Research Partners
Columbia University and Harvard University | University of New Mexico | University of North Carolina | University of Oregon | Vanderbilt University
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Columbia University and Harvard University
Project Title:
The Emotional Health of Low-Income Children Over Time: Influences of Neighborhood,
Family, Head Start, and Early School Experiences
Grantee:
Center for Children and Families -- Columbia University
Project Funding Years:
1997-2002
Project Staff:
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Lisa McCabe, Sandra Lara, Felton Earls, Mary Carlson
Contact Information:
Research and Content
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
Center for Children and Families
Teachers College, Box 39
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 678-3369, Fax: (212) 678-3676
Email: jb224@columbia.edu
Lisa A. McCabe
Center for Children and Families
Teachers College, Box 39
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 678-3686, Fax: (212) 678-3676
Email: lm428@columbia.edu
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Project Abstract:
The Emotional Health study focuses on the emotional health of low-income
children and their parents. We are particularly interested in children who
are enrolled in Head Start, vis-à-vis emotional self-regulation,
mental health attitudes and services within Head Start, and coordination
of services, especially child care.
We are collecting new data as well as interfacing with the ongoing Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). The PHDCN consists of a longitudinal study and a community survey. Community survey data were first collected in the mid 1990's with 9000 respondents. Community survey data include regular, multi-faceted assessments of 343 Chicago neighborhoods (approximately 700 census tracts) via neighborhood expert interviews, census data, and systematic observation. A second community survey is being conducted to coincide with the 2000 U.S. census (data collection to continue through 2001). The longitudinal study focuses on children and youth in 80 neighborhood clusters (about 160 census tracts) throughout the city. The longitudinal study employs an accelerated, longitudinal design with seven cohorts: 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. Each cohort has approximately 1000 children, who are followed regularly. In-depth information on child and family development (in addition to neighborhood data) are being gathered. The PHDCN is currently in its third wave of data collection (expected to continue through December 2001).
Currently, our research focuses on the following four main areas of interest:
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What are the perspectives of Head Start parents and Head Start staff on young children's emotional health? Specifically, what are considered appropriate and inappropriate/problematic behaviors? How do Head Start parents and Head Start staff encourage appropriate behaviors and manage problematic behaviors? What are the perspectives of Head Start parents and Head Start staff on the use of mental health services?
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Is it possible to measure the following key aspects of preschool children's emotional health in children from low-income families in home and/or in center-based observational assessments: child motor control, cognitive control, impulse control, delay of gratification, sustained attention, and executive attention; and, if so, what are the psychometric properties of these assessments (reliability, validity, internal consistency, etc.)?
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How does self-regulation in preschool children relate to home environment, neighborhood environment, and other child outcomes such as cognitive development?
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What is the quality of child care in Chicago neighborhoods? Further, how does quality of child care in Chicago neighborhoods relate to other key aspects of the neighborhood such as collective efficacy?
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Sample:
Focus Groups: N=46
Self Regulation Assessment Development: N=116
Self regulation data in PHDCN: N=1200 children from the Age 00 cohort
Measures:
Motor Control
Turtle and Rabbit
Walk-a-Line
Circles
Cognitive Control
Animal Sounds
Bunny Hop
Colors
Head and Feet
Parrot and Dragon
Impulse Control Delay of Gratification
Gift Wrap
Forbidden Toy
Snack Delay
Sustained Attention
Drawing Game
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Selected Findings and Publications:
Results from our focus groups with Head Start staff from 5 different programs
indicate that strategies for addressing children's mental health issues
vary within the context of 2 different management models (Lara, McCabe,
Brooks-Gunn, 2000). In "Horizontally"-Managed Centers (where collaborations
among teachers, directors, and parents are typical) the facilitation of
child social and emotional self-regulation development is a key strategy
for addressing children's mental health problems. In "Vertically"-Managed
Centers (where behavior problems are resolved in a more hierarchical fashion)
authoritarian techniques (e.g. "time out") are commonly used.
As part of the Games As Measurement for Early Self-Control (GAMES; McCabe, Hernandez, Lara, & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; McCabe, Hernandez, Rebello-Britto, Brooks-Gunn, 2001) project, we have developed three batteries that tap emotional self-regulation and are appropriate for use in homes and classrooms. The batteries specifically measure children's motor-, cognitive-, and impulse-control, as well as sustained attention. In the individual-video battery, children are assessed one-on-one with an adult tester. Child behaviors are coded based on repeated viewings of the videotape. In the group-video battery, children are assessed in small groups (4 familiar peers). Again child behaviors are coded from videotape. Finally, in the live battery, children are simultaneously assessed and their behavior scored by one administrator. Currently, 1200 4-year-olds (followed since birth) are being assessed with "Live" emotional self-regulation tasks as part of the PHDCN project. Plans for using the individual and group batteries are currently under development.
