Social Skills Coaching for Autistic Teens & Young Adults
Everything we do that involves other people requires social and communication skills. These skills may be underdeveloped for autistic and other neurodivergent people. The isolation brought on by COVID-19 continues to affect many people’s comfort in social interactions.
At IRL, we provide social skills coaching with a focus on autistic and other neurodiverse teens and young adults. The coaching we provide transforms lives through improved relationships, better communication in a variety of environments, and increased self-knowledge, advocacy, and empowerment. IRL courses are fun, interactive, supportive and very effective.
We all need friends, peer support, and connection in order to succeed in life. IRL Social Skills can help you or your socially struggling loved one go from striving to thriving.
GIVE US 16 weeks – We’LL TRANSFORM YOUR SOCIAL LIFE
HOW IT WORKS
Our 16-week Social Skills Academy is unique in its approach. Each course has no more than 12 students and their parents/caregivers. While students are receiving instruction and practicing their new skills with peers and IRL coaches, parents join a breakout room to receive guidance for supporting their loved one at home.
This parent-mediated approach is what makes our program so effective. It sets students up for success by reinforcing the skills learned and practiced in class. Parents also receive support as they learn how to be more effective communicators, using an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method that works.
NOW ENROLLING – SUMMER & FALL 2024 CLASSES
Class Schedule
Our courses are structured in two semesters, Spring and Fall. Our Teens and Young Adult courses run 16 weeks long; The Adults 30+ program is 12 weeks long.
During these intensive coaching groups, participants build relationships and practice skills with same age peers and coaches. Class sizes are small to ensure optimal learning and coaching support. Our next classes begin on the following dates:
TEENS (age 11-13) Mondays, Aug 5 - Nov 25, 6:30-8:15pm *
TEENS (age 14-16) Tuesdays Aug 6 - Nov 26, 3:30-5:15pm
YOUNG ADULTS (age 17-20) Wednesdays Aug 7 - Nov 20 3:30-5:15pm
YOUNG ADULTS (age 17-20) Wednesdays Aug 7 - Nov 20 6:30-8:15pm
ADULTS (age 21-29) Thursdays Aug 1 - Nov 21 3:30-5:15pm**
ADULTS (age 21-29) Thursdays Aug 1 - Nov 21 6:30-8:15pm**
ADULTS (age 30+): Thursdays Sept 5 - Nov 21 6:30-8:15pm
All class times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. Where multiple class types are scheduled on a given day, this is to accommodate East Coast families and individuals; the curriculum is the same.
*No class on Labor Day, 9/2
**No class on Halloween 10/31
ENROLL TODAY
Enrollment begins with a no-cost consultation with one of our coordinators. They’ll get more information about your needs and concerns, tell you all about our programs, and help you decide to enroll. To book a consult, please select the correct age/class below.
Everything is included in tuition
Practice activities are assigned every week and recorded in a weekly report log. Courses include all handouts and materials that can still be accessed after the course has been completed. Classes are recorded and made available to watch throughout the course and for six months afterward.
How to Enroll
Enrollment begins with a brief consultation with our program director to hear about your individual needs and concerns. During this free consultation, you’ll get all your questions answered about our program.
Based on UCLA’s renowned PEERS® curriculum
PEERS® has received recognition as the only evidence-based manualized program under Social Skills Training (SST) by the University of North Carolina in their 2020 National Clearinghouse for Autistic Evidence and Practices report.
PEERS® was developed in 2004 by UCLA’s Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
COMMUNICATE BETTER
We teach and coach effective strategies and techniques to enter and exit conversations gracefully—without being “fake” or masking.
Use humor more effectively in social situations.
Have two-way conversations that demonstrate interest in the other person and help to build camaraderie and understanding.
NURTURE RELATIONSHIPS
Identify appropriate friends based on shared interests, then learn how to maintain those friendships over time.
Develop romantic relationships and use appropriate dating etiquette.
BE SAFE, SEEN and STRONG
We provide scripts and coaching for how to handle direct and indirect bullying.
Learn how to be your own best advocate.
Become skilled in emotional self-regulation and awareness.
Got questions?
To help you determine whether our program is a good fit for you and your child, we offer a free 15-minute video chat. We will interview you and your teen or young adult to determine your specific concerns and challenges and how we can help.
MARA McLOUGHLIN, MS, CCC-SLP
FOUNDER & PROGRAM DIRECTOR