School-based day treatment is an intensive mental health service for children with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Research on day treatment is scarce and descriptions of program models are lacking. We used stimulated recall interviews to explore the moment-to-moment processes and strategies of classroom staff in a day treatment…

Neurodiverse children in day treatment programs often experience behavioral challenges that limit their opportunities to engage in recreational physical activities. These activities are important for physical health and aid in developing motor and socio-emotional skills. The present study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to…

Objectives: Evaluations of treatments using applied behavior analysis (ABA) for challenging behavior have relied mostly on direct behavioral observation. While observation is crucial, qualitative information can also be beneficial. In this study, we describe methods for using qualitative information in ABA treatments for challenging behavior.…

Proximity control is a common component of many classroom management strategies and has been shown to reduce disruptive behavior as well as increase academic engagement among students. Much of the research on proximity control to date has been conducted in structured classroom settings or in combination with other behavioral management techniques.…

Adolescent students with psychiatric disorders who are educated in day treatment school classrooms manifest cognitive limitations, maladaptive behaviors, and social functioning deficits that often lead to academic failure, impeding their productivity when they become adults and causing them to run afoul of the criminal justice system. Informed by…

While the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy for childhood anxiety disorders, including separation anxiety disorder (SAD), has been established, tailoring such treatments to particular interests and needs may enhance uptake of evidence-based interventions. The current investigation evaluates the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an…

Jade County Public Schools has provided school-based therapeutic day treatment in its public schools for more than 10 years. This program was adopted by the school system to provide an intervention in the school and classroom to address the challenging behaviors of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Currently, three human services…

Objective: Interventions for peer problems among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) typically focus on improving these children's behaviors. This study tested the proposition that an adjunctive component encouraging the peer group to be socially inclusive of children with ADHD would augment the efficacy of traditional…

The costs of treating youth who sexually harm others can exceed $200,000 Australian (US$220,000) per annum when they are placed in a residential type facility in either Australia or North America. Following the financial meltdown of the past two years, North American based residential-style programs have found themselves under increasing financial…

Treatment outcome studies demonstrate that day-hospital programs are effective in the treatment of eating disorders. Few descriptions are available on the specifics of treatment, particularly the process of therapy. The group therapy modality is thought to provide important therapeutic benefits. The present study aimed to examine the association…

The Natural Language Paradigm (NLP) has proven effective in increasing spontaneous verbalizations for children with autism. This study investigated the use of NLP with older adults with cognitive impairments served at a leisure-based adult day program for seniors. Three individuals with limited spontaneous use of functional language participated…

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports model, first introduced into public schools, has been extended to alternative settings. This article highlights applying PBIS to day treatment and residential treatment education programs increasingly challenged to serve seriously emotionally disturbed youth whose risk factors have become more…

The study found, in contrast with an earlier study done with similar children in the same program, that a group of 29 severely disturbed children, including those with preadmission histories of severe aggressive/destructive behavior, had positive outcomes from a day hospital treatment program. Programmatic changes are proposed as responsible for…

Ten day students and 10 residential students with visual impairments in grades 3-5 participated in 18 weekly self-esteem building exercises. No intergroup differences in self-esteem were found, and data were inconclusive on the effectiveness of the self-esteem building activities. (CR)

Results from an outcome study of 50 adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems in a partial hospitalization program reflect parental involvement during the treatment process. High parental involvement is related to greater improvement in school and home functioning, reduced rehospitalization, and reduced pathology and problem severity…