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Publications:
Berlin, L.J., O'Neal, C.R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (in press). Early childhood
intervention initiatives. In A. S. Fuligni & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.),
The SPEED report: Synthesis and profiles of current research initiatives
on early childhood education and development. Washington, DC: U. S. Department
of Education.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Berlin, L. J., Leventhal, T., & Fuligni, A. (2000). Depending on the Kindness of Strangers: Current National Data Initiatives and Developmental Research. [Special Issue on "New Directions for Child Development in the Twenty-First Century"]. Child Development, 71 (1), 257-267.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Leventhal, T., & Duncan, G. (2000). Why poverty matters for young children: Implications for policy. In J. Osofsky & H.E. Fitzgerald (Eds.), WAIMH Handbook of Infant Mental Health. (Volume 3). (pp. 89-131). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Duncan, G., & Brooks-Gunn. (2000). Family Poverty, Welfare Reform and Child Development. [Special Issue on "New Directions for Child Development in the Twenty-First Century"]. Child Development, 71 (1), 188-196.
Fuligni, A., McCabe, L., McLanahan, S., & Roth, J. (in press). Four new national longitudinal surveys on children. In A. S. Fuligni & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Profile and synthesis of initiatives addressing children's early education and development.
Kohen, D. E., Hertzman, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999). Neighbourhood affluence and school readiness. Education Quarterly Review, 6 (1), 44-52.
Kupersmidt, J. & McCabe, L. (in press). Mental health research studies of young children. In A. S. Fuligni & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Profile and synthesis of initiatives addressing children's early education and development.
Lara, S., McCabe, L. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). From horizontal to vertical management styles: A qualitative look at Head Start staff strategies for addressing behavior problems. Early Education and Development, 11(3), 283-306.
Leventhal, T. L. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (in press). Indicators of children's well-being in a community context. In R.P. Weissberg, C.B. Kuster, O. Reyes, & H.J. Wallberg (Eds.), Trends in the well-being of children and youth. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Leventhal, T., Brooks-Gunn, J., McCormick, M. C., & McCarton, C. M. (2000). Patterns of service use in preschool children: Correlates, consequences, and the role of early intervention. Child Development, 71, (3), (pp. 802-819).
McCabe, L. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (in press). Pre- and Perinatal Health Initiatives. In A. S. Fuligni & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Profile and synthesis of initiatives addressing children's early education and development.
McCabe, L. A., Hernandez, M., Rebello-Britto, & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2001). Games children play: Observing young children's self regulation in laboratories, homes, and classrooms. In (Eds.) DelCarmen-Wiggins, R & Carter, A. Handbook of Infant and Toddler Mental Health Assessment. Manuscript in preparation.
McCabe, L. A., Hernandez, M., Lara, S. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). Assessing Preschoolers' Self-Regulation in Homes and Classrooms: Lessons From the Field. Behavioral Disorders, 26 (1), 53-69.
McCabe, L. A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2001). "How Was My Child Today?": Head Start Parent-Teacher Communications About Children's Emotional Health. Manuscript in preparation.
Moore, K., Evans, J., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Roth, J. (in press). What are good child outcomes. In A. Thornton (Ed.), The Well-Being of Children and Families: Research and Data Needs. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Zhao, H., Brooks-Gunn, J., McLanahan, S., & Singer, B. (1999). Studying the real child rather than the ideal child: Bringing the person into developmental studies. In L.R.Bergman & R.B. Cairns (Eds.), Developmental Science and the Holistic Approach. (pp. 393-419). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
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Presentations:
Berlin, L. J. (1999, April). Relationships as engines of change: The role
of the home visitor-mother relationship in the Infant Health and Development
Program. In Engines of change: Understanding how early intervention programs
work (L. J. Berlin & E. E. Kisker, Chairs). Symposium presented at the
biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Albuquerque.
Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999, June). Case examples of specific research problems: Advantages and disadvantages of person- and variable-based strategies in addressing specific problems. Presented at the Person-Based Approaches to Understanding Behavior, Mental Health, and Outcomes, NIMH conference, Bethesda, MD.
Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999, June). Invited address. Workshop on the science of developmental promotion and early childhood intervention. Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development conference, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.
Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000, September). Children's social and emotional competence critical to a good start in the early years of school. Presented at Child Mental Health, Foundations and Agencies Press Conference. New York, NY.
Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999, April). Struggling at the intersection of research and policy: How findings on poverty and welfare are interpreted and misinterpreted. In (D. Wertlieb, Chair), University-community partnerships for policy-relevant research: Stoking the engine of applied developmental science. Symposium presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Albuquerque.
