National survey data suggest the prevalence of problem behaviors in young children is between 10-25%. As children enter preschool and begin to navigate social situations outside the home, problem behaviors interfere with social development placing children at risk for problematic peer relations and delayed social skills. Without intervention, social and behavioral problems tend to persist and even escalate over time and, in turn, have a tremendous impact on the development of child psychopathology.

The goal of this Phase I project was to create and test an early childhood (EC) version of an existing evidence-based small group social skills training program in order to make it applicable for younger children. The complete SSGRIN-EC intervention program will address specific social skill sets, including impulse control, communication, cooperation, initiation, and perspective taking. For the Phase I prototype, the session scripts and needed materials for the first three sessions were developed as well as the Professional Manual and sample multi-media components (video, web-based game). Parent handouts were also developed describing supplemental activities to implement at home to accompany each session. An initial test of feasibility conducted with school- and community-based child mental health professionals indicated the program to be valuable, of high quality, and easy to understand. Similarly, a feasibility test with parents and their young children indicated that program materials were of high quality and likely to be effective.

Phase I findings provided the foundation for the development and testing of the complete SSGRIN-EC intervention program during Phase II. Funding was sought to finish development of the program and to conduct a randomized treatment-control experimental design examining changes in children’s social relations, behavior, and social skill level.