The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation in the home setting: Outcomes and mechanisms in rural communities

Abstract

ChaoRong, "The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation in the home setting: Outcomes and mechanisms in rural communities" (2017 AbstractThis study reports the results of a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC), a family-school partnership intervention, on children's behaviors, parents' skills, and parent-teacher relationships in rural community and town settings. Participants were 267 children, 267 parents, and 152 teachers in 45 Midwestern schools. Using an Intent to Treat approach and data analyzed within a multilevel modeling framework, CBC yielded promising results for some but not all outcomes. Specifically, children participating in CBC experienced decreases in daily reports of aggressiveness, noncompliance, and temper tantrums; and increases in parent-reported adaptive skills and social skills at a significantly greater pace than those in a control group. Other outcomes (e.g., parent reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors) suggested a nonsignificant effect at post-test. CBC parents reported using more effective parenting strategies, gaining more competence in their problem-solving practices, and feeling more efficacious for helping their child succeed in school than parents in the control group. Parents participating in CBC also reported significant improvements in the parent-teacher relationship, and the parent-teacher relationship mediated the effect of CBC on children's adaptive skills. Implications for practice in rural communities, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Partners in School: An Innovative Parent-Teacher Consultation Model for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…In the Webster-Stratton et al (2001) study with typical children, parent-teacher bonding was significantly higher for participants in the experimental condition than for the control condition. Likewise, parents and teachers who received consultation through CBC have consistently reported improvements in their relationship with each other (Sheridan, Clarke, Knoche, & Edwards, 2006), and several mediation analyses have documented thatthequality of the relationship between parents and teachers is at least partially responsible for the effects of CBCon student outcomes for children with typical development (Sheridan et al, 2012; Sheridan et al, 2017a,b).…”

Building Strong Family–School Partnerships: Transitioning from Basic Findings to Possible Practices

“…In a replication study conducted in rural Midwest school communities with kindergarten through third‐graders (primarily White), Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, and Coutts () found positive effects for CBC relative to a control group on teacher reports of students' school problems (attention and learning problems; d = –0.45) and direct classroom observations of negative (motor movements, off task; mean d = 0.45) and positive (appropriate social, engaged time; mean d = 0.35) behaviors. Positive effects of CBC on children's adaptive behaviors and social skills at home were noted by parents (i.e., d s = 0.22 and 0.56, respectively) and as recorded in daily reports of behavior (aggressiveness, noncompliance, temper tantrums; d s range = 0.29–0.34; Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Wu, Angell, & Batia, ).…”

“…In our RCTs, greater improvements in the parent–teacher relationship were found for CBC participants relative to controls (Sheridan et al, ; Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Coutts et al, ). In fact, in the absence of CBC, relationships between parents and teachers of students with behavioral problems deteriorated over time (Sheridan et al, ; Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Wu et al, ).…”

“…In two RCTs, we tested the parent–teacher relationship as a potential mechanism through which CBC exerted its effects. Across studies, the parent–teacher relationship was found to mediate the effect of CBC on children's adaptive and social skills (Sheridan et al, ; Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Wu et al, ) and school problems (Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Coutts et al, ). In other words, the parent–teacher relationship is an operative feature in partnerships, at least partially responsible for the effects of partnership problem‐solving practices on student outcomes.…”

“…Our research has borne out that without an intentional focus on positive and constructive home–school connections, the parent–teacher relationship for children with behavioral challenges deteriorates rapidly (Sheridan et al, ; Sheridan et al, ; Sheridan, Witte, Holmes, Wu et al, ). The most concrete way to work on strengthening relationships is to ensure two‐way communication.…”