For adults with autism, learning social skills – and finding love

A new book by a UCLA professor addresses a situation most of us have endured at some point in our lives — social awkwardness. Perhaps it was first-date angst, or a party where everybody seems to know everybody else, except you. Or a work conference you’ve come to late where everybody is already chatting away.For most of us it ’s a brief, uncomfortable moment that passes. For adults with autism, it’s an enduring part of their lives. That’s the group Elizabeth Laugeson, a UCLA assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, aims to help. Laugeson is the co-founder and developer of the UCLA PEERS Clinic, or Program for th e Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, the only research-supported treatment programs for improving social skills for preschoolers, adolescents and young adults with autism. Her book, “PEERS for Young Adults,” is based on the success of that program.“Autism is generally associated with children, but the disorder doesn’t go away with age,” Laugeson said. “It’s a lifelong disorder.” She cites a recent CNNstory about a woman diagnosed with autism at the age of 47, who in hindsight now recognizes how the disorder shaped her whole life.Autism is characterized by challenges with social skills and communication, Laugeson said. “For a child, that makes it hard to fit in, to make friends and ‘belong,’” she said. “The same holds true for an adult with autism, although it’s not just making friends, but finding and keeping a jo...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news