2006_Prevention and Intervention for the Challenging Behaviors of Toddlers_ Preschoolers

7/24/2019 2006_Prevention and Intervention for the Challenging Behaviors of Toddlers_ Preschoolers

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Infants & Young ChildrenVol. 19, No. 1, pp. 2535

c 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Prevention and Intervention for

the Challenging Behaviors ofToddlers and PreschoolersDiane Powell, PhD; Glen Dunlap, PhD; Lise Fox, PhD

An early manifestation of atypical social-emotional development is the occurrence of challengingbehaviors. While some challenging behaviors dissipate during and following the early years, otherspersist and even escalate, marking increasingly problematic developmental trajectories, school fail-ure, and social maladjustment. Increasing attention has begun to focus on the early identificationand prevention of challenging behaviors and on strategies for resolving such behaviors at their ear-liest appearance. In this article, the authors discuss what is known about challenging behaviors inthe repertoires of toddlers and preschoolers, and present a model of prevention and intervention.

Although research in this area is limited, there are encouraging signs that a coordinated adoptionof validated practices could substantially reduce challenging behaviors and thereby enhance thesocial and emotional well-being of children in todays society. Key words: behavior problems,

positive behavior support,social competence,social-emotional development

FOR most young children, the develop-mental tasks of acquiring emotional andbehavioral self-regulation and social compe-tence proceed smoothly. However, significantnumbers of toddlers and preschoolers exhibit

behaviors severe enough to cause concernto parents, teachers, and other caregivers.These are children whose challenging behav-iors jeopardize their care and preschool place-ments, disrupt family functioning, and affecttheir growth in social-emotional and other de-velopmental domains. Recent research on thecritical role of emotional and social well-beingin school readiness and the negative trajec-

From the University of South Florida, Tampa.

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by theCenter for Evidence-based Practice: Young Childrenwith Challenging Behavior, funded by the Office ofSpecial Education Programs (OSEP), US Departmentof Education (H324Z010001), and the Center of theSocial and Emotional Foundations of Early Learn-ing, funded by the Administration for Children andFamilies, Department of Health and Human Services(90YD0119/01).

Corresponding author: Glen Dunlap, PhD, DARES, MHC2113A, Department of Child and Family Studies, Louisde la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Universityof South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa,FL 33612 (e-mail:[email protected]).

tories of early problem behavior has led toa national focus on the importance of pro-viding prevention and intervention servicesto young children with challenging behaviorand their families (New Freedom Commission

on Mental Health, 2003; Shonkoff & Phillips,2000). One promising result of this concernhas been the emergence of a number of newinitiatives to enhance knowledge and practi-cal competencies relevant to challenging be-havior in young children.

The pace at which early social and emo-tional development proceeds can be highlyindividual and episodic and is influenced byboth intrachild factors, such as temperament,

and the physical and social environmentssurrounding the child. Many children passthrough stages during which they exhibitfussiness, withdrawal, anxiety, overactivity,

Two national, federally funded initiatives are as follows:

(1) Center for Evidence-based Practice: Young Children

with Challenging Behavior, funded by the Office of Spe-

cial Education Programs (OSEP), US Department of Edu-

cation,www.challengingbehavior.org, and (2) the Center

of the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learn-

ing, funded by the Administration for Children, Youthand Families, Head Start Bureau and Child Care Bureau,

http://csefel.uiuc.edu.

25
mailto:[email protected]://www.challengingbehavior.org/http://csefel.uiuc.edu/http://csefel.uiuc.edu/http://www.challengingbehavior.org/mailto:[email protected]


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26 INFANTS& YOUNGCHILDREN/JANUARYMARCH2006

disobedience, tantrums, and even aggression,but for most children these difficulties aresituation specific and transitory. It is the per-sistence, intensity, and pervasiveness of such

behaviors that determine their seriousnessand the need for intervention.

