Does this sound familiar to you?
My 17-year-old child was just diagnosed with autism and they are really depressed because they don’t want to be different.
My son has trouble making friends and just hides behind a screen all day.
Our daughter has ADHD and gets bullied in school because she’s different from other kids.
My 13-year-old son on the spectrum has never been to a birthday party.
Our 19-year-old son has AuDHD and has expressed interest in finding a girlfriend, but I’m not sure how to help him navigate dating when he struggles with even platonic relationships.
These are just a handful of the real concerns parents express to us EVERY DAY. The struggle is real.
As the parent of a neurodivergent child, YOU KNOW that the specialized support your child received in grade school is NOT ENOUGH to carry them through middle school, high school, college and beyond. That’s where we come in.
IRL SOCIAL SKILLS – PROVEN EFFECTIVE SOCIAL SKILLS COACHING
The social, relational and communication challenges faced by autistic and other neurodivergent young people face become more complex and nuanced as they grow up. Teens need MORE SUPPORT—not less—than young children.
IRL Social Skills provides specialized peer- and parent-mediated coaching for teens and young adults and young adults—just when they need it the most!
MARA McLOUGHLIN, MS, CCC-SLP
FOUNDER & LEAD FACILITATOR
SCHEDULE A FREE 15-MINUTE CONSULT
Discover how IRL Social Skills can help your teen or young adult succeed at school, in college, at work, and in family and personal relationships. Book a 15-minute consult to learn more about our programs and take the next step toward supporting your child’s growth and wellbeing.
NOW ENROLLING
YOUNG ADULTS CLASS
Thursdays 4:30pm Pacific time, starting August 3rd
ADULTS CLASS (21+ UP)
Thursdays 7pm Pacific time, starting August 3rd
TEENS CLASS
Mondays 4:30pm Pacific time, starting August 21
How IRL Social Skills Academy Works
Classes meet weekly via Zoom for 16 weeks (4 months), allowing for ongoing contact with coaches, instructors, and peers. Breakout rooms provide in-depth practice time.
A parent or caregiver also attends weekly sessions to learn how to better support their child during the course and afterward. In this way, everyone learns how to best relate and respond to others in the primary social setting—the setting that has the most influence.
INCLUDED IN EVERY COURSE:
Trauma-informed nervous system education
Mindfulness practices
Interoception skills for co- and self-regulation
How to effectively use electronic forms of communication (and minimize bullying)
Skillful use of humor and assessment of humor feedback
Starting, entering, and exiting conversations between peers
Making friends based on common interests (e.g. games, art, music)
How to organize successful get-togethers with friends
Dating etiquette and how to develop healthy romantic relationships
How to be their own self-advocate with authority figures, teachers, etc.
Our courses are geared toward the autistic neurotype but non-autistic individuals who struggle with social or communication challenges have found our courses and workshops to be of great benefit.
EYE-OPENING AND TRANSFORMATIVE
“As a mom of a teen on the spectrum, I will be forever grateful to the coaches who prepared me with knowledge and tools to be a good support/coach for my son. It was also a big eye opener to me when I realized how much help he really needed. Also, the parents who joined the group with similar goals were exceptionally supportive and kind. It was a pleasure to be part of this class and I would recommend it to any teen or young adult who is struggling socially.”
MAROHA S – PARENT PARTICIPANT
Skills for your child. Support for you.
Our program is unique, integrating mindfulness practices, self-advocacy, and self-regulation. We also add nervous system education, specifically about the autistic neurotype, as well as somatic exercises to better develop interoception.
While your child strengthens their social skills with age-appropriate peers and coaches, a parent or other social coach will be learning the skills needed to support your child where it matters most — at home.
Over the 16-week course, students form connections with peers who go on to become supports long after the curriculum has ended. Friendships are made with people who share a neurotype—people who “get” each other.
Our team of skilled coaches teaches social skills based on the The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) program*, a highly effective, clinically-proven curriculum that honors your child’s unique personality, gifts and needs.
MAKING NEW FRIENDS WITH LESS SOCIAL ANXIETY
“As a learner, I got a lot out of this program. I no longer struggle as much with going up and talking to people or making new friends. I'm not nearly as uncomfortable in social situations. IRL helped me to understand why I was having difficulties before. I learned the steps to have more enjoyable social interactions and connections. Overall, IRL Social Skills was a great experience.”
KEVIN V – YOUTH STUDENT
*PROVEN EFFECTIVE
The Program for the Evaluation of the Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) was developed by UCLA's acclaimed Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. PEERS is critically acclaimed for providing evidence-based social skills treatment to youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems. The program has been peer-reviewed by the psychiatric community many dozens of times, and confirms the efficacy of the program.
SOURCE: National Institute of Health, National Library of Medicine. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
