The author describes the Behavioral Intervention Program designed to serve children in the Gila County, Arizona public schools, who exhibit behavior and/or emotional problems. Section I outlines the program's philosophy, basic principles necessary to implement the program, program strengths and areas of concern, program procedures, and…

A prereferral intervention program was instituted: to ensure that children within a Head Start program who had special needs were identified and referred in a timely manner; to prevent the mistaken referral or labeling of children with mild delays who did not require intervention; and to increase the effectiveness of the existing referral system.…