Designing an Executive Function Intervention for High-Risk Preschoolers: An Iterative Process of Intervention Development

Executive function (EF), which has been linked to a host of positive outcomes including social competence and academic success, also predicts academic achievement in homeless/highly mobile (HHM) children. The malleability of EF, demonstrated by training studies, further supports targeting these skills in intervention efforts to improve school readiness. We are developing a three component intervention targeting EF skills in preschoolers, including classroom curriculum, parent education, and individual training. The intervention is designed for HHM children, a neglected but growing segment of the preschool and school-aged population at risk for academic and behavioral problems, but with flexibility for diverse populations.

The goals of this project include developing a program that will 1) work in diverse preschool classrooms for children with varying EF skill levels, 2) engage key players across multiple contexts in a child’s life, and 3) reach children who are most in need of intervention. First, we are developing activities of a graded nature to meet children at their current level of functioning, allowing us to provide extra challenge or scaffolding as necessary for specific children. Second, we have integrated classroom and parent components, recognizing that parent engagement is particularly important for mobile students. Third, we use an adapted response to intervention (RTI) model to augment training for children whose limited EF skills preclude participation in the classroom level intervention.

The intervention is under development through an iterative process made possible by a partnership of collaborators from the shelter system, public schools, university lab school, and a team of researchers. Initial iterations of the three components have been field-tested in an emergency shelter and other early childhood programs and refined for further iterations. This poster will describe the initial design and refinement process within the Goal 2 framework of an Institute of Education Sciences grant. Theory of change and related program content will be highlighted, together with implementation strategies developed for families in the midst of crisis and measurement strategies for change and fidelity. Study design and preliminary data from a comprehensive early 2014 pilot-test of the combined components will be described.