First Step to Success

First Step to Success is an early intervention program designed for kindergarten through third grade students who are at risk for developing aggressive or antisocial behavioral patterns. A trained behavior coach works with each student, their class peers, teacher, and parents for approximately 50 to 60 hours over a three-month period. The program includes three interconnected modules: screening (to identify eligible candidates), classroom intervention (CLASS - Contingencies for Learning Academic and Social Skills, which focuses on reducing problem behavior and increasing adaptive, prosocial behaviors through 30 program days across three phases), and parent training (HomeBase - six weekly 45-minute sessions teaching parents to encourage child competencies in communication, cooperation, limit setting, problem solving, friendship making, and confidence development). The behavior coach is trained through lectures, videotaped demonstrations, role playing, feedback, and self-evaluation.