Krista Helbing

SPSY6400
Group Intervention Assignment

Needs Assessment
In looking at the need for conducting a group intervention at my practicum site, the
requirements of the project were discussed and my supervisor made recommendations of types
of groups or students that would benefit from a group. She thought of a few different problems
that could benefit from a group intervention, and a few different students that could benefit from
some extra support in certain areas. After listening to her informal suggestions, I took the
information she gave me and looked into it more formally through looking at IEP goals of the
students she mentioned and student behavior referral data, along with teacher consultation and
interview information.
The need for the particular group that I co-lead came from students in special education
with similar IEP goals, and students in general education who were struggling with similar issues
as their peers on IEPs. This situation was convenient because there were multiple students
needing to learn similar skills, who could all benefit from learning these skills in a group setting.
It was also more time efficient for my supervisor because she was able to fulfill her IEP minutes
for two students at the same time, in addition to helping students from the general education
population. Secondary prevention strategies target students who are at-risk for or who are
already experiencing some difficulties in learning-related social skills whereas tertiary strategies
are for children who currently demonstrate chronic or intense problems (Pelco & Victor, 2007).
The members of this group represent a mix of students who need secondary prevention strategies
because their teachers are beginning to notice them struggling, and those who have already been
identified and are currently demonstrating problems with self-regulation.
One of the main reasons that this group was needed was because the students were
receiving behavior referrals for physical aggression and physical contact, in addition to teacher
reports of physical behaviors in the classroom. It is a priority for students to be safe at school,
and it was best to intervene now rather than wait for these students to continue to get behavior
referrals for unsafe behaviors. Two of the students selected for the group have IEP goals around
self-regulation and using calming strategies to inhibit their physical response when they become
upset, angry or frustrated. The other students that were recommended by their teachers could
benefit from learning and practicing the same strategies as their peers. The other students that
were recommended for the group had received some office referrals, but the amount of time they
were spending outside of the classroom to calm down and diffuse their anger was interrupting
their ability to access the academics being taught in the classroom. Thus, it seemed beneficial to
include these students in the group so that they could learn skills in group to help them calm
down quicker and be able to spend more time in the classroom in the long term.
It was decided that a small group intervention would be useful for this population because
these particular students benefit from instruction a small group setting and need extra attention
and support to help them focus and stay on task. It was also beneficial to teach these skills and
work through some of the self-regulation training in a group setting where students could role
play with their peers. It was decided that this type of group would be useful for the problem of
self-regulation in behavior because the students in the group were struggling with inhibiting their
impulses and self-regulating. In looking at the research in support of teaching self-regulation of
impulses, Bath (2008) writes Young people also need to be actively taught ways to exert
rational control over their emotions and impulses (Bath, 2008). Based on the information we
have gathered and some of the research, it is apparent that these students needed explicit training
in self-regulation and learning how to control their impulses rather than assuming they would be
able to learn these skills on their own like their peers have or are in the process of.
The literature about self-regulation and teaching self-regulation skills is very supportive
of explicitly teaching self-regulation skills and strategies to students so that they are better able
to function at school. In looking at the needs of the students selected for the group, my
supervisor said she felt most comfortable using the BrainWise curriculum along with another
curriculum called Helping Young People Learn Self-Regulation to base our group sessions.
BrainWise is a curriculum that is 10 weeks long, that teaches students wise ways to handle
situations. The publishers of the curriculum write Learning how to control impulsive behavior,
accurately identify choices, assess the consequences of actions, and make responsible decisions
is what BrainWise is all about (BrainWise). This statement accurately describes the problem
that the identified students were having with self-regulation, thus theoretically it is a good fit.
The publishers of the other curriculum used write based on our interpretation of the literature
and our experience in the field, we have come to understand that self-regulation is a universal
skill that is directly related to success in every major area of functioning (Chapin, 2013).
Because these two curricula directly targeted the skills the students were lacking or having
difficulty with, we thought it was most beneficial to utilize aspects of both programs together
rather than relying solely on one.
In other research areas, the benefits of teaching self-regulation to students can be seen in
school performance and achievement. Self-regulation or meta-cognitive control of cognition
and behaviour is considered an important aspect of student learning and school performance
(Ommundsen, Haugen, Lund, 2005). In the case of the students in this particular group, their
abilities to self-regulate are interfering with their ability to perform in school, thus teaching these
skills will hopefully increase their school performance and learning.
In looking at relevant data from school personnel and behavior referral data, combined
with the research and evidence base supporting self-regulation skill training, it is apparent that
there is a need for some sort of intervention for these particular students. There is enough
evidence to support the type and intensity of intervention, along with data to show that certain
students need more support in the area of self-regulation.