Smith and Fox (2003) define challengingbehaviorin young children as any repeatedpattern of behavior, or perception of behav-ior, that interferes with or is at risk of in-terfering with optimal learning or engage-ment in prosocial interactions with peers andadults. Such behavior most often takes theform of disrupted sleeping and eating rou-tines, physical and verbal aggression, prop-

erty destruction, severe tantrums, self-injury,noncompliance, and withdrawal. These au-thors note that, for young children, chal-lenging behavior is always embedded in thecontext of child-caregiver relationships andinteractions. Variations across families andcultures in perceptions of what consti-tutes appropriate and inappropriate behav-ior are also important considerations in defin-ing challenging behavior (Division for Early

Childhood, 1999).The significant rates at which emotional

and behavior problems occur in youngchildren are now well documented, althoughspecific estimates of prevalence rates varydepending on the sample and criteria used.In a review of prevalence studies, Campbell(1995) estimated that 10% to 15% of youngchildren have mild to moderate behaviorproblems while, in a pediatric population,Lavigne et al. (1996) found that 21% of

preschool children met the criteria for a diag-nosable disorder, with 9% classified as severe.Data from the Early Childhood LongitudinalStudy revealed that 10% of kindergartenersarrive at school with problematic behavior(West, Denton, & Germino-Hausken, 2000).Children living in poverty appear to beespecially vulnerable, exhibiting rates thatare higher than that of the general population(Qi & Kaiser, 2003).

While some children who exhibit challeng-ing behaviors at an early age out growsuchbehaviors before entering school, other chil-

drens problems continue and even intensify,leading to school failure and social maladjust-ment. For toddlers and preschoolers identi-fied with clinical levels of disruptive disor-

ders, 50% or more have been found to displayproblematical levels of challenging behaviors,both 4 years later and into the school years(Campbell, 1995; Lavigne et al., 1998; Shaw,Gilliom, & Giovannelli, 2000). About 6% of allboys appear to follow an early starteror life-course-persistentdevelopmental pathway forconduct problems characterized by violenceand serious antisocial behavior in adolescence(Moffitt, Caspi, Dickson, Silva, & Stanton,1996; Nagin & Tremblay, 1999).

In addition to concerns regarding theenduring nature of young childrens challeng-ing behaviors, there has been an increasedunderstanding of the interconnections be-tween social-emotional development andchildrens cognitive development, acquisitionof preacademic skills, and preparednessfor school (Arnold et al., 1999; Espinosa,2002; Peth-Pierce, 2000). Self-confidence,relationship skills, self-management, and

emotional and attentional self-regulation areamong the social-emotional competenciesnecessary for successful participation ingroup learning situations (Thompson, 2002).Moreover, preschool children with deficitsin these critical social skills and those whoexhibit challenging behavior are more likelyto have language deficits than do their typi-cally developing peers (Kaiser, Hancock, Cai,Foster, & Hester, 2000; Qi & Kaiser, 2003).

In recognition of the need to intervene

early to place young children back on thehealthy developmental trajectories necessaryfor school success, a number of strategiesand programs have been developed anddemonstrated to prevent and ameliorate be-havior challenges in young children. In thisarticle, we present a model of preventionand intervention that focuses on support-ing social competence and preventing chal-lenging behavior through universal, targeted,

and individualized interventions. Some keyprinciples and considerations underlying ser-vices for young children with challenging


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Prevention and Intervention for the Challenging Behaviors 27

Figure 1.A model for promoting young childrenssocial competence and addressing challenging behavior.

behavior and their families are discussed,along with a range of intervention practicesthat have been demonstrated to be effective.

A MODEL OF PREVENTION AND

INTERVENTION

The support triangle, presented in Figure 1,builds upon a previously published graphic(Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain,2003) and provides a hierarchical frameworkencompassing 4 levels of prevention and in-tervention activities and practices that pro-mote childrens healthy social and emotionaldevelopment within home and early educa-tion and care environments. This frameworkis based upon a public health model for pre-vention that includes 3 levels of interven-

tion strategies, and that has been applied re-cently to the prevention of behavior problemsin schools (Sugai et al., 2000; Walker et al.,1996). In the public health model, universalor primary prevention strategies are appliedto the general population in an effort to re-duce the incidence of a problem before itoccurs. Interventions at the secondary leveltarget the population at risk for disease orharm, and tertiary interventions focus on in-

dividuals who have been affected by diseaseor harm. The support triangle presented inFigure 1 presents 4 levels of prevention and

intervention services that address the needsof typically developing children, children atrisk, and children with delays and behaviorchallenges.