Brooks-Gunn, J., McCabe, L., Berlin, L., Earls, F., Carlson, M., Fuligni, A., Lara, S. (1999, December). The emotional health of low-income children over time: Influences of neighborhood, family, Head Start, and early school experiences. In M. Lopez (Chair), Findings from the Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium. Symposium conducted at the 15th Annual Division for Early Childhood International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs, Washington, DC.
Lara, S. L., McCabe, L. A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1999, June). Waiting, hitting and listening: Head Start parent and staff perspectives on preschoolers' emotional self-regulation behaviors. Paper presented at the Eleventh Annual Conference on Ethnographic and Qualitative Research in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY.
Lara, S. L., McCabe, L. A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000, June). What I see, what I do, and how I do it: Head Start perspectives on young children's mental health. Poster presented at Head Start's Fifth National Research Conference, Washington, DC.
McCabe, L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000, June). The emotional health of low-income children: Assessing self-regulation in homes and classrooms. In M. Lopez (Chair), Recent Findings from the Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium. Symposium conducted at Head Start's Fifth National Research Conference, Washington, DC.
McCabe, L., Brooks-Gunn, J., Berlin, L., Earls, F., Carlson, M., Fuligni, A., Lara, S. (2000, April). The emotional health of low income children over time: Influences of neighborhood, family, Head Start, and early school experiences. In L. Tarullo (Chair), Recent Findings from the Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium. Symposium conducted at the National Head Start Association 27th Annual Training Conference, Washington, DC.
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University of New Mexico
Project Title:
Systematic Early Detection and Self Determination Approach for Mental Health
Intervention in Head Start
Grantee:
Special Education/At-Risk Program, College of Education, University of New
Mexico
Project Funding Years:
1997-2002
Project Staff:
Loretta A. Serna, Elizabeth Nielson, Steven R. Forness
Project Abstract:
This project is a partnership between the University of New Mexico and the
Albuquerque Youth Development, Inc., for the purposes of improving mental
health of Head Start children and their families. The project emphasizes
use of two critical approaches. The first is the Early Screening Project
(ESP), a multiple-gating procedure for early detection and screening that
is not only extremely user-friendly for Head Start staff but also provides
multiple sources of teacher, parent, and observational data on potentially
high-risk children. The second is a 10-week Self-Determination Curriculum,
a primary prevention approach to develop protective factors in both children
and caregivers that not only enhances the Head Start curriculum but also
serves a universal strategy from which nonresponders can be targeted for
the next levels of intervention in the primary grades.
The research design not only takes advantage of the pre/post-testing capabilities of the ESP but also follows Head Start subjects into kindergarten and first grade. A "rolling wait list" design enables control classrooms in each previous year of the project to serve as experimental classrooms in the following years, for added practical benefit. In addition to quantitative analyses, qualitative data from classroom ethnography and focus groups will be used to enhance the interventions at the end of each Head Start experience for use in the next year. A specific transition approach will also be studied for its impact on nonresponders who remain at risk for the self determination intervention. We will also examine the difference in potential impact, if any, between the intervention package as delivered by university staff as compared with that delivered independently by Head Start staff after training.
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University of North Carolina
Project Title:
UNC-Head Start Partnership on Mental Health Interventions
Grantee:
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Project Funding Years:
1997-2002
Project Abstract:
Head Start and other early childhood teachers report an increasing number
of children with severe disruptive behavior in their classrooms. Some prevention
and intervention studies with elementary-aged children show promising effects,
but at the preschool age, very little information exists to guide parents
or teachers about the choice of prevention or intervention approaches to
use with disruptive children.
This project will test both the efficacy and the effectiveness of a theory- and research-based, multi-modal intervention with components drawn from the best recent research. The intervention will provide a universal prevention curriculum to all children within a classroom and an indicated intervention program to children with severe disruptive behaviors. For 2 years, project-supported therapist-consultants (T-Cs) will work directly with teachers and coordinators to learn and implement the intervention. During this time the efficacy of the intervention will also be evaluated. As T-Cs move on to new classes, the effectiveness phase of research will study whether and how Head Start teachers and coordinators can maintain any positive effects achieved during the first 2 years.
This interest in providing a universal intervention to all children is consistent with the Head Start goal of providing experiences and activities that foster the development of social competence among all Head Start participants and the indicated intervention is in response to the clear need for more intensive approaches to help parents and teachers of disruptive children.
