Efficacy Trial of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program for Children With Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Problems
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Cognitive Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 4 - 6 |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | April 2008 |
| End Date: | March 2013 |
A Randomized Efficacy Trial of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program for Children With Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Problems
This study focuses on children entering kindergarten with co-occurring developmental
disabilities and behavior problems, a population especially likely to have low levels of
school readiness. Prior research has shown that children with developmental disabilities are
at risk for academic difficulties. Behavioral and social problems are likely to interfere
with school adjustment. The investigators hypothesize that children who receive the
intervention will show better school readiness and school adjustment outcomes.
disabilities and behavior problems, a population especially likely to have low levels of
school readiness. Prior research has shown that children with developmental disabilities are
at risk for academic difficulties. Behavioral and social problems are likely to interfere
with school adjustment. The investigators hypothesize that children who receive the
intervention will show better school readiness and school adjustment outcomes.
Purpose: This project is a randomized efficacy trial of KITS, an intervention to enhance
social-emotional and early literacy domains of school readiness in children with
co-occurring developmental disabilities and behavior problems who are entering kindergarten.
Setting: The setting for the intervention will be playgroups and parent support groups
conducted in center-based classrooms during the summer before and the first 2 months of
kindergarten.
Population: This study involves the recruitment of 200 children with co-occurring
developmental disabilities and behavioral problems who are entering kindergarten in the fall
(four yearly cohorts of 50 children each). The children will be recruited from the Lane
County, Oregon, public agency responsible for early childhood special education services.
Intervention: KITS is a short-term, intensive program timed to occur during the transition
to kindergarten—a critical developmental milestone with far-reaching effects on school
outcomes. The KITS curriculum focuses on the social-emotional and early literacy skills
shown to be essential for success in kindergarten and on contextual characteristics (i.e.,
parent involvement in early literacy and positive parenting) to support and promote these
skills. KITS features 24 curriculum-based school readiness playgroups to facilitate the
development of self-regulatory, social, and early literacy skills (twice weekly in the
summer before kindergarten and once weekly September-October) and 7 psychoeducational parent
groups focused on parent involvement in early literacy and positive parenting practices
(every 2 weeks June-October).
Research Design and Methods: Children will be randomly assigned to the KITS intervention
condition or a services-as-usual comparison group and assessed at four intervals: spring
prior to kindergarten, immediately prior to kindergarten entry, kindergarten fall, and
kindergarten spring. One hundred fifty of the children will also be assessed in the spring
of first grade. KITS children will receive the intervention as described above.
Control condition: Children in the comparison group will receive any ECSE or other services
that they would typically receive. These will be assessed at each data collection point.
Key measures: Multimethod, multiagent outcome measures will include the following: direct
assessments of the child's social-emotional and early literacy skills prior to kindergarten
and social-emotional functioning and literacy skills during kindergarten and first grade;
parent and teacher reports on children's characteristics, parent involvement in early
literacy and school, and parenting practices; and direct classroom observations of
children's academic engaged time and social behaviors during unstructured school time.
Data-analytic strategies: Analyses will employ variable-based (e.g., ANOVA and regression)
and person-based (e.g., latent growth curve modeling) approaches. SEM will be used to test
how changes in hypothesized mediators affect outcomes and how outcomes vary depending on
level of hypothesized moderators.
social-emotional and early literacy domains of school readiness in children with
co-occurring developmental disabilities and behavior problems who are entering kindergarten.
Setting: The setting for the intervention will be playgroups and parent support groups
conducted in center-based classrooms during the summer before and the first 2 months of
kindergarten.
Population: This study involves the recruitment of 200 children with co-occurring
developmental disabilities and behavioral problems who are entering kindergarten in the fall
(four yearly cohorts of 50 children each). The children will be recruited from the Lane
County, Oregon, public agency responsible for early childhood special education services.
Intervention: KITS is a short-term, intensive program timed to occur during the transition
to kindergarten—a critical developmental milestone with far-reaching effects on school
outcomes. The KITS curriculum focuses on the social-emotional and early literacy skills
shown to be essential for success in kindergarten and on contextual characteristics (i.e.,
parent involvement in early literacy and positive parenting) to support and promote these
skills. KITS features 24 curriculum-based school readiness playgroups to facilitate the
development of self-regulatory, social, and early literacy skills (twice weekly in the
summer before kindergarten and once weekly September-October) and 7 psychoeducational parent
groups focused on parent involvement in early literacy and positive parenting practices
(every 2 weeks June-October).
Research Design and Methods: Children will be randomly assigned to the KITS intervention
condition or a services-as-usual comparison group and assessed at four intervals: spring
prior to kindergarten, immediately prior to kindergarten entry, kindergarten fall, and
kindergarten spring. One hundred fifty of the children will also be assessed in the spring
of first grade. KITS children will receive the intervention as described above.
Control condition: Children in the comparison group will receive any ECSE or other services
that they would typically receive. These will be assessed at each data collection point.
Key measures: Multimethod, multiagent outcome measures will include the following: direct
assessments of the child's social-emotional and early literacy skills prior to kindergarten
and social-emotional functioning and literacy skills during kindergarten and first grade;
parent and teacher reports on children's characteristics, parent involvement in early
literacy and school, and parenting practices; and direct classroom observations of
children's academic engaged time and social behaviors during unstructured school time.
Data-analytic strategies: Analyses will employ variable-based (e.g., ANOVA and regression)
and person-based (e.g., latent growth curve modeling) approaches. SEM will be used to test
how changes in hypothesized mediators affect outcomes and how outcomes vary depending on
level of hypothesized moderators.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Received early childhood special education services
- Judged to have behavioral problems that would interfere with the transition to
kindergarten
- Entering kindergarten in the fall of the year in which recruited into the study
Exclusion Criteria:
- Mono-lingual Spanish speaker
- Severe visual, hearing or physical impairment that would prevent the child from
completing the assessment tasks or participating in the intervention
We found this trial at
1
site
Click here to add this to my saved trials
