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Parental engagement in special education promotes positive student outcomes and parent-school relationships. In order to promote engagement, parents must possess a basic knowledge and understanding of special education processes and parent and student rights. Little is known regarding parental knowledge about special education or how they learn about and access information on the special education process. This exploratory study surveyed 133 parents of students with disabilities to identify how they received special education related information, specific information received or searched across primary special education topics, and their perceived current and retrospective understanding of these topics as well as how these may differ based on specific parent and special education status characteristics. Findings indicate that parents gain the majority of information from personal communication (i.e., conversations with special education teachers, other parents), often independently search out additional information on key aspects of special education, and feel most knowledgeable about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and least knowledgeable about the legal aspects of special education. Significant differences were noted on some family characteristics in areas of satisfaction with resources, overall special education knowledge, and ways in which parents obtain information (e.g., school or on their own). Limitations, implications, and future research are discussed.

This study examined the effects of the Boys Town In-Home Family Program on improving child behavior and parenting skills. The three-month parenting intervention was delivered to parents in their homes. All children were referred to the program by school personnel. Of the 107 families that enrolled in the study, 79% completed the intervention. Pre-post assessments of child behavior indicated significant improvements on Internalizing and Externalizing problem behavior as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. Significant gains were found on all child, family, and school behavior subscales of the parent version of Behavioral Emotional Rating Scale. Service provider ratings of child problems and parental capabilities (as assessed by the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale) also demonstrated significant improvement from intake to discharge. These results indicate that the In-Home Family Program is a promising approach for serving at-risk children and their families. (Contains 2 tables.)

Background: A client's motivation to receive services is significantly related to seeking services, remaining in services, and improved outcomes. The Motivation for Youth Treatment Scale (MYTS) is one of the few brief measures used to assess motivation for mental health treatment. Objective: To investigate if the psychometric properties of the MYTS previously found for youth receiving outpatient treatment would be replicated in a sample of youth entering residential care. Methods: The study was conducted at a large residential group care agency in the Midwest with 145 youth who completed the 8-item MYTS upon intake into the group homes. To investigate the psychometrics of the MYTS, we used classical test theory, Rasch modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis approaches. Results: Most of the psychometric properties were strong and replicated previous research in outpatient settings. The primary divergent finding was that the two subscales, problem recognition and treatment readiness were not significantly correlated in the residential sample, in contrast to the moderate correlations found in outpatient samples. Conclusions: The MYTS can be recommended for use in residential settings, however, researchers and practitioners should carefully examine the sub-scale scores. Future research needs to replicate these findings in residential settings and further explore why the two subscales are minimally correlated.

This study examined the effects of the Boys Town In-Home Family Program (BT-IHFP) on parenting skills, family functioning, and child behavior for at-risk families involved with child protective services. The BT-IHFP is designed as a home-based, family-centered alternative to out-of-home placement with the goal of improving family functioning, keeping families together, and preventing further involvement with child protective services. The model uses a hands-on cognitive-behavioral approach, promotes family engagement, provides 24/7 services to families, and links families to community resources. While it is essential to examine ultimate, long-term outcomes such as family preservation, it is also important to investigate the proximal and intermediate outcomes that address the key changes in behavior that support successful long-term outcomes. The goals of this study were to (1) examine the pre-post change of proximal and intermediate outcomes and (2) examine if improvements in parenting skills, parental roles, and parental stress (proximal outcomes) will be related to improvements in child behavior at home, child behavior at school, and family functioning (intermediate outcomes). Inspecting intake and discharge data for 44 families, 94% were intact at discharge and significant pre-post improvements were found in proximal and intermediate outcomes. These findings suggest that this six-week intensive BT-IHFP holds promise for teaching at-risk families skills to promote positive family functioning.

Over the past decade, there has been an increased need for the development and use of psychometrically acceptable measures to assess the behavioral and emotional strengths of young children served in statewide preschool and Head Start programs. One measure developed to address this need is the Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS), which is a strength-based instrument designed to evaluate the behavioral and emotional strengths of preschool children aged 3 to 5 years old. In a previous study with a nationally representative sample, researchers found that (a) the items of the PreBERS can best be described by a four-factor structure model (Emotional Regulation, School Readiness, Social Confidence, and Family Involvement), (b) the subscales and total measure have highly acceptable levels of internal consistency, and (c) differences were obtained for levels of strength for preschool children with and without disabilities. The findings of this investigation replicate these previous results with a national sample of children (N = 962) enrolled in Head Start programs. Confirmatory factor analysis and analyses of internal consistency and criterion validity provide support for the use of the PreBERS with children served in Head Start programs. Study limitations and implications are addressed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Youth entering residential care possess significant emotional and behavioral needs; yet, it is uncertain whether these needs have remained constant or are changing over time. This study examined mental health variables from the admission files of 1,047 youth entering residential group home care in 1995 and 2004. Sequential logistical regression analyses revealed that the mental health needs of youth admitted in 2004 were greater than those for youth in 1995 with regard to having multiple psychiatric diagnoses, being prescribed two or more psychotropic medications, and using alcohol or drugs. As such, these analyses should be replicated in other group homes as well as in other placement settings within the system of care. (Contains 2 tables.)

