Who shall be served? Issues in screening for emotional and behavioral problems in school

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Effective school screening programs are crucial for early identification of behavioral and emotional problems in children.
• Longitudinal data provides valuable insights into developmental trajectories and risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address key issues in designing and implementing effective school screening programs.
• To identify early child characteristics predicting later behavioral and emotional problems.
• To assess the accuracy of a comprehensive screening procedure and compare different screening models.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a longitudinal study of over 500 children (preschool through third grade).
• Identified predictive characteristics of behavioral and emotional problems.
• Assessed the accuracy of a comprehensive screening procedure.
• Compared two screening models using preschool and kindergarten data.

Main Results:

• Early child characteristics were identified as predictors of later behavioral and emotional problems.
• The accuracy of the comprehensive screening procedure was assessed.
• Characteristics of children missed by the screening models were detailed.
• Labeling issues associated with screening were discussed.

Conclusions:

• Findings have implications for improving the design and implementation of school screening programs.
• Recommendations are provided for future screening efforts, policy development, and research.
• Early identification and intervention are critical for addressing child behavioral and emotional health.