Peggy Hester

Parent-Reported Behavioral Problems and Language Delays in Boys and Girls Enrolled in Head Start Classrooms

Early emergent patterns of behavioral problems, social skill deficits, and language delays were examined in 259 three-year-old children enrolled in Head Start classrooms. The Child Behavior Checklist for Children Ages 2 to 3 (CBCL/2–3) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS, Pre-School Version) were completed by the childrens primary caregivers. Language skills were assessed using the Preschool Language Scale (PLS)-3 and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)-III. Findings indicated that this population is at elevated risk for behavioral and language problems. Approximately 25% of both boys and girls showed clinical/subclinical levels of internalizing problem behavior on the CBCL. More than 20% of boys scored in the clinical range for externalizing problems. Children with behavioral problems were more likely to have low language scores than were their peers without behavioral problems. Nearly half of the children scored in the category “lower than average” for social skills on the SSRS. Children with low social skills were more likely to have low language scores than were their peers with average social skills. The need to screen for early emergent behavioral problems, the potential contribution of poor language skills to childrens problem behavior, and implications for early intervention are discussed.

Prevention of Conduct Disorder through Early Intervention: A Social-Communicative Perspective.

A conceptual model describing the environmental factors and parent and child characteristics that contribute to the development of conduct disorder in early childhood is proposed, based on descriptive and experimental research. Environmental stressors associated with poverty, parent characteristics including poor parenting strategies, and child characteristics including deficits in communication skills are posited to be factors that affect parent-child interactions in ways that contribute to the development of conduct disorder. Several points of intervention are identified as the basis for a multicomponent approach to prevention. Implications of the proposed model for research and practice are discussed.

Parents as Cointerventionists: Research on Applications of Naturalistic Language Teaching Procedures

Cointervention is a process in which parents collaborate with professionals to implement an intervention with young children. This article describes the use of naturalistic language teaching procedures by parents as an example of cointervention. Research with parents of young children who have disabilities has shown that teaching parents strategies for supporting language and communication results in changes in child language skills, in parent interaction strategies, and in the quality of the parent-child relationship. Factors to be considered in choosing cointervention as an early intervention model are discussed.

The Generalized Effects of Training Trainers to Teach Parents to Implement Milieu Teaching

This study examined the effects of training 3 individuals to teach parents of preschool children with disabilities to implement milieu language teaching. In a multiple baseline design across trainers and families, 4 key strategies for effective parent training were taught. The systematic apprenticeship-type training increased the frequency and correctness with which the trainers used the parent-training strategies. Trainer generalization was evaluated with 3 additional families in a second multiple baseline. All trainers generalized the parent-training skills to a 2nd family. When parent-training was implemented effectively by the trainers, all 6 parents acquired the targeted milieu language teaching skills and generalized their use to home. All 6 children increased their use of target language skills in training sessions and showed modest changes in communication at home.

Forty Years Later —The Value of Praise, Ignoring, and Rules for Preschoolers at Risk for Behavior Disorders

The pivotal role of teachers in establishing positive, supportive, inclusive learning environments based on the implementation of empirically-supported teaching strategies (IDEA, 1997, 2004: NCLB, 2002) is uncontestable. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon to find classrooms characterized by teacher reprimands for inappropriate behavior, coercive interchanges between teachers and children, and limited use of positive teacher feedback. This suggests a need for teachers to implement scientifically supported strategies for promoting positive social and academic growth of young children at risk for behavioral disorders. In the context of a multi-tiered approach to positive behavior supports, we decided to revisit three classroom-level interventions strategies for which there is longitudinal evidence regarding their efficacy—namely, praise, planned ignoring, and classroom rules. Each is discussed, along with guidelines for use by classroom teachers with the goal to improve teacher-child relationships, build positive learning communities, and manage difficult behaviors.

Early Intervention for the Prevention of Conduct Disorder: Research Issues in Early Identification, Implementation, and Interpretation of Treatment Outcome

Conduct disorder typically develops in a context of multiple determinants. Parent and child characteristics, the dynamics of the interaction between the parent and child, and how that interaction is impacted by economic, cultural, and social circumstances of the family are determinants in the development of a conduct disorder. Critical factors for successful preventive intervention for conduct disorder include early identification of children at risk, intervention in multiple contexts, teaching developmentally appropriate skills, and longitudinal intervention with continued maintenance and transition support. This article discusses the issues and challenges inherent in prevention research, including challenges in recruiting and working with parents who are stressed by the effects of poverty, designing appropriate interventions for young children, and using outcome measures that reflect developmental continuities, subject attrition, and fidelity of treatment.

