Initiative Description: Efficacy of function-based intervention for young children at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD)

Phase 1: Student and teacher interviews were conducted to solicit information about functional relationships between the environment and student behavior and what the student believes triggers and maintains their inappropriate behaviors, when they have most/least problems in school, what they think causes those problems, and how they think the situation could be changed for the better.

Phase 2: Interventions were developed and were adjusted to increase the likelihood that the replacement behavior would occur, and reinforcement was provided when the replacement behavior occurred and was withheld when the target behaviors occurred. Sessions were conducted during the activity each teacher identified as being the most problematic. Phase 3: identical to Phase 2, except students returned to baseline at the beginning of the phase.

Study Results: Classroom interventions substantially improved the on-task behavior of each student.

Reference: Nahgahgwon, K. N., Umbreit, J., Liaupsin, C. J., & Turton, A. M. (2010). Function-Based Planning for Young Children At Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Education and Treatment of Children,33(4), 537-559. doi:10.1353/etc.2010.0005

Level of Evidence: Very Good