Mailman Center Demonstrations Projects Address Disruptive Behavior in Students with Disabilities (FL UCEDD/LEND)

June 6, 2017

Students with disabilities have high rates of disruptive behavior and reduced school readiness. However, there is limited capacity of school staff to effectively address behavior concerns. The Mailman Center for Child Development department of pediatrics was awarded a grant from the Children's Trust for a research based demonstration project to reduce child disruptive behaviors, enhance teacher-student relationships, increase effective discipline and reduce teacher stress/burnout.

Principal investigator, Dr. Jason Jent, PhD., Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology will apply the evidenced based live coaching Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) to address this need. Through partnerships between the University of Miami Teacher-Child Interaction Training (UMPCIT), and Miami-Dade County B-2 Early Education Programs, UMTCIT will be implemented with teachers and classroom assistants for children ages 12 months through 5 years.

The Mailman Center also received a grant from the Children's Trust to implement the University of Miami Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Community Connect (PCIT-CC) to provide services to families of children who exhibit significant disruptive and aggressive behaviors and families at significant risk for child maltreatment. PCIT-CC is an individual parenting program that serves families of children from two to twelve years old that utilizes a live coaching model of treatment where parents learn and practice skills with their children during session and receive immediate strength-based feedback. Under the direction of Dr. Jason Jent, it will be implemented in high need neighborhoods within agencies that are regularly accessed and trusted by families within their respective neighborhoods.