Promoting children's social emotional development through classroom consultation

Abstract

Setting up and executing effective interventions is important to the advancement of a classroom of children, particularly those who are at risk. The DECA-P2 was administered as a screening tool to five classrooms at community childcare centers. Children were categorized as “TYPICAL” or at “NEED” based on their T scores on Total Protective Factors and Behavioral Concerns. Children in “NEED” received individualized behavioral interventions. All were rescreened to see how classroom consultation by a mental health specialist affected their social and emotional functioning. This study examines the differences between Pre and Post DECA-P2 scores for children in “NEED” compared to children who were “TYPICAL” at pretest. Those in “NEED” showed more improvements in protective factors and behavior concerns than their “TYPICAL” peers. The results support classroom consultation as an intervention to address individual children’s behavioral challenges while supporting the social and emotional development of all children in the classroom.