Evaluating the preschool life skills program to teach school readiness skills: An irish pilot study

ABSTRACT The Preschool Life Skills (PLS; Hanley et al., 2007) program is a preventive program targeting 13 important school readiness skills for preschool children. The PLS program addresses communication and social skill development and aims to prevent the development of problem behavior. These skills have been identified as core skills for success in later educational settings by kindergarten teachers and are the most commonly taught functionally equivalent and alternative skills in intervention for problem behavior. The current study evaluated the PLS program within an Irish educational context. Results indicated increases in target preschool life skills and decreases in problem behavior following intervention. Evidence of generalization and maintenance also were observed.