School-Home Behavioral Program for Latino Children with Attention and Behavior Concerns

Introduction

Behavioral interventions are empirically supported treatments which seek to improve the functioning of youth with attention/behavior problems by teaching lifelong skills to the children and the caretakers in their environment. The risk of attention/behavioral concerns appears similar across cultures, but Latino families less likely to utilize evidence-based services. Recently, an evidence-based behavioral intervention for youth with attention/behavior problems (Collaborative Life Skills; CLS) was developed with several aspects that theoretically combat barriers to care for Latinos (e.g., the program is offered in Spanish for free at a convenient/trusted location: the child’s school); however, it is unclear if barriers persist. Thus the current study investigates differences between Latino and non-Latino families participating in CLS.

Methods

28 elementary schools (six students/school) participated in CLS; four of those schools were designated to receive CLS in Spanish. Caregivers and teachers completed assessments before and after treatment and Latino caregivers were invited to provide feedback in a focus group.

Results

To investigate problem recognition difficulties, the discrepancy in parent vs. teacher ratings on the Children’s Symptom Inventory was evaluated. Pre-program, Latino parents were marginally more likely to under-report inattention in their children (t=1.77, p=.079).

To investigate if Latino families are less likely to participate in CLS, recruitment data were examined. Latino parents were marginally more likely to express interest in participating (X²= 2.27, p=.097), but also more likely to report an inability to participate due to practical barriers (X²= 2.97, p=.08).

To investigate if Latino families are less likely to adhere to and benefit from to CLS, program attendance, engagement, satisfaction ratings, and improvements in attention/behavior were examined. Latino families were equally likely to attend (M_SSL = 8.00 groups, SD_SSL = 2.68 versus M_NSSL = 7.61 out of 10, SD_NSSL = 2.43; t(73) = 0.53,  p > .05) and were more likely to engage in groups (M_SSL = 4.78, SD_SSL = 0.28 vs. M_NSSL = 4.50 on a 5-point likert scale, SD_NSSL = 0.75; t(53.65) = 2.14,  p < .05). Latino children showed similar pre-to-post program improvements in attention/behavior (as rated by parents parent: t= 0.8, p=.42 and teacher: t=.39, p > .05).  Latino families reported comparable levels of satisfaction (M_SSL = 4.51 on a 5-point likert scale, SD_SSL = 0.39 vs. M_NSSL = 4.32, SD_NSSL = 0.35; t(67) = 1.72,  p > .05).

Conclusion

Latino families were equally or more likely to attend, engage, and benefit from CLS program compared to non-Latino families, suggesting CLS is appropriate for implementation with Latino youth with attention/behavior problems. Culturally sensitive guidelines may be beneficial in reducing potential barriers to problem recognition and program participation for Latino families.