Within 3-tier behavioral models, universal interventions are expected to prevent the onset of problem behavior in a majority of children altogether and to sustain improvements in child outcomes by the selected and indicated interventions. A cohort longitudinal design was used to assess the extent to which a 3-tier model achieves these expected outcomes. The respective universal, selected, and indicated interventions included Behavior and Academic Support and Enhancement, First Step to Success, and MultiSystemic Therapy. A total of 407 children in Grades K-3 from 1 of 4 longitudinal cohorts participated. The results of 2-level linear growth analyses indicate that the 3-tier behavior model achieved the anticipated outcomes with respect to social behavior. The results, limitations, and implications are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 6 tables.)

We describe a comprehensive program to train emergency shelter staff in effective methods for dealing with youth who have behavioral and emotional problems; assess the degree to which staff implemented the treatment approach; measure the impact of the intervention on shelter-wide incidents such as out-of-control behavior, runaways, and violence against other youth; and examine pre-post changes in staff experiences at the shelter via anonymous surveys. Overall, the short-term shelter staff indicated adequate implementation of the intervention. The rate of youth incidents at the shelter significantly declined from pre to post assessment. Direct-care staff ratings of their satisfaction with their proficiency in behavior management and teaching youth skills increased significantly from pre to post implementation. These findings suggest that it is feasible to deliver an effective staff-training program to improve the behavior management and social skills of youth residing in short-term care facilities within the child welfare system.

Special education legislation has placed an increased emphasis on early intervention programs for children at risk for early literacy delays and behavioral disorders. Given this trend, it is important to understand the characteristics of students identified and served in at-risk programs. This study presents the findings from a cluster analysis on the early literacy and behavioral characteristics of 195 children screened at risk for behavioral disorders served in an early intervention program. Clustered variables included behavioral measures from the "Early Screening Project" (ESP; Walker, Severson, & Feil, 1995), "Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders" (SSBD; Walker & Severson, 1992), and measures of early reading development from the "Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised" (WRMT-R; Woodcock, 1998). Split-half procedures and external criteria were used to validate results. Five distinct subgroups were revealed: Broad Risks, Academic Achievers, Primarily Behavior, Primarily Academic, and Extreme Behaviors. Results indicate heterogeneous characteristics and clear areas of behavioral and early reading risk between subgroups within the greater sample. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.

This study describes the development of the Staff Implementation Observation Form, an instrument to assess staff competence delivering an intervention to youth in group home care with behavioral or emotional disorders. This instrument assesses staff skill at implementing the key treatment components, including building relationships with youth, teaching skills to youth, implementing a token economy, and establishing a youth self-government system. The pilot study, observing 92 staff members, found that the instrument possesses promising psychometric qualities, including adequate inter-rater agreement, internal scale consistency, and predictive validity. A cluster analysis identified groups of staff that had low, average, and high implementation. The instrument allows administrators to examine item-level implementation of residential staff to identify specific training needs within each subscale. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Parental engagement in special education promotes positive student outcomes and parent-school relationships. In order to promote engagement, parents must possess a basic knowledge and understanding of special education processes and parent and student rights. Little is known regarding parental knowledge about special education or how they learn about and access information on the special education process. This exploratory study surveyed 133 parents of students with disabilities to identify how they received special education related information, specific information received or searched across primary special education topics, and their perceived current and retrospective understanding of these topics as well as how these may differ based on specific parent and special education status characteristics. Findings indicate that parents gain the majority of information from personal communication (i.e., conversations with special education teachers, other parents), often independently search out additional information on key aspects of special education, and feel most knowledgeable about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and least knowledgeable about the legal aspects of special education. Significant differences were noted on some family characteristics in areas of satisfaction with resources, overall special education knowledge, and ways in which parents obtain information (e.g., school or on their own). Limitations, implications, and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within 3-tier behavioral models, universal interventions are expected to prevent the onset of problem behavior in a majority of children altogether and to sustain improvements in child outcomes by the selected and indicated interventions. A cohort longitudinal design was used to assess the extent to which a 3-tier model achieves these expected outcomes. The respective universal, selected, and indicated interventions included Behavior and Academic Support and Enhancement, First Step to Success, and MultiSystemic Therapy. A total of 407 children in Grades K-3 from 1 of 4 longitudinal cohorts participated. The results of 2-level linear growth analyses indicate that the 3-tier behavior model achieved the anticipated outcomes with respect to social behavior. The results, limitations, and implications are discussed., An estimated 12% of all children and adolescents in this country have significant emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) that adversely affect their social functioning (Department of Health and Human Services, [...]

