Why Teach Social Skills to Teens and Young Adults?

• PART TWO: THE SCIENCE OF DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS
• Ch. 2: Finding and Choosing Good Friends
• Ch. 3: Good Conversations: The Basics
• Ch. 4: Starting and Entering Conversations
• Ch. 5: Exiting Conversations
• Ch. 6: Managing Electronic Communication
• Ch. 7: Showing Good Sportsmanship
• Ch. 8: Enjoying Successful Get-Togethers

• PART THREE: THE SCIENCE OF HANDLING PEER CONFLICT AND REJECTION: HELPFUL STRATEGIES
• Ch. 9: Dealing With Arguments
• Ch. 10: Handling Verbal Teasing
• Ch. 11: Addressing Cyber Bullying
• Ch. 12: Minimizing Rumors and Gossip
• Ch. 13: Avoiding Physical Bullying
• Ch. 14: Changing a Bad Reputation

Epilogue: Moving Forward





From the Back Cover





The Science of MAKING FRIENDS

This book offers a groundbreaking approach for helping socially challenged teens and young adults make and keep friends. Based on UCLA's acclaimed PEERS program--the only evidence-based approach of its kind in the world--this accessible book and Video offer the tools parents and educators need to become "social coaches" to the teens and young adults in their lives. Elizabeth Laugeson, an internationally known social skills expert, provides research-supported:

• Rules and steps for social skills
• Ideas for parents or other adults to assist in improving conversational skills
• Tips for expanding social opportunities
• Strategies for handling peer rejection and bullying
• Plans for developing and enhancing friendships

The book includes chapter summaries for teens and young adults, plus a DVD with video demonstrations that illustrate key skills.

"More than simply a list of social skills, this book takes readers through an almost chronological journey from how to find a potential group of friends to what to do to make a friend to how to talk to and engage with that person--a journey that is well worth taking."

--CATHERINE LORD, Ph.D., director, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain; professor, Columbia University

"Coping with the confusing, conflicting, and complex demands of the social world is one of the biggest challenges for those with autism. There is a pressing need for evidence-based interventions to support these young people and Laugeson's book is one of the first to help fill this gap."

--PATRICIA HOWLIN, emeritus professor of Clinical Child Psychology, King's College London

"We often think of friendship as more an art than a science, but Laugeson's work proves otherwise. Accurate, concise, and highly useful, the book sets a new standard for translating research into practice."

--PETER F. GERHARDT, Ed.D., clinical director, The Amal Group, and chair of the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research





About the Author





Elizabeth A. Laugeson, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.