The first 2 levels represent the supportsneeded by all young children to promote so-cial and emotional competence and should

be available universally, for all young children.At the most fundamental level, providing thebase necessary for the strategies at the higherlevels to be effective are positive relationshipsbetween children and their parents and teach-ers. It is within the context of these support-ive relationships that the next level of pre-ventive practices implemented in homes andclassrooms serves to foster the developmentof social/emotional competencies. The thirdlevel denotes the broader and more special-

ized services and strategies targeted to youngchildren who are at risk for challenging behav-ior. This top portion of the triangle representsthe intensive services and supports neededby the small percentage of young childrenwho display severe and persistent behaviorchallenges. This conceptualization echoes thework of others who have delineated the needfor a continuum of interventions of differingintensities and focus to serve the needs of all

young children (Forness, Kavale, MacMillan,Asarnow, & Duncan, 1996; Webster-Stratton &Taylor, 2001).


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PREVENTION

Positive relationships

Positive relationships form the foundation

of the triangle. In their early years, childrenexist within a web of relationships amongparents, teachers, other caring adults in theirlives and, eventually, peers. This web suppliesthe context within which healthy social emo-tional growth and the capacity to form strongaffirmative relationships with adults andpeers develop. It nurtures resiliency variablesthat are demonstrated protective factorsfor young children (Huffman, Mehlinger, &

Kerivan, 2000; Webster-Stratton & Taylor,2001). Attachment; bonding; and trusting,affectionate relationships with caregiversduring infancy and toddlerhood provide thebasis for a healthy self-concept, confidentexploration, and later positive relationshipswith peers and teachers (Thompson, 2001).

Home and family

Secure attachment is based on nurturing,emotionally sensitive interactions betweenchildren and their caregivers. Although suchinteractions occur naturally with most par-ents, there are some who do not display suchresponsiveness. Therefore, parenting informa-tion covering topics such as reading babiesemotional cues, realistic developmental ex-pectations, and establishing consistent posi-tive routines for feeding, sleeping, and sooth-ing are increasingly being made available insettings designed to reach all parents, such

as hospitals, pediatric offices, childcare, andother community settings. Parenting classesdesigned for parents of typically developingyoung children are another means of ensur-ing that parents have the knowledge and skillsneeded to provide the nurturing, positive carethat promotes healthy development.

Child care settings

Within childcare settings, there are many

practices that promote the formation of se-cure attachments and the development ofstrong positive relationships. Once again,

adult-child interactions form the core of thesestrategies. Children in center-based care whoreceive more frequent sensitive interactionswith adults have been shown to be both more

securely attached to their caregivers and morecompetent in their interactions with peers(Kontos & Wilcox-Herzog, 1997). Teacherswho are warm and attentive, and who en-gage and encourage the children in their care,are both using and modeling qualities thatbuild strong relationships (Edwards & Raikes,2002). Moreover, positive relationships be-tween early educators and children providea potent management tool for teachers. Chil-dren become eager to please, become eager

for positive attention, and are more readilyguided by teachers with whom they are emo-tionally invested.

Family-teacher relationships

Relationships between teachers and par-ents also play an important role in childrensdevelopment. When staff in child care pro-grams and parents form warm, respectfulrelationships, they are better able to com-

municate openly about childrens behaviorand experiences and to respond to childrensindividual needs. In the context of mutuallysupportive relationships, parents are morelikely to share information about family andhome situations and stressors, and about theirchilds development and behavior. They arealso more likely to listen to and even seek theadvice of child care staff regarding parenting,child management, and discipline issueswhen they feel connected to and supported

by staff. In addition, child care staff will havegreater opportunities to become familiar withand responsive to the culturally based values,beliefs, and child-rearing practices of families.The role of family involvement in defininghigh-quality child care is receiving increasingrecognition along with efforts to articulateand explicate the concrete practices thatcontribute to relationship-building and familyinvolvement. Staff practices include

spending time getting to know families, welcoming parents to observe and partic-

ipate in program activities,


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consulting parents about their childrensabilities, interests, and preferences,

routinely sharing information about chil-dren with parents,

valuing parent sharing of concerns, communicating in parents home lan-

guage, and conducting home visits.

Prevention practices

Home prevention practices

In the home, the use of harsh, punitivediscipline strategies is associated with thedevelopment of problem behaviors, and can

lead to escalating cycles of coercive interac-tion between parents and children (Patterson,Reid, Jones, & Conger, 1975; Webster-Stratton& Taylor, 2001). Materials and instruction ad-dressing the development of positive, consis-tent management strategies can assist parentsin establishing routines that foster positiveinteractions and promote healthy social emo-tional development. Parents can encourageexpression of positive emotions, empathy for

others, emotional self-regulation, as well asfriendship and social problem-solving skills intheir young children through modeling andthe ways they interact and discipline.

