Liz Laugesonisthe Director of The Help Group - UCLA Autism Research Alliance, Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry andBiobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute and is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Laugeson also serves as the Associate Director forthe UCLA Children's Friendship and Parenting Program and is the co-developer of PEERS, a parent-assisted social skills intervention for teens withdevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Laugeson has been a Principal Investigator and a collaborator on a number of NIH and CDC-funded studies investigating the effectiveness of social skills training for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.

Dr. Sara McCrackenis the Director of The Help Group Autism Spectrum Disorders Programs. She recently completed a two year post-doctoralfellowship specializing in autism spectrum disorders through Children￢ﾀﾙs National Medical Center, Washington D.C. and The George WashingtonUniversity Medical Center. Dr. McCracken￢ﾀﾙs areas of focus include developmental, psychological and neuropsychological assessment of childrenand adolescents, specialized diagnostic assessment and individual and group intervention with children with suspected autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. In addition, she has participated in and presented research examining neuropsychological profilesin individuals with high functioning autism spectrum disorders and provided clinical research consultation for the National Institutes of Health.