Multi-method psycho-educational intervention for preschool children with disruptive behavior: preliminary results at post-treatment.

Full Abstract

Annual screenings of preschool children at kindergarten registration identified 158 children having high levels of aggressive, hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive behavior. These "disruptive" children were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions lasting the kindergarten school year: no treatment, parent training only, full-day treatment classroom only, and the combination of parent training with the classroom treatment. Results showed that parent training produced no significant treatment effects, probably owing largely to poor attendance. The classroom treatment produced improvement in multiple domains: parent ratings of adaptive behavior, teacher ratings of attention, aggression, self-control, and social skills, as well as direct observations of externalizing behavior in the classroom. Neither treatment improved academic achievement skills or parent ratings of home behavior problems, nor were effects evident on any lab measures of attention, impulse control, or mother-child interactions. It is concluded that when parent training is offered at school registration to parents of disruptive children identified through a brief school registration screening, it may not be a useful approach to treating the home and community behavioral problems of such children. The kindergarten classroom intervention was far more effective in reducing the perceived behavioral problems and impaired social skills of these children. Even so, most treatment effects were specific to the school environment and did not affect achievement skills. These findings must be viewed as tentative until follow-up evaluations can be done to determine the long-term outcomes of these interventions.

Author information

Author/s: Barkley, R A (RA); Shelton, T L (TL); Crosswait, C (C); Moorehouse, M (M); Fletcher, K (K); Barrett, S (S); Jenkins, L (L); Metevia, L (L);

Affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01655, USA. russellbarkley(-atsign-)earthlink.net

Grants: MH45714 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines (J Child Psychol Psychiatry), published in ENGLAND. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2000-Mar; vol 41 (issue 3) : pp 319-32

Dates: Created 2000/07/11; Completed 2000/07/11; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 10784079, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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