First Steps: An Early Intervention Program for Antisocial Kindergartners. Overview.

This report describes an early intervention program for at-risk kindergartners who show the early signs of antisocial behavior patterns. The "First Steps" program consists of three modules that are designed to be used in concert with each other. These modules are: (1) a universal screening procedure that affords each kindergarten child an equal chance to be evaluated and identified for the problem of antisocial behavior; (2) a school intervention that involves the target child, peers, and teachers to teach an adaptive, prosocial pattern of school behavior; and (3) a home intervention component that instructs parents in skills for improving their child's school adjustment and performance. The two primary goals of the program are to teach the at-risk child to get along with others and to engage in school work in an appropriate manner. This report describes the program's modules, the development and evaluation of First Steps, the roles of participants (teachers, parents, children), implementation issues, and training of program consultants. Barriers to effective implementation of the program are also discussed, including resistance to the program's adoption, reluctance to proactively screen children, philosophical objections to direct behavioral interventions, non-traditional kindergarten class schedules, and lack of parental support. (Contains 18 references.) (CR)