Reducing Problem Behavior Research Articles

Changes in parental prosody mediate effect of parent-training intervention on infant language production.

Parent-training interventions to reduce behavior problems in young children typically coach parents on the content of their speech, but rarely assess parents' prosody during parent-child interactions. Infant-directed speech helps shape the parent-infant relationship and promote language development, which predicts adaptive behavioral outcomes in children. The current study examined (a) the effect of a parent-training intervention on parents' vocal cues in interactions with their infant and (b) whether parental prosody mediated the impact of the intervention on infant language production. Sixty families with 12- to 15-month-old infants (47% female; 95% of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity) participated in the Infant Behavior Program (IBP), a brief home-based adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, or received standard pediatric care. Speech analysis was performed on mothers' (n = 40) utterances during infant-led play pre- and postintervention. Infants' number of utterances spoken during play was assessed at pre- and postintervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Mothers who received the IBP spoke with greater pitch range and slower tempo postintervention, when controlling for baseline prosody. Change in these vocal cues, which are typical of infant-directed speech, mediated the effect of the intervention on infants' word production after 6 months. Interventions targeting the content of parents' speech during parent-infant interactions may lead to changes in parental prosody, which may be beneficial for infants' language development. Impaired linguistic abilities in infancy are strongly associated with behavior problems in later childhood; thus, these findings highlight a potential mechanism for intervention efficacy in promoting positive socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Functional analysis and communication training to reduce problem behavior and time in restraint: A case study.

Functional analysis and communication training to reduce problem behavior and time in restraint: A case study.

The effects of the KEEP foster parent training intervention on child externalizing and internalizing problems

Children in foster care are at risk for externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. The KEEP foster parent training intervention has been found to effectively reduce parental reports of daily child behavior problems. The aims of this investigation were to (a) examine the effectiveness of the KEEP intervention at reducing behavior problems among children in foster care, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), during implementation of the intervention by a community agency using a randomized design and (b) determine whether the intervention is effective at reducing internalizing forms of behavior problems. Foster and kinship families were randomly assigned to either the KEEP intervention or usual services. The KEEP intervention was delivered by a community agency. Child behavior problems were assessed via the CBCL at baseline and at the end of the intervention (4 months after baseline). Data from 310 foster and kinship families with children aged between 5 and 12 years were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. The KEEP intervention was effective at reducing the proportion of children in the borderline group for rule-breaking between baseline and follow-up. The intervention was also effective at reducing internalizing problems, as indicated by reductions in internalizing raw scores and the proportion of children in the borderline group over the course of the intervention. These findings suggest the KEEP intervention can provide foster parents with the tools to manage a broad range of behavior problems even as the intervention was delivered by a community agency.

Adult and student interactions in nonclassroom settings.

As students transition into adolescence they are often permitted greater independence in nonclassroom settings within schools and thus the opportunities for problem behaviors increase. However, nonclassroom settings can also provide an opportunity for students and school staff to engage in informal yet positive interactions. This paper aimed to identify potential predictors of observed student behaviors in nonclassroom settings in high schools, such as characteristics of the settings (e.g., location) and observed adult behaviors. Hierarchical analyses were conducted on observational data (N = 917) collected in nonclassroom settings (i.e., arrival/departure, hallway/stairway, and cafeteria) in 58 high schools. Fewer negative student behaviors and increased positive student behaviors were observed when adults actively connected with students. Furthermore, the frequency of negative student behaviors varied by location, time of year, and time of day. This study contributes to prior literature through the focus on nonclassroom settings, examination of adult as well as student behavior, and the use of observational methodology in high schools. Implications for schools seeking to reduce problem behaviors and improve school climate in nonclassroom settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

To Choose or Not to Choose?: a Systematic Literature Review Considering the Effects of Antecedent and Consequence Choice upon On-Task and Problem Behaviour

Antecedent choice and consequence choice procedures are often used as interventions to increase on-task behaviour and reduce problem behaviour. This systematic literature review considers the conditions under which individuals show a preference for choice. Results suggest that preference for choice is variable, with some individuals preferring choice which allows access to more highly preferred stimuli and others preferring choice regardless of the outcome’s preference value. It is recommended that choice be used as a non-invasive intervention which may positively affect some individuals’ behaviour by either allowing them access to more highly preferred items or by accommodating their preference for choice. Trends across different samples and procedures are considered and recommendations are made for future research.

