People sometimes ask us what makes PEERS® different from other social skills programs. The honest answer is that we've never believed friendship comes down to any single thing. It comes from a combination - and we think of it as a simple formula:

Skills + Coaching + Access to Peers = Friendships

When families first look at a social skills program, most of the attention goes to the young person - understandably. But one of the biggest reasons PEERS® works isn't only about what happens in the young person's session. It's about who's helping them practise the rest of the week.

That person is the social coach.

People sometimes ask us what makes PEERS® different from other social skills programs. The honest answer is that we've never believed friendship comes down to any single thing. It comes from a combination - and we think of it as a simple formula:

Skills + Coaching + Access to Peers = Friendships

At Social Skills Australia, we’re celebrating a milestone that means a great deal to our team — we’ve achieved a perfect 5-star rating on Google! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Of course, seeing five stars beside our name is wonderful. But what makes this milestone truly special is what those five stars represent: the families who have trusted us, the participants who have taken part in our programs, and the people who have shared their experiences with us.

For us, it’s a reflection of the relationships we’ve built and the difference we’ve had the privilege of being part of.

Thinking of starting a social skills program for your teen? Here's exactly what the first four weeks look like — the sessions, the skills, the homework, and what early progress really looks like.

Not sure if your teen is ready for a social skills program? Here are the real signs of readiness — why motivation matters most, and why teenage resistance isn't a dealbreaker.

Skeptical that social skills can be taught online? Here's what a UCLA study found about online vs in-person PEERS® — and why online can work even better for some teens.

A simple checklist of 10 social skills most teens should have by age 16 — what they look like when they're missing, and how to help teens with autism or ADHD catch up.

A bad reputation can close doors for teenagers before they even get started. Here is why reputation management matters and what young people can actually do about it.

Did you know that 85% of autistic adults report that social challenges significantly impact their quality of life, while a 2024 study found that 40% of children with autism struggle with low self-worth? It's deeply painful to feel like a perpetual outsider or to carry the heavy weight of past social rejections. You deserve to move through the world without the constant, draining anxiety of "getting it wrong" in every conversation. We believe that building self-esteem and social skills isn't about "fixing" your personality; it's about providing the ecological validity and predictable frameworks you need to thrive as your authentic self.

Is your teen's social struggle caused by anxiety, autism, ADHD, or all three? Here is how to tell the difference and why regardless of diagnosis, the approach to building social skills is the same.

Nobody warns you about the Friday nights. If your teenager with autism is struggling to make friends, here's what's really going on, and what can actually help.

Not all social skills programs are created equal. Here is what makes PEERS® different, what evidence-based actually means, and why it works when other approaches don't.

Jazz isn't just music, it's conversation. Discover how the structure of jazz mirrors the social skills we teach in PEERS^®, and why those skills are learnable for every young person.

Not all teasing is the same. And knowing the difference is a skill that can be taught. Here's how PEERS® helps neurodivergent young people recognise, respond to, and move past teasing with confidence.

If your autistic teen has developed an intense fixation on someone they like, you are not alone. And it is not something to panic about.

What you are observing is not a character flaw or a sign that something isn't going as it should. For many autistic young people, romantic feelings can be experienced more intensely and for longer than their peers. The desire for connection is real and it is meaningful. What is often missing are the practical skills to navigate those feelings in ways that feel comfortable for everyone involved.

Most parents have heard at least one myth about autistic teenagers and friendships. Christine from Social Skills Australia breaks down the three most common and what the research actually tells us instead.

Tried therapy, social groups, and advice-but your teen is still struggling socially? Here are the 5 reasons nothing is working, and what evidence-based support actually looks like.

 Is your teen spending hours online with friends but never seeing anyone in person? Learn why this happens and how to help your teen bridge the gap to real-world friendships.

If your teen has autism or ADHD and struggles socially, you are not alone. And more importantly, it’s not because there’s something “wrong” with them. They just haven’t been taught the steps yet.