The effect of staff intervention practices on child behavior in special education day school settings

This study explored the effects of non-clinical staff (teacher and aide) intervention practices on child behavior in a special education day program school designed for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Utilizing a sequential, time sampling coding method, discrete interactions involving individual child subject behaviors and staff responses to those behaviors were observed and recorded. Observations were conducted by multiple raters in naturalistic school settings using staff codes adapted from the Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy (TPOCS) (McLeod, 2004) and child codes adapted from Hinshaw's Behavior Observation System (Hinshaw, 1993). Child behavior trajectories (positive, negative and withdrawn) and staff response sequences were then analyzed for significant relationships according to type of staff response, staff position, gender (staff and child), and/or grade level. Both staff evidence-based practices and non-evidence-based practices were related to positive child behavior. Teacher responses were overall more associated with child behavior trajectories over a short time frame than aide responses across grade levels. Students with EBD often have externalizing (e.g. aggression, disruption, etc.) and internalizing (anxiety, depression, etc.) behavior symptoms that are problematic for both students and teachers within the school setting. However, the predominant behavior of the child subjects in the present study was positive in that child subjects were on-task and socially appropriate. Another significant finding was that while negative child behavior received the least percentage of staff inattention, child withdrawn behavior received the highest percentage of staff inattention. Therefore, while universal, school-based intervention and prevention practices may have addressed some of the EBD student problematic behaviors within the school setting with moderate success, further research is needed, particularly for withdrawn child behavior. Such research should include a focus on child and staff factors other than staff practices to achieve a consistently effective and efficacious school-based treatment program for children with emotional and behavior disorders.