06/12/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2025 19:49
Long before the debut of Netflix's hit reality dating series "Love on the Spectrum," which follows adults with autism as they seek a romantic relationship, UCLA's Elizabeth Laugeson was running her own non-televised course for autistic adults.
Back in 2018, Laugeson, developer of the UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills, or PEERS, and a clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, led boot camps aimed at helping individuals with autism navigate romantic relationships. She even hosted a workshop for the "Love on the Spectrum" Season One cast ahead of filming.
Today's New York Times features an in-depth piece on PEERS for Dating, under the headline, "The Real-Life Dating Boot Camp That Inspired 'Love on the Spectrum.'"
Laugeson has continued this avenue of her work most recently with the PEERS for Dating study, which is just now wrapping up a 20-week course with a group of autistic adults. With help from trained coaches, individuals had help with choosing appropriate people to date, online dating etiquette, conversational skills, letting someone know you like them, asking someone on a date, going on dates, handling dating pressure, and rejection.
"This is something we all struggle with," Laugeson told the Times. "I'd love to date Bradley Cooper - that would be great. But I don't get to date everyone, right? And everyone doesn't get to date me."
In a story this January on UCLA Health and UCLA Newsroom, Laugeson said the PEERs program is committed to providing its participants with a roadmap to finding and sustaining meaningful relationships.
"Romantic relationships can be transformative, but for many autistic adults, the path to connection can feel uncertain," Laugeson said. "With PEERS for Dating, we are committed to providing evidence-based tools to empower participants to approach love with confidence, form lasting connections and improve their overall quality of life."
Read more about PEERS for Dating here.