Policy and professional standards shape the way that special education teachers partner with parents. Such partnership is key to engaging parents in the process of special education and can serve as the foundation for collaboration and information sharing. Although the literature describes recommendations for how teachers can provide information to parents, few studies examine what information teachers provide. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how teachers perceive school information sharing and parents' knowledge relative to special education. To understand these perspectives, we developed and piloted the Parent Knowledge and Resources in Special Education - Teacher Version survey, with a group of 142 special education teachers. Results indicated that 67.6% of teachers perceived parents to be satisfied or very satisfied with the special education information received from schools. However, teachers had varied perspectives on how well parents understand special education, and the majority (56%) did not feel resources and supports to help parents better understand special education exist. Teachers perceived that schools most frequently encouraged parents to access information through conversations with teachers (75.9%), conversations with school administrators (44.4%), and paper handouts provided by the school (41.9%). Teachers also reported that how well school districts provided information varied by special education topic. We also identify implications of the study results and areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the numerous factors that help in the establishment of an appropriate collaboration between the practitioners, as well as the university-based researchers. The significance of such relationships for conducting better research on youth with emotional, as well as behavioral disorders is also analyzed.

Assessing the implementation of home visitation interventions for families with at-risk children is an essential component of effective service delivery; however, collecting implementation assessment data is expensive. This study examined two different methods of assessing the adherence and quality of a home visitation program, provider self-reports of service delivery, and video observations of the home visit that assessed a total of 64 sessions. Detailed transcriptions were also coded with regard to quality of skills instruction. The two implementation assessment methods overlapped considerably regarding whether a core topic was discussed during the home visit and the percentage of time spent during the average session on many of the core components. Areas of divergence between the two assessment methods are reviewed. Implications for supervision and quality improvement efforts of home visitation providers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of the Boys Town In-Home Family Program on improving child behavior and parenting skills. The three-month parenting intervention was delivered to parents in their homes. All children were referred to the program by school personnel. Of the 107 families that enrolled in the study, 79% completed the intervention. Pre-post assessments of child behavior indicated significant improvements on Internalizing and Externalizing problem behavior as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. Significant gains were found on all child, family, and school behavior subscales of the parent version of Behavioral Emotional Rating Scale. Service provider ratings of child problems and parental capabilities (as assessed by the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale) also demonstrated significant improvement from intake to discharge. These results indicate that the In-Home Family Program is a promising approach for serving at-risk children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth entering residential care possess significant emotional and behavioral needs; yet, it is uncertain whether these needs have remained constant or are changing over time. This study examined mental health variables from the admission files of 1,047 youth entering residential group home care in 1995 and 2004. Sequential logistical regression analyses revealed that the mental health needs of youth admitted in 2004 were greater than those for youth in 1995 with regard to having multiple psychiatric diagnoses, being prescribed two or more psychotropic medications, and using alcohol or drugs. As such, these analyses should be replicated in other group homes as well as in other placement settings within the system of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth in residential care have significant mental health needs which require regular progress monitoring; however, very few emotional or behavioral assessments have been examined with this unique, high-risk population. This study examined the psychometrics of the Symptom Functioning and Severity Scale, a brief 24-item measure designed to assess the emotional and behavioral status of youth. This study examined the SFSS ratings from 143 youth with a disruptive behavior diagnosis living in a group-home facility in the Midwest and 52 of their service providers. Overall, the findings suggest that the psychometrics of the SFSS, when rated by staff or youth were similar to the original outpatient clinical samples. More specifically, the Rasch analyses indicate that the SFSS items and the overall scale is performing adequately, and the confirmatory factor analyses replicated the two-factor structure for staff. However, the fit of the two-factor model was less compelling for youth ratings. In all, the brief SFSS seems a promising measure for assessing problem severity for youth in residential care.

Background: There is a need for brief progress monitoring measures of behavioral and emotional symptoms for youth in out-of-home care. The Symptoms and Functioning Severity Scale (SFSS; Bickman et al., 2010) is one measure that has clinician and youth short forms (SFSS-SFs); however, the psychometric soundness of the SFSS-SFs with youth in out-of-home care has yet to be examined., Objective: The objective was to determine if the psychometric characteristics of the clinician and youth SFSS-SFs are viable for use in out-of-home care programs., Methods: The participants included 143 youth receiving residential treatment and 52 direct care residential staff. The current study assessed internal consistency and alternate forms reliability for SFSS-SFs for youth in a residential care setting. Further, a binary classification test was completed to determine if the SFSS-SFs similarly classified youth as the SFSS full version for low- and elevated-severity., Results: The internal consistency for the clinician and youth SFSS-SFs was adequate (α = .75 to .82) as was the parallel forms reliability ( r = .85 to .97). The sensitivity (0.80 to 0.95), specificity (0.88 to 0.97), and overall accuracy (0.89 to 0.93) for differentiating low and elevated symptom severity was acceptable., Conclusions: The clinician and youth SFSS-SFs have acceptable psychometrics and may be beneficial for progress monitoring and additional research should clarify their potential for progress monitoring of youth in out-of-home programs.