Is the Preschool PATHS Curriculum Effective? A Review

ABSTRACTThe preschool PATHS curriculum was designed as a universal preschool classroom curriculum to improve children’s social-emotional learning and reduce problem behaviors. Purpose: This review examined the published outcome studies (n = 5) of the preschool PATHS curriculum examining social-emotional and problem behavior outcome measures. Method: One randomized control trial, two quasi-experimental designs and two pre-experimental designs met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results: The evidence supporting the preschool PATHS curriculum positively impacting social-emotional competencies is mild to moderate. Evidence supporting the preschool PATHS curriculum as a universal curriculum to reduce problem behavior is sparse and equivocal. Discussion: Early childhood professionals should implement the preschool PATHS curriculum with the understanding that a child’s acquisition of social competencies may not readily equate to a reduction in problem behaviors.

The interaction between behavioural traits and demographic and management factors in German Shepherd dogs

As companion animals, a dog’s lifestyle is mainly determined by its owner. Discrepancies between the dog’s preferences and the owner’s lifestyle might lead to the occurrence of unwanted behaviours that affect both the owner-dog relationship and the dog’s welfare. The aim of this study was to identify behavioural traits that are characteristic of German Shepherd dogs (GSDs), and to analyse the relation between behavioural traits and demographic and management factors. Dog owners from the UK and Sweden were asked to complete two surveys, the established C-BARQ behavioural survey and a lifestyle survey developed for the study. A principal component analysis was applied to determine behavioural components for GSDs. Fifteen components were found to sufficiently explain the variance in the responses to C-BARQ, with the components Stranger-directed aggression and Dog-directed aggression explaining the greatest proportion of the variance in the data (12% and 10%, respectively). Linear models were then applied to assess the relationship between behaviour components and lifestyle factors using backward elimination to identify the model that best predicted the behaviour component. The cohort (UK or Sweden) and the age of the dog were associated with the highest number of behaviour components. This study showed that various demographic and management factors were associated with the expression of behavioural traits in GSDs. Results from this analyses may help to understand the interaction between the expression of external factors and dog behavioural traits and thus, improve the well-being of dogs and owners by reducing problem behaviours.

Universal Coping Power for pre-schoolers: Effects on children's behavioral difficulties and pre-academic skills

The Coping Power Program has been adapted as a universal prevention model (Coping Power Universal) aimed to reduce children's behavioral difficulties in Italian primary and nursery classes. The current study aimed to determine whether the version of the Universal Coping Power for pre-schoolers could reduce behavioral problems in school and home contexts, and could produce transfer effects on children's pre-academic skills. The sample included 102 five-year-old children who attended six pre-school classes located in Rovigo (Italy). Classes were randomly assigned to the intervention or to the control condition. Both parents and teachers indicated a significant reduction in behavioral problems for Coping Power classes, and teachers rated improvement in children's pre-mathematics, and language abilities. The results of this study are promising, suggesting pre-schoolers' social-emotional and pre-academic skills may benefit from the Universal Coping Power program.

Toddler risk and protective characteristics: Common and unique genetic and environmental influences.

The goal of this study was to disentangle the common and unique genetic and environmental influences on social-emotional competence, problem behavior, physiological dysregulation, and negative emotionality (NE) in toddlers. The sample consisted of 243 twin pairs (mean age = 31.94 months) rated by primary caregivers (>95% mothers) on the Children's Behavior Questionnaire and the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. A multivariate Cholesky Decomposition revealed three shared environmental factors, with one set of environmental influences common to competence, problem behavior, and physiological dysregulation, a second common to problem behavior and physiological dysregulation, and a third common to physiological dysregulation and NE. Also, there were two additive genetic factors, with one explaining variance in competence, NE, and a small amount of variance in problem behavior, and a second explaining variance in problem behavior and NE. Given the common shared environmental factors across outcomes, these results suggest that toddlerhood could be a particularly important time to intervene, as interventions could simultaneously improve competencies and reduce problem behaviors. This study also highlights the need for genetically informed research to examine the etiology of multiple outcomes and address overlap.

