Examination of the Mechanisms Underlying Effectiveness of the Turtle Technique

Abstract

A significant number of young children exhibit challenging behaviors in preschool settings. A tiered framework of intervention has documented effectiveness in elementary and secondary schools, and recently has been extended to preschool settings. Although there is emerging research to support the effectiveness of Tier 1 (universal) and Tier 3 (intensive) interventions with young children, few studies have evaluated Tier 2 interventions. In this investigation, we examined the effects of the Turtle Technique, a Tier 2 self-control intervention, with three children ages 3 to 4 using a multiple baseline across participants design. In addition, we examined operational components of the intervention. Results showed reductions in behavior following intervention implementation; however, direct observations indicated that the children did not utilize overt techniques as taught. The findings imply that additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms responsible for behavior change as a result of the Turtle Technique.

Preschool Suspension and Expulsion for Young Children With Disabilities

“…Children who are denied access to early educational environments are at increased risk of academic failure, holding negative school attitudes, dropping out of high school, and being involved in the juvenile justice system (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2013; American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; Petras et al, 2011). A plethora of research has supported the assertion that children who demonstrate problem behaviors in the preschool years are significantly more likely to develop behavior disorders later in life (Bayat et al, 2010; Drogan & Kern, 2014; Feil et al, 2014; Fox et al, 2006). Suspension is a primary tool for responding to student misbehavior (Achilles et al, 2007; Sharkey & Fenning, 2012) even though exclusion has not been shown to be associated with improving student behavior (Raffaele et al, 2002; Skiba et al, 2012; Zhang et al, 2004).…”