Teacher-Child Interaction Training with an Urban Clinical Preschool Population

The current study examined the impact of the relationship-enhancement phase of the Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) intervention on child behavior and teacher skill use within an urban therapeutic classroom milieu. Participants included four preschool children (mean age 4 years, 8 months) with clinical diagnoses attending a therapeutic preschool for children with emotional and behavioral needs. Direct observations of child and teacher behaviors were completed throughout the study. A single subject A-B design was conducted across subjects. Initial results suggest the relationship-enhancement strategies included in TCIT may positively influence the frequency of disruptive behaviors while improving prosocial behaviors, especially for children experiencing several risk factors and exhibiting markedly elevated behavioral excesses. Findings also suggest the intervention affected teachers' use of the positive attention skills. This study provides initial support for the implementation of a relationship-based technique to support teachers in addressing the disruptive behaviors of children within an urban classroom environment.