Many randomized controlled trials have investigated the role of school-based prevention interventions to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in young people. Systematic reviews have subsequently demonstrated a small, beneficial effect of these interventions when compared to a combined control group including usual care, no intervention, or…

School psychologists commonly conduct consultations focused on behavioral issues; however, questions remain regarding best-practices when conducting consultations with families from historically marginalized communities. The present study aimed to review the empirical literature base examining multicultural competencies in behaviorally-focused…

Suicide prevention programs delivered in school settings have been shown to reduce suicide attempts and ideation among adolescents. School-based digital interventions targeting at-risk youth are a promising avenue for suicide prevention, and some evidence has shown that blending digital and face-to-face components may improve the effectiveness.…

Early intervention supports infants and toddlers with confirmed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in achieving optimal outcomes, and caregiver-implemented NDBIs are recommended as a developmentally appropriate intervention approach for very young children and their families. Research highlights discrepancies between early…

Objective: Many treatment engagement challenges are documented for adolescents with ADHD. Across contexts, helping professionals (i.e., therapists, prescribers, educators, coaches) might benefit from an engagement strategy toolbox to facilitate work with adolescents with ADHD and their families. Method: The current study describes the development…

A small rural district in the eastern United States is experiencing challenges related to meeting the diverse behavioral needs of its special education students. After out-of-district placement options were limited due to the aftereffects of COVID-19, school leaders worked together to create a specialized program within their own district to meet…

The purpose of this study was to assess teacher perceptions in implementing a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) plan in an elementary school. The study was mainly quantitative, using surveys, personal interviews, and observations to measure teacher perceptions. The study focused on the common areas. The rules, procedures, and…

Naturalistic intervention (NI) originates from applied behavior analysis, which is the use of behavioral techniques to teach learners specific skills. Naturalistic intervention (NI) integrates the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) into the natural environment, or into a learner's everyday routines and activities so that the acquired…

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month's issue describes examples of challenging student behavior and provides ideas to help confront this type of behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of rehabilitative programming are currently available for nearly all criminogenic needs. However, there is limited rehabilitative programming available for sexual offenders with minor victims. In order to develop effective programming within future research, the underlying motivations must be explored.…

Numerous efforts are underway to train clinicians in evidence-based practices. Unfortunately, the field has few practical measures of therapist adherence and skill with which to judge the success of these training and implementation efforts. One possible assessment method is using behavioral rehearsal, or role-play, as an analogue for therapist…

The present study examined the efficacy of a 6-session Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) career intervention program for high school students in reducing career decision-making difficulties and emotional distress. Nine classes of 11th graders in two Romanian public high schools (N = 233) were randomly assigned to a REBT career intervention…

The publicly funded early intervention program for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nova Scotia, Canada, uses the pivotal response treatment (PRT) model. Parents are coached in use of PRT strategies during their children's first week of treatment. We explored whether parents of older preschoolers with limited verbal ability…

There are five developmental areas: gross motor, fine motor, communication, adaptive behavior, and social-emotional. If social-emotional skills are delayed, all other developmental areas are negatively impacted. Preschool-aged students are incapable of kindergarten readiness if they have a delay in social-emotional development as it impacts their…

Schools have become increasingly interested in social-emotional learning (SEL) over the past decade, and that interest has grown due to concern about student well-being resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is confusion around SEL. Christi Bergin, Christina Cipriano, Tia Barnes, Shannon B. Wanless, researchers who have studied and…