CBC for Emotional Disturbance

Overseen By Yibing Li, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: American Institutes for Research

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

720 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial evaluates a program called Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) to assess its effectiveness in real-world settings. CBC aims to assist children with serious emotional and behavior problems by fostering a partnership between families and schools. The trial compares the usual school support with the CBC approach, focusing on its effects on students, parents, and teachers. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade, identified as having significant emotional or behavioral issues, may be suitable participants. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for families to contribute to innovative educational support strategies.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) intervention is safe for children with emotional and behavior problems?

Research has shown that Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is generally easy for participants to handle. Studies have found that CBC improves social skills, behavior, and school performance in students with emotional and behavioral challenges. These studies have not reported any major negative side effects, indicating that participants have not experienced significant problems.

Additional research highlights positive outcomes, such as improved relationships between students, parents, and teachers, without raising safety concerns. As a behavioral approach rather than a medication or medical procedure, CBC usually carries a lower risk of harmful effects. This makes CBC a safe choice for those considering trials focused on children's emotional and behavioral issues. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is unique because it focuses on collaboration between school staff, families, and teachers to address emotional disturbances in students. Unlike traditional approaches that may involve separate interventions by teachers or counselors, CBC creates a team-based strategy to tackle behavioral issues together. Researchers are excited about this method because it emphasizes a holistic, community-based approach, potentially offering more personalized support and better outcomes for students compared to standard interventions.

What evidence suggests that the Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) intervention is effective for emotional disturbance?

Research has shown that Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) helps children with serious emotional and behavioral issues. In this trial, some participants will join the CBC Treatment Group, where school staff will use the CBC model to collaborate with families and teachers. Studies have found that CBC, which involves cooperation between families and schools, leads to positive outcomes for students. Specifically, children in CBC programs have demonstrated improvements in social skills, emotional well-being, and behavior. Teachers and parents have also observed better academic performance and increased involvement in school activities. The evidence supports CBC as a promising method to assist children at risk for severe emotional problems. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Andy Garbacz, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children in kindergarten to 4th grade who are at high risk for emotional and behavior problems, as indicated by the BASC3-BESS screening tool. To participate, they must be among the top 12 highest-risk students in their school with parental consent.

Inclusion Criteria

Among the 12 students with the highest risk score on the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System 3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC3-BESS) in the above grade span in their school (among those with parental consent for screening)

My child is in kindergarten through 4th grade.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline

Baseline assessments conducted at the beginning of the intervention school year

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Implementation of the Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) intervention by school-based specialists

7 months

Regular school-based interactions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for outcomes at the end of the intervention school year and the subsequent school year

19 months

Data collection at end of each school year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC)

Trial Overview The study tests Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC), a family-school partnership intervention aimed at helping kids with serious emotional and behavioral issues. School-based specialists will work closely with parents and teachers to implement CBC under more supportive conditions than usual.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: CBC Treatment Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

For this group, school staff who work with families and teachers to address student emotional and behavioral concerns will use the CBC model to do so.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

For this group, school staff who work with families and teachers to address student emotional and behavioral concerns will engage in business as usual.

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Conjoint Behavioral Consultation for:

• Severe emotional disturbance
• Behavior problems in elementary school children

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

American Institutes for Research

Lead Sponsor

Trials

8

Recruited

20,900+

Wisconsin Center for Education Research

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

720+

University of Nebraska College of Education and Human Sciences

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

720+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) effectively reduces challenging behaviors and enhances adaptive and social skills in young children, with a study involving 267 students and their families across 45 rural schools showing that these benefits were maintained over a 1-year follow-up.

While CBC demonstrated lasting improvements in adaptive skills and reduced school problems, the control group showed greater increases in social skills during the follow-up, suggesting that while CBC is beneficial, there may be areas for further enhancement in social skill development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Conjoint behavioral consultation in rural schools: Do student effects maintain after 1 year? Sheridan, SM., Witte, AL., Wheeler, LA., et al.[2020]

The Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) model significantly improved home-school communication and parent problem-solving skills among 207 children with disruptive behaviors, compared to a control group.