Lessons Learned From Research on Early Intervention: What Teachers Can Do to Prevent Children's Behavior Problems

There is mounting evidence that the majority of severe and chronic problem behaviors demonstrated by school-aged children and adolescents stem from behavior patterns that are established during early childhood. Without early identification and proactive prevention/intervention among young children at risk, problem behavior is likely to continue to develop and lead to long-term, chronic, and disabling conditions. Today, early detection and intervention seems to be the most powerful course of action for ameliorating life-long problems associated with children at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD). Notwithstanding mounting support for early intervention, it is not easy to identify the components of a quality program of early intervention. The purpose of the following discussion is threefold: (a) to discuss some of the major factors associated with childrens behavior problems, (b) to summarize the current research on early intervention for the prevention of behavior problems for children at risk, and (c) to offer strategies that teachers can use to identify and treat children at risk of developing behavior problems.

Cognitive, Affective, and Relational Dimensions of Middle School Students: Implications for Improving Discipline and Instruction.

ur system of public education was founded on the proposition that children should have the opportunity to acquire an education, and this is a responsibility it has performed well (Van Acker 2004). But recently, that role has changed dramatically; no longer is it enough simply to offer students educational opportunity. Today, the expectation is that all students will benefit from that schooling and achieve academic success (Van Acker 2004). Among the most omnipresent signs of that shift in responsibility is the rise in standards-driven, high-stakes testing. Federal legislation, most notably the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), put tremendous pressure on school personnel to raise student achievement. At the elementary, middle, and secondary level, administrators and teachers now are accountable for obtaining high levels of achievement gain on standards-based assessments. In light of current educational reform, it is understandable that few school personnel are very tolerant when it comes to classroom behavior problems. Many classroom teachers have adopted a “refer-and-remove” philosophy when it comes to students who do not comply with the code of conduct. Student referrals for special education are especially prevalent in middle schools. However, that practice is at odds with other federal legislation, namely, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997). The act stipulates that, under certain conditions, school personnel must address the reciprocal relationship between student learning and behavior problems (Gable et al. 2000). If teachers are to adequately address behavior that impedes the teaching/learning process, they must have the skills and supports to respond to a rapidly changing school age population. There are a number of factors that can undermine a teacher’s ability to respond successfully to behavior problems in schools. They include: (a) difficulty relating to an increasingly more diverse group of students,; (b) lack of skills to adequately assess student behavior and to identify major factors associated with problem behavior; and (c) the inability to develop pupil-specific academic interventions that provide students success and, at the same time, promote positive social interactions (see Gable et al. 2000; Wilson et al. 1998). In the following discussion, we examine critically these three overlapping areas, underscore the importance of explicit instruction, and highlight the significance of both informal conversations and structured interviews with students. We explain how student interviews can be especially useful when addressing common behavior problems of middle school students.

What Teachers Can Do to Prevent Behavior Problems in Schools

Abstract This article surveys several teacher interventions supported in the research literature to prevent the development of behavior problems in school-aged children. Strategies include specific teaching of social communication skills, clear communication of behavior expectations, creating a supportive school climate, and continual reinforcement of appropriate behavior.

Using Dyad-Specific Social Stories to Increase Communicative and Social Skills of Preschoolers with Hearing Loss in Self-Contained and Inclusive Settings.

Children with profound hearing loss often do not have the same prelinguistic opportunities for social and communication interaction as peers with typical hearing and benefit from structured opportunities to learn these skills. This study examined the effect of two interventions to improve the communicative and social skills of four preschoolers with hearing loss in two learning environments: a preschool for children who are deaf (oral approach) and an inclusive regular preschool. A social story with a verbal prompt was provided before play (Intervention 1), and a social story with a teacher prompt and verbal prompting and reinforcement during play were provided (Intervention 2). A single-subject design revealed that in the inclusive settings, three of the four participants increased verbal comments and play turns in Interventions 1 and 2, although some changes were slight. In the oral preschool classroom, two showed improvements in target behaviours with both interventions. Generalisation of skills occurred in two participants. Additionally, all participants generalised some vocabulary from their social story to play. Implications for teaching young children with hearing loss who are oral in inclusive classrooms are discussed.