A Model for Early Detection and Primary Prevention of Emotional or Behavioral Disorders.

A truly effective early detection and primary prevention program for children who are considered high-risk should probably not begin just in the school years but should instead focus on preschool settings such as Head Start. There are effective tools for screening preschool children for emotional or behavioral disorders that can be used to detect problems before they become significant, but these are generally not in common use. There are also classroom-wide intervention techniques that are being used in the primary grades to prevent emotional or behavioral disorders; yet the nature of an effective universal mental health intervention for preschool children is not entirely clear. Skill building approaches, however, appear to be critical as prevention strategies. A self-determination curriculum on direction following, sharing, decision making, and other social or behavioral skills would therefore seem to offer definite advantages. One of the best examples of the use of early detection and a self- determination curriculum is the Head Start Program of Youth Development Incorporated (YDI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The rationale for this approach and the program itself are described along with preliminary data on its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]