Maternal Age and Child Development.

Although the consequences of teen births for both mothers and children have been studied for decades, few studies have taken a broader look at the potential payoffs-and drawbacks-of being born to older mothers. A broader examination is important given the growing gap in maternal ages at birth for children born to mothers with low and high socioeconomic status. Drawing data from the Children of the NLSY79, our examination of this topic distinguishes between the value for children of being born to a mother who delayed her first birth and the value of the additional years between her first birth and the birth of the child whose achievements and behaviors at ages 10-13 are under study. We find that each year the mother delays a first birth is associated with a 0.02 to 0.04 standard deviation increase in school achievement and a similar-sized reduction in behavior problems. Coefficients are generally as large for additional years between the first and given birth. Results are fairly robust to the inclusion of cousin and sibling fixed effects, which attempt to address some omitted variable concerns. Our mediational analyses show that the primary pathway by which delaying first births benefits children is by enabling mothers to complete more years of schooling.

Antisocial attitude and aggressive behavior among immigrant children: The moderating effects of parent-child relationships

ABSTRACTGuided by the ecological framework, this study explored 1) the effect of antisocial attitude as a risk factor on aggressive behavior and 2) how a maternal- or paternal-child relationship buffers the impact of antisocial attitude in predicting aggressive behavior among children attending elementary school. A convenience sampling strategy was utilized to recruit 136 immigrant children (female 54.8%, Hispanic and Latino 80.9%) attending schools in one school district in the Southwestern United States. The results showed that the effect of antisocial attitude on aggressive behavior varied depending on the children’s relationships with their parents. A close relationship with their mother mitigated the effect of antisocial attitude on aggressive behavior. Also, if the child had a positive relationship with both parents, the impact of antisocial attitude on aggressive behavior decreased. Thus, immigrant children who had a close relationship with both parents were less likely to have aggressive behavior. These results indicate that there is a benefit when children have close relationships with their parents in reducing problem behaviors.

Comparing the effects of ClassDojo with and without Tootling intervention in a postsecondary special education classroom setting

AbstractClassDojo and Tootling are two intervention techniques rooted in behavioral theory used in classwide behavior management purposes. ClassDojo is a technology‐based behavior tracking system, allowing users to provide or remove points to students based on their classroom behaviors. Tootling provides students with the opportunity to deliver positive feedback to their peers in the form of tootles. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effects of ClassDojo alone and Tootling plus ClassDojo for decreasing the problem behavior in a postsecondary classroom. Participants included seven emerging adult students (19–24 years old) with intellectual disabilities in a Comprehensive Transitional Program at a major university. A single subject A/A + B + C alternating treatment design was implemented to compare the intervention conditions in both baseline and ongoing control conditions. Visual analysis suggested that the ClassDojo‐alone condition produced the greatest reduction in problem behavior for the classroom as a whole and across most individual students. Further, there were strong effects using nonoverlap of all pairs of both ClassDojo and Tootling plus ClassDojo relative to baseline conditions. Limitations of the study, implication for practice, and future research are discussed.

Assessing the generality and durability of interview-informed functional analyses and treatment.

Due to the limited research demonstrating socially valid outcomes of function-based treatments in ecologically relevant environments (Santiago, Hanley, Moore, & Jin, 2016), we replicated and extended the effects of the interview-informed functional analysis and skill-based treatment procedure described by Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014) with two children diagnosed with autism in a home setting. The assessment and treatment was implemented by a home-based service provider and treatment was extended to the participants' parents. Following the interview-informed functional analyses, we taught the participants functional communication responses and to engage in less-preferred activities when functional communication outcomes were delayed. We observed large reductions in problem behavior following the introduction of the function-based treatment. The effects extended to novel settings, stimuli, and caregivers and the results maintained at 6-week follow-ups.

