School Adaptation Program for School-Age Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a school adaptation program (SAP) for school-age children with emotional and behavioral problems who attended public elementary schools. METHODS: SAP, developed by the authors, addresses school adaptation and academic efficacy and consists of 10 sessions based on five categories (i.e., school life, classroom activity, relationship with friends, relationship with teacher, and school environment). Sixteen children with emotional and behavior problems answered questionnaires before and after participation in the program. RESULTS: The results showed that there was a significant difference between pre and post-test on school adaptation (t=-2.78, p=.015) and academic efficacy (t=-4.62, p<.001) after the 10 sessions of SAP. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that SAP can could serve as a practical program for school nurses and teachers. Further studies based on SAP in various school settings are recommended.