Overview

The purpose of the Social Competence Project is to create a model to expand services and improve outcomes for young children at risk for serious emotional disturbance. This will be accomplished through the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of a community-based, family-centered model of early identification and intervention for young children with emotional and behavioral problems (EBP).

The proposed model will identify children ages three and four, who have EBP through a screening process conducted by teachers who will screen all children within a classroom or program. The model provides teachers strategies for comprehensive intervention within the classroom and home environments for the identified children. The intervention integrates behavior support plans, social skills training, and parent management training.

Project Staff

Principle Investigator: Torry Piazza Templeman
Project Director: Tom Udell
Project Coordinator: Pam Deardorff
Project Staff: Dawn Norris and Gary Glasenapp

Focus of Impact

Project Goals

1. develop a community based, family focused model of early identification and intervention for young children with or at risk of EBP
2. implement the model at selected Head Start sites
3. evaluate the model using multiple outcome measures to determine the effectiveness of model components
4. develop procedures and materials for replication
5. disseminate project findings at the state, local, and national levels

Model Components

The model uses the Early Screening Program (ESP) (Walker, Severson, & Feil, 1995) to screen all children in a classroom or program. The screening will identify both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. For children identified as having behavior problems the instrument will yield a score that will place a child in one of three categories: (a) borderline EBP, (b) at-risk for SED, or (c) SED. This process will be used to identify the children who will receive comprehensive intervention. Family Meeting

For those children identified for comprehensive intervention the model uses the McGill Action Planning System (MAPS)(Forest & Lusthaus, 1987) to begin the development of intervention strategies. This is a child centered planning process that allows families a positive way to participate in their child's program. This process will begin after children have been identified for comprehensive intervention. Social Skill Instruction

The Model uses social skills training curricula with all children in the program. Varied instructional strategies promoting social-emotional competence are used with small groups as well as the whole class. Social skills instruction individualized and delivered within routine daily activities is a unique strategy included in this component. Social skills training is also a primary intervention within the Classroom Behavior Support Plan and Parent Management Training. Classroom Positive Behavior Support Plan

A primary component of the model is the development and implementation of behavior support plans by teaching staff. Plans will be based on a functional assessment of the child's behavior. Behavior support plans will include environmental adaptations to prevent problem behavior, social skill instruction, and effective strategies for responding to problem behaviors. Home Positive Behavior Support Plan The model uses Parent Management Training (PMT) as an approach for supporting families within the home environment. PMT will be incorporated into home visits through the use of a Home Positive Behavior Support Plan. PMT is a strategy that has been shown to have positive effects on parent-child interactions and is well supported by the literature (Greist, Forehand, Rogers, Breiner, Furey, & Williams, 1982; Kazdin, 1987; Webster-Stratton, 1984, 1985, 1993). Maintenance

Those children who display a significant decrease in asocial or disruptive behaviors in the classroom and home move to the maintenance component of the model. Children moving into the maintenance phase will continue to be assessed to determine if maintenance is stable. Maintenance probes will be conducted with families to determine if the effects of intervention have maintained in the home environment. If maintenance probes indicate regression, Classroom Behavior Support Plans and Parent Management Training will be reinstated.