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Sample:
Two cohorts of children, families and teachers have participated in the
study. In 1998-99, 13 Head Start classrooms at 3 centers participated in
the intervention and 12 Head Start classrooms at 3 centers were in a wait-list
control group. In 1999-2000, 9 intervention classes and 3 control classes
from 3 centers (including 2 new centers) participated in the study. The
teachers of all of these 37 classes participated in the research and 193
families from these classes agreed to be part of the study.
Publications:
Bryant, D., Vizzard, L., Willoughby, M., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (1999).
A review of interventions for preschoolers with aggressive and disruptive
behavior. Early Education and Development, 10, 47-68.
Kupersmidt, J. B., Bryant, D., & Willoughby, M. (In press). Prevalence
of aggressive behaviors among preschoolers in Head Start and community child
care programs. Behavioral Disorders.
Willoughby, M., Kupersmidt, J., & Bryant, D. (In press). Overt and covert
dimensions of antisocial behavior in early childhood. Journal of Abnormal
Child Psychology.
Kupersmidt, J. B., Willoughby, M., & Bryant, D. (Submitted). The intent
of aggression in early childhood: Proactive, immediate reactive and delayed
subtypes.
Presentations:
Kupersmidt, J. B., Willoughby, M., & Bryant, D. (July, 1998). Distinguishing
between proactive and reactive aggression among preschool children. Paper
presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development,
Berne, Switzerland.
Kupersmidt, J. B. (February, 1999). Data from teachers: New teacher report measures of aggressive behavior in preschool children: Overt/covert aggressive behavior and reactive/proactive subtypes of aggressive children. Invited paper presented at the NIMH conference on the Assessment of Risk Factors and Psychopathology in Young Children, Clearwater, FLA.
Leary, M. S. B., Willoughby, M. T., Kupersmidt, J. B. & Bryant, D. (April, 1999). Differentiating subtypes of antisocial behavior among preschool children. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Albuquerque, NM.
Kupersmidt J. B. (May, 1999). Interventions to prevent and reduce antisocial behavior and promote prosocial behavior in early childhood. Invited presentation at the National Academy of Sciences workshop on early precursors of antisocial behavior. Washington, DC.
Leary, M. S. B., & Bryant, D. (August 1999). The relationship between disciplinary strategies and aggression in preschoolers. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Boston, MA.
Bryant, D., Williamson, B., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (November, 1999). Preventing and treating aggression and noncompliance in young children: Strategies and results from the Preschool Behavior Project. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, New Orleans, LA.
Bryant, D. & Kupersmidt, J. (December, 1999). Findings from the Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Division for Early Childhood. Washington, DC.
Forness, S. R., Hoagwood, K., Serna, L., Nielsen, E., Bryant, D., & Feil, E. (March, 2000). Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium: Preliminary data on prevention. Symposium presented at the 13th Annual Research Conference on Systems of Care for Children's Mental Health. Tampa, FL.
Bryant, D. & Kupersmidt, J. (June, 2000). A Classroom and Home-Based Intervention for Preschool Aggression: Initial Results. Presentation at Head Start's Fifth National Research Conference. Washington, DC.
Bryant, D., Kupersmidt, J., & Willoughby, M. (August, 2000). Measuring Aggressive Behaviors in Head Start and Community Preschool Classrooms. Presentation at the American Psychological Association annual meeting. Washington, DC.
Bryant, D. (October, 2000). Based on the Evidence: What We Know about Supporting Preschoolers' Mental Health. Keynote presentation at the NYU School of Education conference: Preschoolers and Their Mental Health. New York, NY.
Bryant, D., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (December, 2000). Supporting mental health and preventing behavior problems in Head Start Children. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Division for Early Childhood. Albuquerque, NM.
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University of Oregon
Project Title:
Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Early Screening Project
Grantee:
University of Oregon
Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior, College of Education
Project Funding Years:
1997-2002
Project Staff:
Hill Walker, Edward G. Feil, Herbert Severson, Ruth Kaminski, George Sugai
Contact Information:
Research and Content
Ed Feil
Oregon Research Institute
1715 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97403-1983
Phone: (541) 484-2123
Email: edf@ori.org
Hill Walker
Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior
College of Education
1265 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1265
Phone: (541) 346-3591
Email: hwalker@oregon.uoregon.edu
Materials
Sopris West Publications
4093 Specialty Place
Longmont, CO 80504
Phone: (800) 547-6747, Fax: (888) 819-7767
Email: customerservice@sopriswest.com
Web: http://www.sopriswest.com
Project Abstract:
As our society confronts ever increasing social problems, such as violence,
substance abuse, educational failure, and domestic disintegration, children's
behavior problems grow in proportion. The social costs of anti-social behavior
are well documented. The early identification and mediation of emotional/behavior
disorders is a high priority for early-childhood educators and is based
on the assumption that problems such as school failure can be averted with
early screening, prevention and intervention. Presently, (a) tools for screening
behavior problems in preschool children are few and (b) many have not been
studied within a cross-cultural framework. There is a growing need for cross-cultural
research on screening instruments appropriate for use with young children
from culturally diverse backgrounds who are at risk for emotional/behavioral
problems.
