Some researchers have argued that disruptive behaviors in children are developmentally appropriate and that children will outgrow them. The findings of a new study by researchers at West Virginia University suggest otherwise.

For the study, 32 children between the ages of 2.5 and 8.6 years who were referred to a clinic for disruptive behavior problems in Oklahoma City, were assigned to either receive immediate treatment (18) or to a waiting list (14). The parents and teachers of both groups of children completed questionnaires designed to assess child behavior and parental stress.

The immediate treatment group participated in approximately 14 sessions of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) over the course of three-and-a-half months. During PCIT, parents are coached in the clinic on the use of appropriate parenting skills which they gradually apply at home and in public places.

The children (and parents) were assessed again at the end of the treatment program and were compared with those who had been on the waiting list for three months. The differences between the two groups were clear: "The behavior of children who were placed on a waitlist for treatment continued to be problematic over a three- month time interval. Children receiving PCIT, however, displayed significant behavioral improvements from outside of normal limits to within normal limits during a similar time frame. Perceptions of parenting stress levels also improved for families receiving treatment, but did not change for those on the waitlist."

5/30/98

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