Recruitment Procedures and Selection Criteria

In looking at conducting a group intervention at my practicum site, the requirements of the
project were discussed and my supervisor made recommendations of types of groups or students
that would benefit from a group. After listening to her informal suggestions, I took the
information she gave me and looked into it more formally through looking at IEP goals and
student behavior referral data, along with teacher consultation and interview information.
In order to keep students identities confidential, they have each been assigned a number
for description purposes. Student 1 had received 7 major referrals and 4 minor referrals prior to
the group intervention, of which 6 were for physical aggression and 3 were for physical contact.
Student 2 did not have any behavior referrals, but his teacher reported he was struggling with
self-regulation and inhibiting his impulses in the classroom. Student 2 also is on an IEP for a
learning disability but also has goals for learning and implementing self-regulation skills.
Student 2 struggles with self-regulation of anger and frustration when he gets frustrated with
academic tasks. Student 3 prior to the group had 2 major referrals and 0 minor referrals. These
referrals were for disruption of class and inappropriate language. Student 3 is also on an IEP for
an emotional disorder and has goals about self-regulation and controlling his emotions when he
becomes angry, upset, or frustrated. Student 4 had 2 major behavior referrals and 3 minor
behavior referrals prior to the group intervention. His teacher also reported that he is struggling
in the classroom with regulating his mood, and inhibiting his impulses. Student 4 during the
group intervention also received an outside diagnosis of ADHD, which was very similar to what
his teacher reported. After these 4 students had been identified, it was decided that it was best to
keep the group small, so that their behaviors could be managed in a group setting, and so that
they could all benefit from small group instruction of these skills.
Permission was obtained by calling parents and explaining what type of group we were
offering, and asking if they would be interested in having their student participate. After getting
an informal, verbal permission, a consent form with more detail was sent home for the parent to
look over and send back. Of the consent forms sent home, all were returned and these students
were a part of the group.

Co-Leadership
My supervisor decided that it would be best if we co-led the group due to the nature of some
of the behaviors of the students; we decided it was best to be proactive in managing behaviors
with two adults rather than being reactive with one adult. I felt that for the purpose of the
assignment, it may have been better that I lead the group by myself, but I also didnt feel quite in
the position to tell my supervisor that. I didnt have super strong feelings either way, so I went
with co-leading as the way the group would be conducted. I agreed with my supervisor thought
the idea of co-leading seemed beneficial for this type of group, although as the group got started
I got frustrated with co-leading. My supervisor and I have very different styles for planning
sessions- she plans things 5 minutes before they happen, and I prefer to have them planned in
advance. This led to some frustration because I often went into the group sessions with a very
general or vague idea of what we were doing, whereas I would have preferred a detailed outline
of what we were going to do step by step.
For the first few sessions, it was very much co-led and the responsibilities were shared
between me and my supervisor, but as the group progressed, I led the last few sessions entirely
on my own. The first few sessions the responsibility of teaching the lesson and behavior
management of the students was shared equally. As we moved into sessions 3 and on, I did the
majority of the teaching, while my supervisor aimed to manage the behavior of the students. I
was happy when I was able to lead the group sessions on my own, because I was able to plan
activities in advance, and be prepared for what I anticipated would happen during the session.
The benefit of having a co-leader was that when I was teaching the lesson, I could be focused
entirely on the lesson and not have to worry about managing student behavior because the co-
leader was there to do that. It was definitely easier having two adults to manage the students in
the group as they misbehaved or were off task, but I think this could have been improved with
better communication or agreeing to a more definitive plan ahead of time. If it had been agreed
upon from the beginning that one leader was in charge of lesson planning and the other leader
was in charge of student behavior, things would have gone much more smoothly.

Group Sessions
Because our students were very young, and generally not the type to remember a homework
assignment, we decided that we would not assign homework for our group, but rather have them
focus on completing their academic homework. While we didnt assign actual homework, the
goal or hope was that some of the skills learned in the group would transfer into the classroom
and other settings. We also thought it was most beneficial for them to work on their skills in
group, and hopefully transfer them to outside of group. The overarching theme and goals of the
group were to reduce some of the physical responses students were having, and target self-
regulation skills. A copy of the goal, theme and topic for each of the sessions can be found in the
appendix.
The original intention of the group was to use the BrainWise curriculum for the entirety of
the group. We had planned our first session to be an introduction, and then sessions two through
ten would be from the BrainWise curriculum. During session two, we quickly realized that the
BrainWise curriculum was way too difficult for the students in our group. During this first
session, after 30 min of working on the lesson, we had barely made any progress. We also
realized that the reading level and vocabulary included in the worksheets was at an academic
level much higher than the students in our group. After realizing this, we decided to change our
plans for the activities during group sessions, and instead of using a manualized curriculum,
create our own plans. We decided that in planning for future lessons, we would either have to
continuously modify the activities from the BrainWise curriculum to the extent that it would no
longer be manulaized to meet the BrainWise method, or create our own lesson plans. We
decided that if we were going to spend that amount of time changing and planning for modifying
the BrainWise curriculum, it would be more beneficial to create our own lessons to meet the
exact needs of the students at their academic levels.