This research assesses the cross-cultural psychometric characteristics and validity of a multiple gating screening procedure designed to identify at-risk preschool children, ages three through five. This screening-identification procedure relies on teacher judgments, in vivo behavioral observations, and normative criteria to identify preschool children exhibiting serious behavior problems. The authors have developed a unique screening system entitled the Early Screening Project that uses a multiple gating approach to screen and identify at-risk children. This five-year research project screens approximately 2,000 children in Head Start centers in rural, suburban, and urban sites in Oregon and follow them up through first grade in a three cohort longitudinal design. Focus groups and expert consultation will assure that recruitment and assessment procedures are appropriate for all families, which will include African-, European-, Hispanic-, and native-Americans.
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Publications:
Feil, E. G., Walker, H. M., Severson, H. H., & Ball, A. (In press).
Proactive Screening for Emotional/Behavioral Concerns in Head Start Preschools:
Promising Practices and Challenges in Applied Research. Behavior Disorders.
Related Publications:
Feil, E. G., & Becker, W. C. (1993). Investigation of a multiple-gated
screening system for preschool behavior problems. Behavioral Disorders,
19(1), 44-55.
Feil, E. G., Walker, H. M., & Severson, H. H. (1995). Young children with behavior problems: Research and development of the early screening project. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3(4), 194-202.
Feil, E. G., Severson, H. H., & Walker, H. M. (1998). Screening for Emotional and Behavioral Delays: Early Screening Project. Journal of Early Intervention, 21(3), 252-266.
Presentations:
Walker, Feil, & Severson, Screening for Emotional and Behavior Problems
Among Head-Start Children: Preliminary Results from Cross-Cultural Research,
American Psychological Association, Washington D.C., August, 2000.
Feil, Walker, & Severson, First Year Results from the Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Early Screening Project, Head Start Research Conference, Washington D.C., June, 2000.
Forness, Hoagwood, Serna, Neilsen, Bryant, Feil, Kaiser & Brooks-Gunn, Head Start Mental Health reserach Consortium: Preliminary data on prevention, 13th Annual Research Conference on Systems of Care for Children’s Mental Health, Tampa, FL, March 2000.
Feil, Walker, & Severson, Preliminary Results from the Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Early Screening Project, Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Washington D.C., December, 1999.
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Vanderbilt University
Project Title:
Early Identification of Conduct Disorder in Head Start Children
Grantee:
Vanderbilt University
Project Funding Years:
1997-2002
Project Staff:
Ann P. Kaiser, Michael Foster, Terry B. Hancock
Contact Information:
Research and Content
Ann P. Kaiser
Vanderbilt University
Box 328 GPC, Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 322-8160, Fax: (615) 343-1570
Email: ann.kaiser@vanderbilt.edu
Terry B. Hancock
Vanderbilt University
Box 328 GPC, Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 322-8160, Fax: (615) 343-1570
Email: terry.hancock@vanderbilt.edu
Material
Beverly Hand, Project Assistant
Box 328 GPC, Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 322-8160
Email: beverly.hand@vanderbilt.edu
Project Abstract:
The proposed research project focuses on early identification and intervention
with children at risk for the development of conduct disorders. We focus
on conduct disorder as a mental health problem among children enrolled in
Head Start because: (1) conduct disorder seriously affects lifelong social
emotional and academic outcomes for children, (2) children in poverty are
at increased risk for the development of conduct disorder, and (3) early
identification and intervention can prevent the development of more serious
conduct disorders in children. The goals of the project are (1) to describe
the incidence of significant behavior problems related to conduct disorders
among 3 year old children enrolled in Head Start, and (2) to examine the
effectiveness of an intervention on the behavior of children identified
with emergent behavior problems or at highest risk for these problems.
Two studies are proposed. In the first study, 750 three-year-olds will be screened for early indicators of behavior problems and communication deficits that signal increased risk for conduct disorder. Reports of child behavior from parents and teachers, direct assessment of children, and assessments of family support and stress will be incorporated into a systematic screening protocol designed to identify children at risk. Data from the first study will provide information regarding the incidence of behavior problems, allow determination of the most reliable indicators of increased risk status, and be used to explore the specific relationship between early communication development and increased risk for behavior problems. The second study examines the immediate and longer term effects of a preventive intervention to improve children's social behavior and communication skills. A three-component intervention consisting of (1) parent training, (2) classroom intervention, and (3) maintenance training and transition support will be implemented with 45 children identified as high risk for the development of conduct disorders and related behavior problems; 45 additional high-risk children will serve as an untreated comparison group. The outcomes of the prevention effort will be examined in 4 points - immediately after the intervention is completed, 6 months later, 1 year later, 2 years later. The last assessment will focus on academic, social and mental health outcomes at the end of the children's kindergarten year.
