North Metro Psychological Services
Counseling, psychological assessment, and medication management services in Marietta, GA
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PEERS® Social Skills Group for Teens | ND-Affirming Autism Support

Join our ND-affirming PEERS® social skills group for autistic teens. Evidence-based support to build friendship skills, confidence, and real-world connections.

PEERS® Social skills group for Adolescents

The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Adolescents is an evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated teens in middle and high school, who are interested in learning ways to make and keep friends. The teen program is open to teens 14-18.

This group will have a maximum of 6 members to allow for more personalized attention to achieve optimal growth.

This group is appropriate for motivated teens with a diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, ADD, Tourette’s, Social Anxiety, Depression, or no diagnosis.

The group will utilize evidence-based approaches while maintaining a Neurodiversity Affirming environment.

The PEERS group will be led by a Certified PEERS group leader, Dr. Jessi Langley.

Details about this group:

  • Teens are taught social skills through didactic lessons and role-play demonstrations, and practice these skills during group socialization activities.

    • Two-Way Conversation

    • Electronic Communication

    • Choosing Appropriate Friends

    • Appropriate Use of Humor

    • Starting and Joining Conversations

    • Exiting Conversations

    • Good Sportsmanship

    • Get-Togethers

    • Handling Arguments

    • Changing Reputations

    • Handling Teasing and Embarrassing Feedback

    • Handling Physical Bullying

    • Handling Cyber Bullying

    • Minimizing Rumors and Gossip

  • Our Spring 2026 group is in progress and closed to additional participants. We’re accepting inquiries for Fall 2026.

    Start date: 8/20/26

    The group will be on Thursdays from 6 - 7:30 P.M. at North Metro Psychological Services.

    A group calendar will be provided and discussed at the in-person screening.

  • This group will be IN-PERSON at 800 Kennesaw Ave NW, Suite 250, Marietta, GA 30060.

    • Initial pre-screening is FREE.

    • If pre-screening is accepted, the cost for an in-person screening is $150.00. Our standard protocol is to follow up on an admittance decision within 72 business hours, excluding weekends and holidays. If we have to extend that deadline —for example, if we need to consult with one of your teen’s providers —we will keep you posted accordingly. 

    • If admitted to the group, the cost per group session is $150.00.

  • Consistent attendance is required. This is a 15 week group with build in breaks. Exceptions to attendance and additional group details will be discussed at the in-person group screening. Teens must be motivated and interested in attending the group. Teens must agree to participate in the group voluntarily. Parent or Social Coach must be willing to participate, with additional details to be discussed at in-person screening.

 

Additional Details to Consider:

  • A social coach is an adult of your teen’s choosing, typically a parent or extended family member, like an aunt or uncle, as this is someone your teen would say they feel comfortable seeking support and taking advice from. We understand life happens, and a social coach may need to miss a session occasionally. That's okay, and your teen would ideally need a backup coach to attend that meeting, but if they didn't have one, we could work with it. 

    Since social coaches are needed for group participation, we also require them to attend the in-person screening.

    1. Please click the button below to schedule a screening or fill out an inquiry form on the Contact Us page. Dr. Langley will respond to you within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.

    2. Dr. Langley will provide you with the online pre-screening application. Once completed, Dr. Langley will respond to you within 24 - 72 business hours, excluding weekends and holidays, as the co-facilitators will need time to consult about the pre-screening. This response may initially include additional questions from the group facilitators based on the prescreening. Still, it will ultimately determine if it’s in your teen’s best interest to proceed with an in-person screening once all questions are answered.

      If our group isn’t a good fit, we will provide better-suited and alternative resources.

    3. If accepted for an in-person screening, Dr. Langley will create a profile, if needed, for your teen on our HIPAA-compliant platform, SimplePractice, and send all group-related paperwork. All of the paperwork must be completed before an in-person screening is scheduled. Once complete, Dr. Langley will follow up with a proposed group screening date and time accordingly.

      Our standard protocol is to follow up on an admittance decision within 72 business hours, excluding weekends and holidays. If we have to extend that deadline —for example, if we need to consult with one of your teen’s providers —we will keep you posted accordingly. 

    Please note that participation in either of these activities does NOT guarantee acceptance into the group.

I Would Like to Schedule a Group Screening