Families may receive information on prac-tices that will promote their childs healthysocial-emotional development from health-care professionals (eg, pediatrician, homehealthcare visitor), other families or rela-tives, magazines, television, videotapes, par-ent manuals, and parent support groups. Top-

ics that are included in anticipatory guidancerange from understanding the childs devel-opment and changes in development to howto teach the child self-help skills (eg, eat-ing, toileting) and supporting language devel-opment. In addition, healthcare profession-als provide families with information (throughconsultation or literature) on parenting prac-tices such as sleep routines, environmentalsafety, nutrition and feeding, toy selection,

selecting quality early education and careproviders, and other concerns of parents. Allof these parenting topics have a relationship

to supporting the development of childrenand minimizing the likelihood that the childwill develop challenging behavior.

Classroom prevention practices

Within classrooms, early childhood teach-ers can make deliberate use of setting vari-ables to prevent problem behavior and pro-mote prosocial learning. Room arrangement,routines and schedules, and teacher-child in-teractions provide important opportunitiesfor creating supportive environments and in-fluencing the types of peer interactions thatoccur. The physical environment includes thelayout and boundaries of learning centers,

traffic patterns within the classroom, and theselection and display of materials and equip-ment. Well-designed classrooms should con-tain arrangements that both foster positive,creative interactions among children and pro-vide comfortable, enclosed spaces for chil-dren to spend quiet time.

Classroom schedules, routines, and activi-ties also provide valuable tools for preventingthe development and occurrence of problem

behaviors. Schedules should include a bal-ance of small and large group activities, childand teacher-directed activities, and struc-tured and unstructured activities. Consistentschedules permit children to anticipate whatwill occur next and along with clear rulesregarding classroom behavior and consis-tent consequences contribute to learningself-regulation skills. When transitions areclearly signaled and structured to minimizewaiting time, opportunities for disruptive be-

havior are decreased. Children who are fullyinvolved in classroom activities are less likelyto engage in disruptive behavior. Activitiesthat are varied, fun and creative, and plannedto fit childrens developmental levels andindividual interests and needs contribute tochildrens positive engagement.

Teachers can use their interactions withchildren in ways that promote positive be-havior and prevent negative behavior. Con-

tingent reactions such as ignoring minorinappropriate conduct and providing posi-tive attention, encouragement, and praise for


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appropriate behavior are powerful tools forshaping behavior. Making sure directions areclear and understandable, as well as statedpositively (inform the child whattodo, rather

than only whatnotto do), contribute to com-pliance. Finally, monitoring and redirectingchildrens behavior can often prevent prob-lems from escalating.

INTERVENTION

The top 2 levels on the support triangle de-pict the more specialized and intensive inter-ventions needed by children and families ex-periencing risk factors, children who are be-

ginning to manifest problems, and childrenwho have developed challenging behaviors.

Social and emotional learning strategies arespecific tools that parents and teachers canuse to teach prosocial skills and to inter-vene with incipient social-emotional prob-lems with the goal of remediating problemsbefore they escalate to more severe and in-tractable levels. These strategies are most of-ten delivered through group approaches, ap-

plied to whole classrooms within preschoolsettings, and presented to parents in groupformats. For the small percentage of youngchildren with persistent delays and behaviorschallenges, more intensive and individualizedinterventions are needed.

Parent- and family-focused

interventions

Parenting education offered in group for-mats for families of young children has been

shown to be effective in decreasing child be-havior problems for children who are at riskof developing challenging behavior (Webster-Stratton & Taylor, 2001). Parent training pro-grams are based on cognitive social learningtheory and share many commonalities in bothcontent and methodology. They emphasizeteaching skills to parents, such as giving effec-tive instructions; contingent use of attention,praise, and rewards; setting reasonable and

consistent limits; and use of logical and nat-ural consequences and mild negative conse-quences such as time out. In addition, the cur-

riculum may cover topics such as playing withyoung children and skills for encouraging andsupporting childrens acquisition and use ofsocial skills. Typically, parents meet together

in weekly sessions to view videotapes, role-play, discuss the application of skills, problemsolve, and receive assignments for practicingskills at home. The group format can also pro-vide social support to help overcome the so-cial isolation experienced by some high-riskfamilies.