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Sample:
Study 1--n=750 3-year-olds
Study 2--n=90 (high-risk children)
Measures:
Child
Chronological Age
PLS -3 Auditory Comprehension
PLS -3 Expressive Communication
PLS -3 Total Language
Expressive Vocabulary Test
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test -III
Parent
Parent CBCL Total Behavior
Parent CBCL Internalizing
Parent CBCL Externalizing
Parent SSRS Social Skills
Parenting Stress Index Total
Parenting Stress Index Child Domain
Parenting Stress Index Parent Domain
Teacher
Teacher CTRF Total Behavior
Teacher CTRF Internalizing
Teacher CTRF Externalizing
Selected Findings:
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We have obtained data on the CBCL parent and teacher (CTRF) form. We have preliminary examinations for syndrome level data, explored differences in gender, examined the rates of overlap with parent and teacher report, compared parent and teacher reports (using correlation, and co-identification criteria). We have also examined the overlap between language and behavior problems in boys and girls for both the parent and teacher forms of the CBCLexamined the rates of clinical/subclinical internalizing and externalizing problems, made.
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We have obtained data on the SSRS parent and teacher forms. We have examined the rates of "lower than average social skills" for both informants, compared parent and teacher reports, examined gender differences for data generated by parents and teachers. We have examined the overlap between SSRS social skills and language measures, for boys and girls, and for reports of parents and teachers.
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We have looked at the problem scale reports by parent and teachers, for boys and girls and examined the SSRS in relation to the CBCL in terms of rates of identification and correlation between the two scales
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We have examined the use of the PLS with HDST children, reported scores, range, item performance for three age cohorts, and to limited extent, examined the validity of the test for use with this population.
As reported by parents, approximately 25% of boys and girls showed clinical/subclinical levels of internalizing problem behavior on the CBCL. More than 20% of the boys scored in the clinical range for externalizing problems. Children with behavior problems were more likely to have low language scores than were their peers without behavior problems.
As reported by parents, nearly half of boys (48.3%) and girls (45.1%) were rated as having in "fewer than average" social skills on the SSRS. The mean score for boys (39.8) was significantly lower than for girls (43.9), however boys and girls did not differ significantly in the percentages rated as having fewer than average social skills. Children with low social skills were more likely to have low language scores than were their peers with average social skills.
The reported levels of total problem behavior, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems were much lower than those reported on the CBCL/2-3. Between 2.5% and 7.1% of the children scored in the clinical range (i.e., scored in the "more than average" category) for any of the measures. Parent reports of child behavior on the CBCL/2-3 and SSRS were correlated (externalizing, r = .65, p<.000; internalizing, r = .54, p<.000; total problem behavior, r=.62, p<000.
Among the boys, 13.9% had high CBCL/2-3 scores and low social skills; among girls, 9.0% had both. The relationship between internalizing problems and low social skills was stronger than the relationship between externalizing problems and low social skills. The relationship between social skills and internalizing problems was significant for boys and girls (p = .01 and p = .03, respectively). The relationship between externalizing problems and social skills was significant for either. Seventy percent of boys with high levels of internalizing behavior had low levels of social skills compared to 41% of boys without high levels of internalizing behavior. Similarly, girls with internalizing problems were more likely to have low levels of social skills than were girls without internalizing problems (64% vs. 40%).
On the average, HDST children score 1 SD lower than the normed mean, with considerable variability in their scores and a near normal distribution around the mean. More than one-third (35.2%) of boys and one-fourth of girls (26.8%) scored below 80 on the auditory and expressive subscales. Boys scored lower on both the auditory (Mn= 84.7, SD= 11.4) and expressive subscales (Mn=85.4, SD= 11.1) of the PLS-3 than did girls (Auditory Mn=88.8, SD=14.4; Expressive Mn= 89.6, SD=13.3). Boys' and girls' mean scores for the total PLS-3 and for the auditory and expressive subscales were significantly different.
The PLS does discriminate item level performance related to age and within the limits of the analyses we performed, we could not detect specific item bias (note we were unable to obtain the norm data at the item level). We could detect no differences in performance between African-American and Euro-American children, however our sample of EA children is small. Boys performed significantly less well than girls on the total PLS and the expressive scale, but not the auditory scale. Within the sample of HDST children, PLS was not related to most demographic factors. For girls only, there was relationship between mother education and PLS performance. PLS performance is moderately correlated with the PPVT-III and EVT; a moderate correlation is expected given differences in test content.