Children participating in the CBC showed notable reductions in disruptive behaviors such as arguing, defiance, and tantrums, indicating the model's effectiveness in promoting behavioral competence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation on parents and children in the home setting: results of a randomized controlled trial. Sheridan, SM., Ryoo, JH., Garbacz, SA., et al.[2015]

The pilot study involving 30 middle school students with social, emotional, and behavioral concerns showed that Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) led to significant improvements in interpersonal skills and the parent-teacher relationship compared to standard school practices.

Participants (parents, teachers, and students) reported positive outcomes in target behaviors and rated the CBC intervention favorably, indicating its potential effectiveness in enhancing family-school collaboration for student support.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining conjoint behavioral consultation to support students in middle school with social, emotional, and behavior concerns. Garbacz, SA., Kaul, M., Zahn, M., et al.[2022]

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) significantly improved problem-solving skills and communication quality between teachers and parents, with these benefits maintained over a 1-year follow-up period for 84 teachers compared to 68 in a control group.

The study's findings suggest that CBC effectively supports teachers' professional practices long-term, enhancing the ability of families and schools to collaboratively address student behavior concerns.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining long-term intervention effects to promote teacher problem-solving and communication skills in the rural context. Cheng, KC., Witte, AL., Wheeler, LA., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 43 teachers and their 43 challenging students across seven inner-city middle schools, more inclusive versions of the Behavioral Consultation (BC) model were found to be more effective in reducing problem behaviors compared to the least inclusive version.

The research suggests that implementing increasingly inclusive BC strategies can enhance the effectiveness of prereferral interventions in mainstream classrooms, highlighting the importance of tailored support for difficult-to-teach students.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prereferral intervention: a prescriptive approach. Fuchs, D., Fuchs, LS., Bahr, MW., et al.[2019]

The study demonstrated that Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) effectively improved listening behavior and on-task skills in three preschool children with academic and behavioral difficulties, as observed during intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases.

Parents and teachers reported significant improvements in various academic tasks, such as writing and verbal problem-solving, and rated the intervention positively in terms of social validity, indicating its acceptance and perceived effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining Conjoint Behavioral Consultation to Support 2e-Autism Spectrum Disorder and Gifted Students in Preschool with Academic and Behavior Concerns. Kahveci, G., Güneyli, A.[2023]

Citations

1. ies.ed.gov ies.ed.gov/use-work/awards/randomized-trial-conjoint-behavioral-consultation-cbc-rural-educational-settings-efficacy-elementary

A Randomized Trial of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC ... The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) in rural Nebraska elementary schools.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05466214

Systematic Efficacy Replication Study of Conjoint ... CBC is a family-school partnership intervention proven efficacious for children with serious emotional and behavior problems. The investigation will conduct ...

3. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10474412.2024.2366231

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Research and Practice In this paper, we summarize recent research related to CBC's efficacy for students with or at risk for developing disabilities.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022440513000897

The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation on parents ... Research investigating the efficacy of family–school partnerships has demonstrated promising results for students with behavioral and social–emotional ...

5. files.eric.ed.gov files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED623195.pdf

conjoint behavioral consultation - ERIC Outcome measures included (a) teacher-report of student academic enablers and social, emotional, and behavior competencies, (b) parent-, teacher-, and student ...

6. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36120967/

Examining conjoint behavioral consultation to support ... Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is a modified intervention for middle school students with social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, involving parents ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/381391481_Conjoint_Behavioral_Consultation_Research_and_Practice_Taking_Stock_and_Looking_Toward_the_Future

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Research and Practice Decades of research has documented the efficacy of CBC for promoting positive outcomes for students through the relationship established between ...

8. ies.ed.gov ies.ed.gov/use-work/awards/randomized-trial-conjoint-behavioral-consultation-cbc-latino-students-replication-study

A Randomized Trial of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC ... The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) for supporting the social-behavioral and academic performance ...