Smart Start: a feasible intervention for young children with disabilities and trauma

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to contribute information to service delivery gaps within the intervention literature related to the expense and inaccessibility of evidence-informed interventions for children with disabilities who have experienced maltreatment. A non-concurrent multiple baseline method was used to determine a relationship between the intervention and children’s challenging behaviors for five caregiver-child dyads. Results from visual analysis, masked visual analysis, and hierarchical linear modeling supported a statistically and clinically significant relationship between Smart Start and improved caregiver ratings of children’s challenging behaviors. The intervention was implemented with good fidelity, and all caregivers found Smart Start acceptable.

KEYWORDS:

• Child Maltreatment
• child Welfare
• evidence-Based Practices

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Association of School Psychologists; USF Women’s Health Collaborative; Florida Association of School Psychologists; Early Childhood Council and Children’s Board of Hillsborough County; Florida Institute for Child Welfare.

Notes on contributors

Sarah Dickinson

Sarah Dickinson, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Florida Rothman Center for Pediatric Neuropsychiatry. She specializes in early childhood intervention, particularly parenting interventions for disruptive behavior and trauma. Her research interests include behavioral parenting for children with trauma and the development of evidence-based practices for childhood trauma across childcare settings.

Heather Agazzi

Dr. Heather Agazzi is an Associate Professor in Pediatrics and the Section Chief of the Division of Child Development. She is a licensed psychologist and board certified in child and adolescent clinical psychology. Dr. Agazzi is the Internship Director of the USF Health Internship in Professional Psychology. She specializes in services for children with a range of neurodevelopmental problems including disruptive behavior disorders, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, trauma exposures, and learning disabilities. Dr. Agazzi’s research interests include behavioral parent training programs for children with developmental disabilities, disruptive behavior disorders, and social-emotional problems associated with trauma. Namely, her research has focused on the implementation of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy, HOT DOCS, and Smart Start for young children and their families.

Emily Shaffer-Hudkins

Emily-Shaffer Hudkins, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Morsani College of Medicine at USF. She is the Director for the Bay Area Early Steps program, which provides developmental evaluation and early intervention, and therapy to children birth to three years of age in two local counties. Dr. Shaffer-Hudkins is a licensed psychologist, with a clinical specialty in the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors, autism spectrum disorder, and overall social-emotional development in young children. She collaborates on several projects related to interdisciplinary health care and the promotion of health-related quality of life for infants and children with complex developmental delays or healthcare needs.

John Ferron

John Ferron, PhD is a professor in the Educational Measurement and Research Program in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies at the University of South Florida. He obtained his PhD from the University of North Carolina. He teaches courses in educational statistics and has research interests that focus on the development and application of statistical methods for educational research, including methods for the design, analysis, and meta-analysis of single-case experimental studies.