Jean Johnson, DrPH - Principal Investigator

Dewayne Bettag, MS - Co-PI & Project Coordinator

Supporting Parents In Responsive Interactions & Teaching

III) Participants & Overview Plan to serve 350 families over 3 yrs Targeting predominantly Native HI communities along the Wai`anae Coast & in Waimanalo At-Risk children 1 4 years IV) What is RTC? RTC is a developmental curriculum based on decades of multi-cultural research Created by G. Mahoney & J. D. MacDonald over 25 years of research funded by Office of Special Education Programs of DOE - 11 multi-year research & model demonstration projects awarded www.responsiveteaching.org Flexible. individualized program focusing on foundations of healthy development VI) Expected Outcomes Enhance d positive interactions between child and caregiver(s) Reduced problem behaviors Reduced caregiver frustration Increase d frequency of pivotal behaviors Improved social-emotional, communication, and cognitive developmental scores Increase d school readiness VII) Outcome Measurements Range of Quantitative & Qualitative Measures V) What are the components of the RTC? Empirical observations Surveys & Interviews Maternal Behavior Rating Scale CES-D maternal/parental depression scale Child Behavior Rating Scale Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment Battelle Developmental Inventory 2nd Ed. (BDI-2) Parental satisfaction survey & 3month follow-up Monitor & adapt curriculum based on cultural relevancy & sustainability

I) Funding and Partnerships Three year grant from the US Department of Educations Native Hawaiian Education Program Act Implemented by The Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawai`i at Mnoa

Partnered with ALU LIKE, Inc., a Native Hawaiian organization

II) What is Project SPIRIT?

Relationship focused & parent mediated Community-based trainers meet with parent & child together in their home or neighborhood Develop Family Action Plan based on values and goals of the family combined with the developmental needs of the child Sustainable - embedded in daily routines & activities

SPIRIT is a parent-mediated prevention

designed to help parents learn to use developmental principles for interacting with their young children in a responsive manner that promotes healthy relationships, optimal development, and school readiness.

Meet for about 1 hour a week for 6-months to practice strategies

Provide skills, support, & encouragement for the parents based on the Responsive Teaching Curriculum (RTC)