Abstract
Increasing numbers of young children are being expelled from child care settings because of their problem behavior. Access to mental health consultation is related to lower rates of expulsion, but additional data are needed to document the pathways through which mental health consultation reduces the risk of expulsion. We report on outcomes from a 4-year project designed to reduce the number of children expelled for problem behavior in a large suburban county in Maryland. Two master’s-level professionals provided behavioral consultation to child care providers who identified nearly 200 children at imminent risk for expulsion. Child care providers rated children’s social skills and problem behaviors at referral and discharge using the Preschool Kindergarten Behavior Scales and the Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment. Statistically significant increases in social skills and reductions in problem behaviors were seen for children who received individualized consultation. More than three-quarters of the children who were at risk for expulsion were able to be maintained in their current child care placement; of those that changed placements, only half (n = 13) were removed involuntarily. These findings provide additional support for mental health consultation as a promising strategy to reduce the risk for expulsion for young children with problem behaviors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bagnato, S. J., Neisworth, J. T., Salvia, J. J., & Hunt, F. M. (1999). Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS): Early childhood indicators of developmental dysfunction. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing
Brennan, E. M., Bradley, J. R., Allen, M. D., Perry, D. F., & Tsega, A. (2005a, March). The evidence base for mental health consultation in early childhood settings: Research synthesis and review. Paper presented at the Establishing the Evidence Base for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, Tampa, FL
Brennan, E. M., Bradley, J. R., Allen, M. D., Perry, D. F., & Tsega, A. (2007). The evidence base for mental health consultation in early childhood settings: research synthesis addressing staff and program outcomes. Manuscript submitted for publication
Briggs-Gowan, M. J., & Carter, A. S. (2002). Brief-Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA): Manual. Version 2.0. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
Center for Evidence-Based Practices: Young Children with Challenging Behavior. (2005). Prevention and intervention with young children’s challenging behavior: A consensus based summary of current knowledge. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida
Center for Mental Health in Schools. (2005). Youngsters’ mental health and psychosocial problems: What are the data? Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles
Cohen, E., & Kaufmann, R. (2000). Early childhood mental health consultation. Rockville, MD: Center for mental health services of the substance abuse and mental health services administration and the georgetown university child development center
Gilliam, W. S. & Shahar, G. (2006). Pre-kindergarten expulsion and suspension: Rates and predictors in one state. Infants & Young Children, 19(3), 228–245
Gilliam, W. S. (2005). Pre-kindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state pre-kindergarten systems. New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center
Lavigne, J. V., Gibbons, R. D., Christoffel, K. K., Arend, R., Rosenbaum, D., & Binns, H. (1996). Prevalence rates and correlates of psychiatric disorders among preschool children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 204–214
Merrell, K. W. (1995). Preschool and kindergarten behavior scales. Pro-Ed, Austin, TX
Merrell, K. W. (2002). Preschool and kindergarten behavior scales (2nd. Ed.). Pro-Ed, Austin, TX
NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2005). Child care and child development. New York: Guilford Press
Qi, C., & Kaiser, A. (2003) Behavior problems of preschool children from low-income families: A review of the literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23, 188–216
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perry, D.F., Dunne, M.C., McFadden, L. et al. Reducing the Risk for Preschool Expulsion: Mental Health Consultation for Young Children with Challenging Behaviors. J Child Fam Stud 17, 44–54 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-007-9140-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-007-9140-7