Early Intervention, Positive Behavior Support, and Transition to School

Abstract

Problem behaviors are addressed most effectively when children are young, through the avenues of family-centered early intervention services.These types of services have a great potential for reducing children's problem behaviors and increasing families' competencies and abilities to resolve future problems. As children age, however, the transitions from early intervention and family-centered services to school-based interventions are associated with a variety of challenges that can affect the quality and efficacy of behavior support. In this article, we describe positive behavior support as it is applied in the context of early intervention and as children progress through their preschool years into kindergarten and elementary school.Variables that contribute to effective interventions for young children and families are discussed, as are issues that must be considered in order to construct optimally beneficial transitions and subsequent positive school experiences for young children with behavioral challenges.

Supporting Successful Transition to Kindergarten: General Challenges and Specific Implications for Students with Problem Behavior

“…Another purpose for communication prior to kindergarten is to support the formation of partnerships. Descriptive research on effective transition supports has underscored the need for partnerships and for using a contextual approach to working with families and children within communities (Brennan, Bradley, Ama, & Cawood, 2003;Dockett & Perry, 2001;Fox et al, 2002;Lehman, Friesen, & Brennan, 2001;Mangione & Speth, 1998;Pianta, Rimm-Kaufman, & Cox, 1999;Walker, 2001). Partnerships must embrace several tenants of successful programming understanding that effective transition will (a) involve more than the typical practice of orienting families and students to the school, (b) require additional funding and resources, and (c) necessitate intense and thoughtful planning to build relationships, support positive attitudes, and build knowledge of the transition process.…”

“…Development and fulfillment of a formal transition plan is another critical need for supporting transitions (Fox, Dunlap, & Cushing, 2002;; however, for many schools and districts, documented policy for designing and implementing transition plans is unavailable. Factors of time, funding, caseload, late generation of class lists, lack of support for teachers' summer work, and limited availability of services can further impede the effectiveness of transition policy .…”

Teachers' perspectives on student problematic behavior and social skills

“…These types of consequences typically result in continuous behavioral issues (Conroy & Davis, 2000;Fox et al, 2002). …”

“…Without intervention children's problems continue into adulthood leading to socially inadequate adults, unable to function and participate in the fast paced communicative society in which they live (Conroy & Brown, 2004;Fox, Dunlap, & Cushing, 2002;Kaiser & Hester, 1997).…”

Antisosyal Davranışları Önlemeye Yönelik Başarıya İlk Adım Erken Eğitim Programının Etkililiği ile İlgili Yapılan Bilimsel Çalışmaların İncelenmesi

“…Aynı zamanda, küçük çocuklarda görülen antisosyal davranışların önlenmesine yönelik geliştirilen müdahale uygulamalarında okul-aile ve aile-öğretmen işbirliğine önem verilmesi gerektiği belirtilmektedir. İşbirliği sağlanmadığı takdirde müdahale uygulamalarından istenilen sonuçların elde edilemeyeceği vurgulanmaktadır (Fox, Dunlap ve Cushing, 2002). Ramey (1998), erken müdahale programlarının başarılı olmasının üç temel bileşene bağlı olduğunu vurgulamaktadır.…”