A number of individualized parent and fam-ily intervention programs have been proveneffective for families of young children whoare already exhibiting more serious delays

and disruptive behaviors (Raver, 2002; Reid,Webster-Stratton, & Baydar, 2004; Webster-Stratton and Taylor, 2001). These programsteach many of the same content and skillsthat are taught in group parent training, butbecause the parents work one-on-one withan interventionist, often in the home ratherthan a clinic setting, the treatment is moreindividualized and intensive. Skills may betaught through modeling, role-play, and actual

practice sessions in which parent and childinteract while the interventionist observesand then provides feedback. The parentand interventionist typically spend time dis-cussing, planning, and problem-solving waysof applying the skills that are individualizedto the childs specific behaviors and thefamilys needs and situation. Because many ofthe participants in parent training programsare families experiencing multiple risks andstressors, the interventionists role goes

beyond that of teacher, to include coaching,mentoring, and motivating, and requires ahigh level of clinical skills as well as the abilityto form supportive relationships with familieson the basis of understanding and mutualrespect. In the same vein, adjunctive compo-nents that address family issues and stressorshave been found to add to the effectivenessof these models. These include interpersonalproblem solving and communication training

(Webster-Stratton, 1994), addressing parentaldistress and depression (Wahler, Cartor,Gleischman, & Lambert, 1993) and teaching


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parents skills for playing with their child(Eyberg et al., 2001).

Social-emotional curricula

Social-emotional curricula for young chil-dren are designed to teach social skills andconcomitantly to decrease childrens prob-lematic behaviors. While such curricula canbe used as universal preventive measures fortypically developing children, other curriculahave been developed specifically for childrenat risk or for those who are exhibiting behav-ior challenges and have been implemented inHead Start classrooms and with small groupsof identified children. Classroom teachers

may be trained to implement the curriculumactivities or therapists may administer the pro-gram. The content includes such topics ascooperative play and friendship skills, under-standing and expressing emotions, empathy,self-calming and self-management skills, andproblem solving in conflict situations. Teach-ing materials and techniques geared to en-gaging young children, such as stories, pup-pets, simple games, pictures and videotaped

vignettes, role-play and dramatic play, andart activities, are used. Joseph and Strain(2003) evaluated efficacy data for a numberof social-emotional curricular packages aimedat young children and, of the 8 curricula re-viewed, found a high level of evidence foronly 2 programs (Walker et al., 1998; Webster-Stratton, 1990), with lesser evidence sup-porting the effectiveness of the remainingprograms.

Multicomponent interventionsIntervention packages utilizing combina-

tions of parent-focused, teacher-focused, andchild-focused components have also been de-veloped and tested with young children. Oneof the most extensively researched is TheIncredible Years Parent and Teachers Seriesdeveloped by Carolyn Webster-Stratton. Thegroup parenting component teaches positiveparenting and discipline, methods for teach-

ing and supporting childrens prosocial skills,communicating with teachers, and stress cop-ing skills. Similarly, the teacher training work-

shops focus on positive classroom manage-ment and discipline along with strategiesfor promoting childrens social and problem-solving skills, and building relationships with

parents. When used for children with oppo-sitional defiant disorder, Head Start children,and toddlers in high-risk behavior problemgroups, the program proved effective in re-ducing child conduct problems at home andschool (Gross et al., 2003; Webster-Stratton,Reid, & Hammond, 2001, 2004).

Webster-Stratton has also developed a child-focused intervention, the Dina Dinosaurs So-cial Skills and Problem-Solving Curriculum, asocial skills curriculum designed for use with

small groups of young children identified withconduct problems (Webster-Stratton, 1990).The curriculum is delivered by trained ther-apists in a clinic setting and uses video-taped modeling, imaginary play with puppets,and other child-friendly methods to teachproblem solving, friendship, anger control,and other skills. Combining the child cur-riculum with the Webster-Stratton parentingseries was found to produce more signifi-

cant improvements in home behavior thaneither component alone (Webster-Stratton &Hammond, 1997). There also appeared to beadded benefits to combining teacher trainingwith child training (Webster-Stratton & Reid,2003).

