My DYS 9 attended one this year and I think that it was helpful. The part that seemed most helpful to him was the focus on learning self-regulation. He's an intense kid and it's been useful for us to have language to use when he is getting out of control. The other kids in his group had a variety of different issues: ADHD, severe anxiety, etc. I'm guessing that every kid found at least part of the curriculum to be useful. They covered things like how to deal with bullies, what to do when kids don't want to play with you, how to have a reciprocal conversation with peers, etc. The trick is finding the right type of social skills group that will work for your kid. For the OP, I'd talk to the leaders of the group. I'm guessing that they have experience with 12-year-olds not wanting to attend! FWIW, the instructors of my son's group worked hard to make it fun.