Ego-Integrity Management of Residents in Nursing Homes: A Concept Analysis based on the Method by Walker and Avant

Purpose The aim of this study was to analysis the concept of ego-integrity management in nursing homes residents. Methods Walker and Avant’s process of concept analysis was used in this study. Results The defining attributes of the concept of ego-integrity management within nursing home residents included (a) overall process in life assessment of residents, (b) quality assessment of the relationship of residents with people around them, (c) inducing transcendental recognition in the residents and (d) use of the remaining psycho-social functional ability of the residents. In consideration of these defining criteria, antecedents to the concept of ego-integrity management include (a) longer period of stay in the nursing home, (b) expanding the role of nurses in long-term care laws, (c) emphasizing positive aspects and recognizing the need to increase the quality of life of elders, (d) close relationship between nurses and residents: psycho-social adjustment management. Consequences include a marked improvement in the quality of life of elder residents, decreased depression, reduced problem behavior, gerotranscendence, and a positive relationship to people around them including nurses. Conclusion Nursing management in these homes to maintain residents’ ego-integrity includes evaluation of residents’ ego-integrity through objective observation, as well as planning appropriate interventions as needed. 주요어: ë ¸ì¸ìš”ì–‘ì‹œì„¤, ê±°ì£¼ë ¸ì¸, 자아통합감, 관리 Key Words: Nursing homes, Aged, Ego

The effects of check-in check-out on the academic planning and behavior of African American males

PurposeThe Check-in Check-out (CICO) program is a Tier II behavioral intervention that has received empirical support as an effective way to reduce problem behaviors (Hawken and amp; Horner, 2003; March and amp; Horner, 2002). The purpose of this study is to use an intervention that combined CICO with social skill instruction and academic planning with three African-American ninth-grade males identified with emotional and behavioral disorders. A concurrent baseline across participants design was used to evaluate participants’ performance on academic planning and behavior. Results indicate that the combination of social skill instruction and academic planning with the CICO mentoring program improved participants’ academic planning and behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a concurrent multiple baseline across participants design to determine the effect of the CICO mentoring program. CICO was combined with academic planning and social skills training to determine the effect on the DRC scores and the student’s educational success skills. This study included three phases: baseline, intervention (which included academic planning, social skills training and CICO) and maintenance.FindingsAll of the participants were below 50 per cent during baseline for points earned on the daily report card and the execution of steps for academic planning. During intervention, all of the participants had an increase in level and trend for both skills. Participants were able to maintain the skills two weeks after intervention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has several limitations. First, the study was conducted in an urban setting; therefore, it cannot be generalized to other geographical populations, such as rural or suburban students. Second, the study is not generalizable to self-contained settings, resource rooms or other school environments. Third, the use of DRC data, as opposed to direct observations of behavior, is a strong limitation. Consequently, it is possible that improvements in DRC scores were because of changes in teacher perceptions rather than actual changes in student behavior.Practical implicationsThe study presents several implications for future studies. First, researchers could investigate different service-level settings (e.g. self-contained or resource) and different settings (e.g. suburban or rural). Second, researchers could focus on varied populations that are targeted for inappropriate behavior or academic difficulties such as English Language Learners. Researchers could also examine the effects of tutoring with CICO and investigate if mentoring is generalizable to community settings.Social implicationsSocial validity outcomes from students, parents and classroom teachers who participated this study were positive. Although social validity measures do not add to data for our dependent variables, it is important to consider perceptions from our stakeholders. Students indicated that they found daily mentoring sessions helpful and beneficial. Based on student perceptions and performance and teacher feedback, components of CICO were effective in reducing disruptive behavior of African-American males at the high school level.Originality/valueNot only does the study focus on African-American males in high school, but also contributes to the literature by focusing on the increase of students’ academic planning skills, social skills and the reduction of office discipline referrals. The version of CICO used in the present study included the use of FBAs. Few studies found in the literature even mentioned conducting an FBA before or during the implementation of CICO with successful results (Campbell and amp; Anderson, 2008; March and amp; Horner, 2002). The authors also monitored the positive gains of the student using Daily Report Cards (DRC). For this study, DRC is simply a method of reporting success to the mentor, student, parent and mentee.

