Dual-factor models of mental health, those that include risk of psychopathology and wellbeing/protective factors, provide a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's complete mental health. Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are each independently linked in the literature with predicting the…

As academic standards for incoming kindergarten students at Morris Early Childhood Center (MECC), in the Milford School District, increase, a significant obstacle to student achievement has emerged. The deficiency of social and emotional skills among MECC students has increasingly impeded school staff from focusing on instruction due to the…

In Taiwan, the high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children has increased public awareness of young children's social-emotional development in recent years. Early identification of social-emotional delays for all young children, and subsequent early intervention (EI) with ongoing monitoring for children with special needs are…

Children who are deaf are at risk for the development of behavioral issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Early diagnosis and intervention are imperative based on the lack of communication, development of language, emotional and social functioning in these children. Current intervention programs for children who are deaf…

Low income male preschoolers with externalizing behaviors have continued behavior issues throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, and into adulthood and create stress for their teachers. Because of this, it is important to detect externalizing behaviors early and implement an appropriate intervention. A single subject reversal…

This dissertation is comprised of three studies using restricted data from the ECLS-K:1998 to address the questions who is placed in special education? and what happens after they are placed? Though these questions have been extensively studied, existing research has largely ignored the intersection of longitudinal developmental pathways and…

As the prevalence of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise, the need for high quality parent coaching practices to ensure generalization of skills targeting in early intervention services is pronounced. This mixed methods study investigated the results of implementation of a parent coaching treatment package developed in alignment with…

Challenging behavior often impacts a child's education along with peer and family relationships. It is estimated that 10-30% of all typically developing preschool children have chronic, mild to moderate levels of behavior problems. Given the significant impact that challenging behavior can have on a child's development, relationships, and future…

Dealing with students' behavioral problems is one of the most pressing concerns facing educators today, and teachers are feeling inadequately equipped to meet the challenge. The objective of this research was to better understand prevailing delinquency problems in K-12 classrooms, and how teachers address them. Although calls to improve school…

Social-emotional development, psychosocial functioning, and relational experiences have been shown to impact academic achievement and psychological well-being. Social skills have been identified as being particularly critical in promoting mental health and life-long success. Children with well-developed social skills (e.g., sharing, being…

There is great concern by teachers, school administrators and parents regarding the increase in the number of preschool-aged students who exhibit challenging behavior in early childhood settings (Benedict, Horner & Squires 2007), need for early intervention procedures that focus on young children who may be at risk for developing patterns of…

Reading is a necessary skill in our modern society and is increasingly critical for success in our highly technological society. Yet many children from low-SES backgrounds struggle to develop reading proficiency (Lee, Grigg, & Donahue, 2007) and continuing concerns about this pervasive relationship has led to an increased focus on creating…

This exploratory study examined the effectiveness of child teacher relationship training (CTRT) with at-risk preschool children exhibiting disruptive behavior. The participants included a total of 23 Head Start teachers and their aides, and children identified by their teachers as exhibiting clinical or borderline levels of externalizing behavior…

Secure mother-child attachment has been found to be an important factor in the healthy emotional development of children and has been shown to have effects on child, adolescent, and adult behavior. Previous research has primarily focused on attachment in children who are typically developing. However, little research has been conducted in…

This study explored five years of results from participants in the Project DATA Comprehensive Treatment Model (CTM) which provided intensive early intervention services to young students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Data from up to 69 preschool students were utilized in determining pre-/post-program performance on a variety of outcome…