Recommendations regarding use of the PLS.
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- Expect that performance will be below the normed mean
- Expect lower performance for boys than girls.
- Be conservative in labeling children as language disordered using this
measure.
- Children scoring 1.0 - 1.5 SD below the norm are not necessarily delayed in development
- For children who score 1.5 - 2.0 SD below the normed mean, additional testing and observation is recommended to confirm their language status. Some children in this range will evidence significant delays but the PLS alone should not be used to determine this.
- It is likely that children scoring 2.0 SD or more below the mean have a significant language delay. These children will also require further testing and observation to specifically identify the extent of the delay.
- We have also completed an analysis of the PPVT-III. The mean standard score for children in Head Start was 81 with a standard deviation of 12. The mean for our Head Start sample was more than one standard deviation below the standardized sample (Mean=100, SD=15). There was a wide range of scores for this sample (range 40-121). The observed distribution of the data showed the normal curve. We looked at results of PPVT-III testing by age cohorts. The mean of the youngest age cohort (36-41 months) was 77 with a standard deviation of 12. The mean of the next age cohort (41-47 months) was 82 with a standard deviation of 12. The mean of the oldest age cohort (48-53 months) was 86 with a standard deviation of 11. A two-way ANOVA (Age x Gender) indicated no significant difference for gender but there was a main effect for age. Children's performance on the PPVT-III was positively correlated with the EVT and PLS-3.
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Publications:
Kaiser, A. P., & Hancock, T. B. (accepted). Teaching parents new skills
to support their young children's development. Infants and Young Children.
Kaiser, A. P., & Delaney, E. M. (accepted). Responsive conversations: Creating opportunities for naturalistic language teaching. Young Exceptional Children.
Hancock, T.B., Kaiser, A.P., & Delaney, E.M. (submitted). Teaching parents of high-risk preschoolers strategies to support language and positive behavior. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.
Kaiser, A.P., Xinsheng, C., Hancock, T.B., Foster, E.M. (submitted) Teacher-reported behavior problems and language delays in boys and girls enrolled in Head Start. Behavioral Disorders.
Qi, C.H., Kaiser, A.P., Milan, S.E., McLean, Z.Y., & Feurer, I. (submitted). The performance of low income, African American Children on the Preschool Language Scale-3. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.
Delaney, E.M., & Kaiser, A.P. (submitted). Teaching mothers to be more responsive to child language and behavior. Education and Treatment of Children.
Forness, S. R., Hoagwood, K., Lopez, M. L., Serna, L., Bryant, D., Feil, E., Kaiser, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2001). Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium: Preliminary data on prevention. Thirtieth Annual Conference Proceedings - A system of care for children's mental health: Expanding the research base, 191-194.
Delaney, E. M., & Kaiser, A. P. (2001). The effects of teaching parents
blended communication and behavior support strategies. Behavioral Disorders,
26(2), 93-116.
Kaiser, A. P., Hancock, T. B., Cai, X., Foster, E. M., & Hester, P.
P. (2000). Parent-reported behavior problems and language delays in boys
and girls enrolled in Head Start classrooms. Behavioral Disorders, 26(1),
26-41.
Hester, P. P., & Kaiser, A. P. (1998). Early intervention for the prevention of conduct disorder: Research issues in early identification, implementation, and interpretation of treatment outcomes. Behavioral Disorders, 24(1), 58-66.
Kaiser, A. P. & Hester, P. P. (1997). Prevention of conduct disorders through early intervention: A social-communicative perspective. Behavioral Disorders, 22, 117-130.
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Presentations:
Kaiser, A. P., Hancock, T., Foster, E. M. & Cai, C. (2001, April). The
co-occurrence of language and behavior problems among children enrolled
in Head Start. Poster presented at the Biennial Society for Research in
Child Development. Minneapolis, MN.
Kaiser, A. P., Hancock, T., Foster, E. M. & MacLean, Z. Y. (2000, Dec.). KIDTALK: Early identification and prevention of conduct disorder in Head Start children. Paper presented at the 16th Annual DEC International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs. Albuquerque, NM.
Kaiser, A.P., Foster, E.M., Hancock, T.B., & Cai, C. (2000, August). Parents’ and teachers’ assessments of behavior problems in three-year-olds enrolled in Head Start. Paper presented at the 108th Annual American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, DC.
Kaiser, A.P., Hancock, T.B., Foster, E.M., & McLean, Z. (2000, June). KidTalk: Early identification and prevention of conduct disorder in Head Start children. Paper presented at the 5th Head Start National Research Conference, Washington, DC.