Group climate and treatment motivation in secure residential and forensic youth care from the perspective of self determination theory

Treatment motivation in secure residential youth care is assumed to be a necessary condition for effective treatment, and is therefore a key element in the reduction of problem behavior and criminal recidivism. According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT) three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) are essential for treatment motivation, which are characteristics of a positive residential group climate. Based on SDT, we examined whether a therapeutic (open) group climate and low levels of institutional repression were associated with treatment motivation of adolescents residing in (semi-) secure residential youth care facilities. An ethnically diverse sample was studied of 179 respondents (M = 16.2 years; SD = 1.5), in 12 Dutch (semi)secure youth care facilities and 9 forensic youth care institutions. We measured residential group climate with the PGCI and treatment motivation with the ATMQ, and fitted a Cross-Lagged Panel Model (CLPM) of residential group climate and treatment motivation. It was found that a positive group climate in the first month after placement predicted greater treatment motivation three months later.

Assessing Noncognitive Aspects of School Readiness: The Predictive Validity of Brief Teacher Rating Scales of Social–Emotional Competence and Approaches to Learning

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Head Start teachers completed brief rating scales measuring the social–emotional competence and approaches to learning of preschool children (total N = 164; 14% Hispanic American, 30% African American, 56% Caucasian; 56% girls). Head Start lead and assistant teacher ratings on both scales demonstrated strong internal consistency and moderate interrater reliability. When examined longitudinally, preschool teacher–rated approaches to learning made unique contributions to the prediction of kindergarten and 1st-grade academic outcomes, need for supplemental services, and grade retention, even after we accounted for preschool academic skills. In contrast, preschool teacher–rated social–emotional competence made unique contributions to the prediction of reduced behavior problems and peer difficulties in kindergarten and 1st grade. Practice or Policy: The findings demonstrate that preschool teachers are able to provide distinct and reliable ratings of child social–emotional competence and approaches to learning using brief rating scales, with validity for predicting elementary school adjustment.

Use of synthesized analysis and informed treatment to promote school reintegration

Severe problem behavior within a school can result in exclusion from education. A practitioner providing school‐based services must plan an effective treatment, while mitigating safety risks to the child and others. In this study, we sought to replicate the interview‐informed synthesized contingency analysis and treatment procedures developed by Hanley and colleagues in a school setting for a 12‐year‐old boy with autism and severe problem behavior. However, due to a severe burst in behavior, we increased treatment intensity and introduced procedures across increasing academic demand contexts to promote safety. During a treatment extension, procedures were implemented by teacher aides, across the entire school day. Treatment resulted in meaningful reductions in problem behavior, sustained improvements in compliance, and the student was fully integrated into the regular classroom. In addition, improvements in functional communication and tolerance persisted across contexts and the intervention received high social validity scores from those involved.

Functional communication training plus extinction is effective in reducing problem behavior maintained by environmental rearrangement

Q (1) Is the use of a functional communication training plus extinction procedure effec-tive in reducing problem behavior that is maintained by environmental 10 rearrangement? (2) Does this procedu...

Time-Out for Sibling Aggression: An Analysis of Effective Durations in a Natural Setting

Time-out is a ubiquitous strategy to reduce problem behaviors. The current study sought to find the shortest effective duration(s) of time-out for sibling aggression in a community sample of girls ages 3–7. All participants reached a minimum reduction in sibling aggression of 60% after experiencing a 1-minute time-out. The majority (75%) of participants also demonstrated clear reversals of behavior when returned to the baseline condition. The current findings suggest that a 1-minute time-out may be sufficient for low-level sibling aggression in children as old as seven. Limitations include the presence of a graduate assistant during sibling play and unclear generalizability.