Social Skills Group For Parents of Preschoolers
Set your child up to succeed at school.
Become a social skills coach for your child and learn how to support your child with the following skills.
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Having successful play dates
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Listening and following directions
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Meeting and greeting friends
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Sharing and giving turns
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Asking friends to play
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Joining ongoing play
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Keeping cool during play
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Being a good sport
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Transitioning to new play activities
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Asking and giving help
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Using volume control
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Maintaining body boundaries
What is PEERS® for Preschoolers?
PEERS® for Preschoolers is an evidence-based social skills program for children aged 4-6, designed to help them make and keep friends. Parents participate in 16 weekly 90-minute Zoom sessions, where they learn to coach their child in key social skills. Instruction includes:
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Step-by-step lessons
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Role-play demonstrations
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Puppet shows for children
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Homework assignments with personalised feedback
What happens in a PEERS® for Preschoolers session?
Each week, parents learn coaching techniques through structured instruction, behavioural rehearsal, and practical exercises. Homework includes watching instructional videos and practising skills with their child. Parents submit recorded practice sessions for personalised feedback from a social skills coach.
How much does PEERS® for Preschoolers cost?
The 16-week PEERS® Program costs $2,495 (approx. $156 per week). This includes:
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1 personalised initial individual session for parents
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16 group training sessions for social coaches
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Comprehensive resources for social coaching
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Weekly homework tasks to reinforce skills
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Personalised feedback on submitted practice sessions
Why choose PEERS® for Preschoolers?
PEERS® programs are backed by multiple randomised controlled trials, demonstrating long-term effectiveness (1-5 years post-treatment). The preschool program is the newest in the PEERS® series, with ongoing research. Parents report increased confidence in coaching their child and improved social interactions for their preschooler.
How does this program work online?
The effectiveness of the program lies in parent coaching. While UCLA is conducting ongoing research, previous PEERS® programs have shown online sessions to be equally effective. Parents who have completed the online version report high satisfaction levels.
Stay tuned for more research updates!
How does this program work online?
The effectiveness of the online parent program is the social coaching of parents. The format of the program does not matter as much as the emphasis is on learning the skills and having someone (parent) to be able to generalise the skills in multiple settings.
Whilst UCLA is looking at data they are gathering from previous and current groups, they have not done a randomised trial yet. Other PEERS® programs have been found to be equally effective. Parents who have completed the program online have reported high levels of satisfaction.
Watch this space - we will keep you updated with research in this area.
Why choose PEERS® for Preschoolers?
The PEERS® programs has been shown to be effective through multiple randomised controlled trials and maintenance of gains 1-5 years after treatment has been evidenced. To be evidence based the program has had to u ndergo substantial clinical trials and research to gather data to support its efficacy. PEERS® for Preschoolers is the newest PEERS program and research is currently underway. Parents who have completed the program have said they are more confident in supporting their child on social situations. Parents have noticed their child become more confident in social situations and that the way the parent interacts with their child in every day experiences.
What does the research say?
Whilst clinical trials are not yet complete, early findings are very promising.
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The study by Tripathi et al. (2021) evaluates the long-term effectiveness of PEERS® for Preschoolers. Findings indicate that 1–5 years after treatment, children maintained gains in social responsiveness, communication, motivation, and peer engagement.
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Findings from this pilot study by Factor et al. (2021) suggest concurrent improvements in child social skills and caregiving behaviors, with subsequent positive changes in family functioning, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating caregivers into early social skills interventions
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Results from Park et al. (2022) indicate significant improvements in social responsiveness, cognition, and motivation, as well as reductions in restricted/repetitive behaviours and problem behaviours, highlighting the program’s potential for enhancing early social functioning.
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Antezana et al. (2022) found that 60% of children demonstrated social skills improvement post-treatment, with 53.85% maintaining progress at follow-up.
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Factor et al. (2022) examines the impact of PEERS® for Preschoolers on caregiver–child relationships, parenting self-efficacy, and family functioning. Results indicate increased caregiver confidence, improved parenting strategies, and more positive caregiver–child interactions.
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Tripathi et al. (2023) explore parent perspectives on the PEERS® for Preschoolers program. Parents reported lasting improvements in their child’s social skills, confidence, and peer interactions, with those who continued using social coaching strategies, particularly priming, observing greater long-term benefits in both child functioning and reduced parenting stress.