Children with persistent challenging

behavior

When children have persistent challengingbehavior that is not responsive to interven-

tions at the previous levels (eg, preventivepractices, social and emotional learning strate-gies), comprehensive interventions are devel-oped to resolve the problem behavior andsupport the development of new skills. Pos-itive Behavior Support (PBS) provides an ap-proach to addressing problem behavior that isindividually designed, can be applied withinall natural environments, and is focused onsupporting the child in developing new skills

(Fox, Dunlap, Powell, 2002).PBS offers a process for defining chal-lenging behavior, understanding the factors


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that relate to the childs use of problem be-havior, identifying the function or purposeof the behavior, and developing behaviorsupport plans that result in an increase in

the use of appropriate behavior and newskills (Fox, Dunlap, & Cushing, 2002; ONeillet al., 1997). A synthesis of the research onPBS applications with individuals with devel-opmental disabilities provides important dataon the efficacy and applicability of PBS (Carret al., 1999). In this review of 109 studies con-ducted from 19851996, the authors deter-mined that 68% of the studies showed sub-stantial reductions of problem behavior of80% or more from baseline. Since that com-

prehensive literature review, there continuesto be accumulating evidence on the effective-ness of PBS with a range of populations, in-cluding young children (Blair, Umbreit, & Bos,1999; Dunlap & Fox, 1999; Frea & Hepburn,1999; Galensky, Miltenberger, Stricker, &Garlinghouse, 2001; Moes & Frea, 2000;Reeve & Carr, 2000).

PBS is implemented by a team composedof the childs family, caregivers, and profes-

sionals who provide services to the child. Theteam is guided in the process by an early in-terventionist, mental health professional, be-havior specialist, or other professional whois trained in the approach. Teaming is a fun-damental component of PBS, as the behav-ior support plan that is developed will beused by all of the team members in all ofthe childs routines and activities. Each teammember brings a unique perspective aboutthe child and contributes knowledge to the

development of a behavior support plan thatcan be implemented within the childs naturalenvironments.

The team begins the PBS process by con-ducting a functional assessment. Functionalassessment involves conducting observationsand collecting information that lead to an un-derstanding of the factors that relate to thechilds engagement in challenging behavior.The functional assessment culminates in the

development of hypotheses about the pur-pose or function of the childs problem be-havior. Once the function of the behavior is

identified, strategies can be developed to pre-vent the problem behavior from occurringand to teach the child new ways to communi-cate or get his or her needs met without using

problem behavior. These strategies comprisethe childs behavior support plan.

A behavior support plan always includesthe following components: hypotheses aboutthe function of the problem behavior, pre-vention strategies to minimize the childsuse of problem behavior, new skills that willbe taught to the child to replace problem be-havior, and responses to behavior that ensurethat problem behavior will not be maintained.In addition, most behavior support plans will

include long-term support strategies thatwill promote the childs social, emotional,and behavioral progress and access to aquality lifestyle. The final component that isessential for all behavior support plans is aprocess for measuring the outcomes of planimplementation. Outcome measurement mayinclude changes in the problem behavior,changes in the use of appropriate commu-nication or social skills, and/or changes in

broader outcomes, such as family stress,child friendship development, or parentingsatisfaction.

Once the behavior support plan is devel-oped, the plan is implemented by the childscaregivers within the natural environment. Inearly education and care environments, theteaching staff implement the behavior sup-port plan within the childs routine activitiesand play and the family implements the sup-port plan at home. When the process is used

within home intervention or home visitingprograms, the behavior support plan is imple-mented by the family who may be taught orcoached on how to implement the strategies(Dunlap & Fox, 1996). Team members meetperiodically to review the childs progress andto monitor plan implementation.

Although the approach is still new, the useof PBS with young children and families is in-creasing rapidly. A number of resources are

becoming available in print and via the Inter-net (eg, www.challengingbehavior.org), anddata are accumulating that will help refine
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/http://www.challengingbehavior.org/


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the approach and determine the parametersof its effectiveness. As knowledge is gained,it is likely that the development of increasingnumbers of young children affected by chal-

lenging behavior can be rerouted toward a tra-jectory of social-emotional competence andreadiness for school.

SUMMARY

The occurrence of challenging behaviorspresents serious and deleterious implicationsfor all aspects of young childrens develop-

ment. As awareness of these issues grows, itwill be increasingly urgent that a systematic,evidence-based approach be promoted andadopted by teachers, care givers, and parents.

In this article, we have described a frameworkthat is designed as a strategic template foraddressing challenging behaviors at primary,secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. Itis hoped that the framework serves as a func-tional heuristic for the further development ofeffective prevention and intervention strate-gies to address the challenging behaviors ofyoung children.

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