Qi, C.H., McLean, Z.Y., Kaiser, A.P., Hancock, T.B. (2000, June). The Language performance of African American Head Start children on the Preschool Language Scale-3. Poster presented at the 5th Head Start National Research Conference, Washington, DC.
Yzquierdo-McLean, Z.A., Hancock, T.B., Milan, S.E., Johnson, E.J., & Kaiser, A.P. (2000, June). Child language, problem behavior, and social skills as it relates to parenting stress. Poster presented at the Family Research Consortium III, Keystone, CO.
Kaiser, A.P., Hancock, T.B., Foster, M., & Cai, C. (2000 April). KidTalk at Head Start: What are we learning about language and behavior. Paper presented at the 27th Annual Head Start Association Training Conference, Washington, DC.
Qi, C., McLean, Z.Y., Kaiser, A.P., & Hancock, T.B. (2000, April). The performance of low income African American children on the Preschool Languge Scale-3. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Treatment Efficacy Conference, Nashville, TN.
Kaiser, A.P., & Milieu Teaching Group (2000, April). Social and behavior aspects of intervention. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Treatment Efficacy Conference, Nashville, TN.
Yzquierdo-McLean, Z., McDuffie, A.S., & Kaiser, A.P. (2000, April). Making a PBJ sandwich: A pilot study of conversational skills in high and low externalizing Head Start girls. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Treatment Efficacy Conference, Nashville, TN.
Hancock, T. B., Kaiser, A. P., & Foster, E. M. (2000, March). Parent and teacher assessments of children’s behavior problems. Paper presented at the 33nd Annual Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, San Diego, CA.
Head Start Consortium (2000, March). Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium: preliminary Data on Prevention. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Research Conference on Systems of Care for Children’s Mental Health, Tampa, FL..
Kaiser, A.P. Hancock, T.B., Foster, E.M., & Hester, P.P. (1999, Dec.). Early identification and prevention of conduct disorder in Head Start children. Paper presented at the 15th Annual DEC International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs, Washington, DC.
Qi, C.H., Kaiser, A., Hancock, T.B., & McLean, Z. (1999, Nov.). Performance of African American preschoolers on the PLS-3. Paper presented at the ASHA Annual Convention. San Francisco, CA.
Hester, P.P., Kaiser, A.P., Hancock, T., McLean, Z., & Foster, M. (1999, Nov.). Intervention for the prevention of conduct disorder: Identification, characteristics, and treatment of young children identified at risk for the development of conduct disorder. Paper presented at the 23rd Annual Conference on Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth Sponsored by Teacher-Educators of Children with Behavior Disorders (TECBD). Scottsdale, AZ.
Kaiser, A.P. (1999, Sept.). Early intervention to prevent serious behavior problems. Paper presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers Conference Ensuring Student Success Through Collaboration, Louisville, KY.
Hester, P.P., Kaiser, A.P., & Hancock, T.B. (1999, April). Early intervention for the prevention of conduct disorder. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.
Kaiser, A.P. (1998, October). What you say means a lot to me: how parent talk influences the languages and behavior of their children. Paper presented at the Peabody Alumni Board Distinguished Lecture, Nashville, TN.
Delaney, E.M., & Kaiser, A.P. (1998, May). Training parents who are poor to be responsive to child language and to effectively manage noncompliant behaviors. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association on Mental Retardation, San Diego, CA.
Hester, P.P., Hancock, T., Delaney, E.M., & Kaiser, A.P. (1998, May). Prevention of conduct disorders through early intervention: A conceptual model. Paper presented at the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, Charleston, SC.
Kaiser, A.P., & Tyler, R. (1998, May). The behavioral and language characteristics of 3-year-old children in low-income child care settings. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, Charleston, S.C.
Craig, L., & Kaiser, A. P. (1998, May). Improving the social communication skills of at-risk children in a play context. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, Charleston, S.C.
Hester, P.P., & Kaiser, A. P. (1998, April). Longitudinal intervention for the prevention of conduct disorder. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Craig, L., & Kaiser, A. P. (1998, March). The Effects of Increased Social Communication Skills on Play Quality and Duration. Poster presented at the 31st Annual Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Charleston, SC.
Kaiser, A. P. (1998, February). Why do you do me the way you do? Preventing violence, sexual and otherwise. Panelist at the Kennedy Center Occasional Conversation series, Nashville, TN.
Hester, P. P., & Kaiser, A. P. (1997, November). Early intervention for the prevention of behavior disorders: Research issues in early identification, implementation, and interpretation of treatment outcome. Paper presented at the 21st Annual Conference for Teacher Educators for Children with Behavior Disorders, Scottsdale, AZ.