Profiles of Early Elementary Students Referred for a Self-Regulation Skills Intervention

Introduction: Understanding diversity of self-regulation concerns in early elementary students can inform development and implementation of school-based services. Teachers are more likely to refer for externalizing behaviors that disrupt learning (Loades & Mastroyannopoulou, 2010), but students with socioemotional difficulties may require supports. This paper examines profiles of students referred for an intensive small-group pull-out program as part of a randomized trial of the Incredible Years Dina Dinosaur Treatment Program.

Method: First and second grade teachers rated 125 students nominated for intervention by their prior year’s teacher. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using the following indicators: SWAN Hyperactivity/Impulsivity and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Emotional Problems, Emotion Regulation Checklist Negativity, and the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence. Group means were compared on impairment measures (Academic Performance Rating Scale, Peer Affiliation and Social Acceptance, Impairment Rating Scale) and differences were examined across groups in sex and free/reduced lunch status.

Results: On the SDQ, hyperactivity was the highest rated difficulty and 50% of students had Total Difficulties scores in the clinical range. A majority evidenced academic impairment and below-average social skills. LPA results indicated that a 5 profile solution provided best fit (i.e., lowest BIC, 1687.51; highest entropy, .90; and conceptual meaningfulness) which included (a) low difficulties across all areas (n=18), (b) moderate hyperactivity/emotion dysregulation (n=54), (c) hyperactivity/oppositional defiant (n=32), (d) highest intensity difficulties across all areas (n=9), and high socio-emotional difficulties (n=12). Based on covariate analyses, students who qualified for free/reduced lunch were more likely to be in the highest intensity group and boys were more likely than girls to be in this group compared to high socioemotional difficulties. The highest intensity and the high socioemotional difficulties group were rated as the most impaired whereas the high intensity and the hyperactive/oppositional group had higher mean scores on peer rejection.

Conclusion: The majority of students (69%) referred for intervention demonstrated a moderate to high level of hyperactivity and moderate emotional dysregulation. Students with high socioemotional difficulties and moderate externalizing problems were also significantly impaired. These results highlight the need for comprehensive school-based interventions targeting social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties in young children.