Research Supporting Preschool Life Skills

Donaldson & Austin, 2017

The Preschool Life Skills program is cited within this article as an effective preventative measure for problem behavior in children due to its success in decreasing problem behavior while simultaneously teaching new, socially-significant skills. 

Donaldson and Austin (2017).pdf

Fahmie & Luczynski, 2018

This review of the Preschool Life Skills program summarizes the research as well as provides future direction for PLS in the areas of maximizing skill acquisition, improving generality, evaluating feasibility and acceptability, and testing predictions. 

Fahmie and Luczynski 2018.pdf

Falligant & Pence, 2017

The purpose of the current study was to extend the PLS literature by assessing the level of instruction necessary to teach children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities to respond to their name, request attention and assistance, and tolerate delays and denials.

Falligant and Pence 2017.pdf

Gunning, Holloway, & Grealish, 2020

These experiment represents the first evaluation of a parent implementation of the PLS program.

Gunning et al. 2020.pdf

Gunning, Holloway, & Healy, 2018

The Preschool Life Skills program was implemented in an Irish preschool with one classroom acting as a control group and a second acting as the intervention group. There were no significant differences between control and intervention groups at baseline. Following intervention, there was an increase in the skills and decrease in problem behavior in the intervention group. Generalization and maintenance of the skills were also observed. 

Gunning et al. 2018.pdf

Hanley et al., 2014

In this research study, the Preschool Life Skills program was implemented in two Head Start classrooms to assess their effects on skills acquisition and problem behavior. The program was implemented for around 7 months and resulted in the classrooms meeting the goal of providing 10 opportunities with 5 correct responses per child on an average of 83% of occasions. There was also a 57% reduction in overall problem behavior. 

Hanley et al. 2014.pdf

Hanley et al., 2007

This is the original research study on the Preschool Life Skills program. A classwide teaching model was used to demonstrate the preschool life skills and data was collected on student performance and problem behavior. Results showed over a 300% increase in preschool life skills and a 74% reduction in problem behavior

Hanley et al. 2007 orig article.pdf

Luczynski, Hanley, & Rodriguez, 2014 

This study aimed to assess the generalization and maintenance of the preschool life skills for six children ages 3 to 5. After each child successfully performed the skills on at least 85% of trials across three different sessions, generalization and maintenance trials began. Moderate to high levels of generalization were observed, after some modifications were made to the generalization conditions. Most of the social skills were maintained after a 3 month period. 

Luczynski et al. 2014.pdf

Rees et al., 2023

This study sought to evaluate individualized PLS curricula for two boys with substantial trauma histories and demonstrate how the PLS program could be delivered within a trauma-informed framework. 

Rees et al. 2023.pdf

Robison, Mann, & Ingvarsson, 2019

The Preschool Life Skills program was evaluated for its effects on nine children with various developmental disabilities. There was an overall increase in the preschool life skills as well as a decrease in problem behavior for each of the children. 

Robison et al. 2019.pdf