A Comparison of School-Based and Community-Based Adherence to Wraparound During Family Planning Meetings

Recently a number of studies have begun to examine how the wraparound approach is adhered to during family planning meetings in community-based settings. However, no studies have compared wraparound family planning meetings across community-based and school-based settings. The purpose of this study was to examine adherence to the wraparound approach during family planning meetings across school-based and community-based settings to determine if there is a difference in the participants, domains discussed, and key characteristics of wraparound. Over the course of 9 months, observations were conducted on community-based (N = 85) and school-based (N = 109) wraparound family planning meetings. Results indicate a number of similarities and a few differences between the settings. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice in Early Childhood

Young children often present with challenging behaviors such as tantrums, aggression, and noncompliance. Rates of expulsion for behavior concerns in early childhood are alarming and can have long-term negative implications for children and their families (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, 2022). Implementation of a systematic multi-tiered system of supports framework can improve behavioral outcomes of young children. To effectively meet child and family needs within these frameworks, it is integral for members of the team to collaborate. Interdisciplinary teams within early childhood might include families, teachers, school psychologists, behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and other related mental health and medical providers. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative outlined competencies for interdisciplinary collaborative practice that are organized within four domains: values and ethics, roles/responsibilities, interdisciplinary communication, and teams/teamwork. To facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration (IC) in practice, it is important to provide opportunities for collaboration across disciplines within coursework and field experiences. In this paper, we provide an example of an interdisciplinary training program to support behavioral and mental health needs of children. The training includes graduate students in applied behavior analysis, school psychology, and special education. Scholars participating in the program complete coursework for their specific programs in addition to joint coursework, seminars, and practicum activities in school settings. Throughout the program, scholars gain knowledge and skills in eight competencies identified for the program. Based on the literature and our training experience, we also outline insights and actions for training at the university-level and practitioner-level to implement interdisciplinary teaming

POWER UP: A Persuasive Writing Strategy for Secondary Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

In the area of written expression, students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) typically perform one to two grades below their same age, non-disabled peers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on writing interventions to improve these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a persuasive writing strategy called POWER UP to improve the quality of persuasive essays for secondary students with EBD. The results suggest that a mnemonic strategy based on the Self-Regulated Strategy Development Model (SRSD) can improve the quality of persuasive writing essays for secondary students with EBD

Applied Examples of Screening Students At Risk of Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Early identification of student behavioral needs allows educators the opportunity to apply appropriate interventions before negative behaviors become more intensive and persistent. A variety of screening tools are available to identify which students are at risk for persistent behavior problems in school. This article provides two examples in which the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) was used to identify students at risk of emotional or behavioral problems. Example 1 demonstrates how the EBS can be used within a school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports framework to inform decision making. Example 2 demonstrates how the EBS can be used to inform behavioral intervention decisions in an individual teacher’s classroom. Finally, suggestions for using the EBS across various school formats are provided

Factor analysis of teacher ratings for the Lithuanian translated Behavioral and Emotional Rating Sale

Internationally there has been increased recognition of the value of strength based assessment in educational and mental health service delivery. While there are a number of informal methods for determining a child's strengths and assets, there are few standardized strength based assessments available for international use. In this study the teacher version of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2) was translated into Lithuanian to determine its factor structure for use in Lithuania. The results suggest that the Lithuanian BERS-2 can be a useful strength based assessment for teachers and schools in Lithuania

Assessing the Wraparound Process During Family Planning Meetings

Research and evaluation of the wraparound process has typically focused on outcomes, service providers, and costs. While many of these studies describe a process that is consistent with the wraparound approach, few studies have reported attempts to monitor or measure the treatment fidelity of the wraparound process. The purpose of this study was to assess the fidelity of the wraparound process in a community-based system of care using the Wraparound Observation Form-Second Version. Results from 112 family planning meetings indicated some strengths and weaknesses within the current system. Families and professionals were frequently involved in the planning and implementation of the wraparound process. However, informal supports and natural family supports were not present in a majority of the meetings. Given the significant number of youth served in wraparound programs, the benefits of using the Wraparound Observation Form-Second Version as an instrument to monitor the fidelity of the wraparound approach should not be ignored