Evaluation of Effectiveness
`In evaluating effectiveness of this group, it depends on multiple factors. It was hard to
determine group member satisfaction because of the students age and abilities. They reported
they were satisfied with the group, and they found the activities fun. Beyond that, its unclear if
they were able to take much away from the group when they had little understanding of why
there were in the group to begin with. When quizzing the students on some of the strategies and
concepts we learned during group, they were able to repeat them, although it was unclear if they
could just repeat them or if they were actually able to use them.
Feedback from the students consisted on their verbal thoughts because they were not able
to read or write them down. The general consensus from the four students in the group was that
they enjoyed the activities and time out of class, rather than the lessons or skills taught during the
lesson. The students were able to repeat some of the topics and vocabulary they had learned
during the group, although it was clear that while they remembered the concepts, they didnt
always understand fully what they meant. In addition, it was clear through behavioral referral
data that they were not using those strategies to avoid getting behavior referrals.
Feedback from the teachers of the students in the group was mixed. The teacher of
students 1 and 2 thought the group was beneficial for student 1, but not student 2. She felt that as
the school year was progressing, student 2s behaviors were stemming from the fact that he is so
far behind academically and gets frustrated, and not necessarily an issue of self-regulation. She
was very supportive of having the students in the group, and began discussing other students who
may benefit from various types of groups for the end of this school year or the beginning of next
school year. The teacher for student 3 had mixed reviews. Working with this teacher was very
difficult because there was at least one occasion where she did not want the student pulled out of
class during group time. She was very protective over this student, although it was counter-
productive because he then didnt get to learn the skills he needs and could use in the classroom.
Her feedback was that the student didnt learn anything during the group, and that she had not
seen an improvement in the classroom.
The other feedback or evaluation method used consisted of looking at behavior referral
data during and after the group intervention. The students in the group did not have drastic
decreases in behavior referrals during or after the group. Student 1 received 4 behavior referrals
during the duration of group sessions, and 1 after group had ended. Student 2 continued to not
have any behavior referrals, and received the most positive feedback from his teacher. She did
voice her concern about the gap between him and his peers academically as a contributing factor
to behaviors in the classroom. Student 3 did not receive any behavior referrals during the
duration of the group, although he did receive 1 after. Student 4 also received 4 behavior
referrals during the duration of the group. Because Student 2 and Student 3 are in special
education and on IEPs, they will continue to receive psychoeducational services through
individual counseling to help them meet their IEP goals. Overall, it appears that the
effectiveness of the group is debatable. There was some great qualitative feedback, although the
quantitative feedback wasnt as positive. The students who were struggling with behavior
referrals continued to receive behavior referrals during and after the group intervention. Going
forward, it would be best to re-evaluate the needs of the individual students in the group and plan
the group accordingly.


References
Bath, H. I. (2008). Calming together: The pathway to self-control. Reclaiming children &
youth, 16(4), 44-46.
BrainWise Program. http://brainwise-plc.org/method.htm
Chapin, B., & Penner, M. (2013). Helping Young People Learn Self-Regulation: Lessons,
Activities & Worksheets for Teaching the Essentials of Responsible Decision-Making &
Self-Control. : YouthLight Inc..DeLucia-Waack, J.L. (2006). Leading psychoeducational
groups for children and adolescents. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
http://www.selfregulationstation.com/
DeLucia-Waack, J.L. (2006). Leading psychoeducational groups for children and adolescents.
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Ommundsen, Y., Haugen, R., & Lund, T. (2005). Academic selfconcept, implicit theories of
Ability, and selfregulation Strategies. Scandinavian Journal Of Educational
Research, 49(5), 461-474. doi:10.1080/00313830500267838
Pelco, L. E., & Reed-Victor, E. (2007). Self-regulation and learning-related social skills:
Intervention ideas for elementary school students. Preventing School Failure, 51(3), 36-
42.

Appendix
2/25- Session 1
Introduction and Group Expectations
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: introduction to group
1. Introduce Co-leaders
a. Ms. Alway
b. Ms. Helbing
2. Introduce group members
a. Student 1
b. Student 2
c. Student 3
d. Student 4
3. Introduce group topic
a. Self-Regulation
b. BrainWise curriculum
4. Set Group Expectations
a. Behavior during group
b. How to participate appropriately
c. What happens if we dont participate
Post Group Notes
All four students present
Students participated, seemed eager
Trouble controlling behaviors like sitting in a chair, raising hand
Students needed explanation of why they were in group
o Did not recognize their behaviors were a problem or needed help
Co-Leadership Notes
Went well
Easy lesson to co-lead
Planned ahead of time

3/ 4- Session 2
BrainWise lesson 1
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: Begin working on explaining what self-regulation is, and why its important
1. Refresh group goals
2. Remember group member names
3. Begin BrainWise Lesson
a. Work students through worksheet and lesson 1
Post Group Notes
Lesson was too difficult for students
Barely made it through half of lesson 1 in allotted time
Above their reading/writing level
o Only Student 1 could understand/read worksheet
Too many verbal instructions for their learning style

Co-Leadership Notes
Only 3 students present
Student 3 was absent
Agreed on this lesson ahead of time
Supervisor led majority of lesson- She was more familiar with BrainWise
I helped ask student questions, manage behavior,


3/11- Session 3
School Expectations
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: Help students understand school expectations and what behaviors are/are not acceptable at
school

Objective: Help students recognize some of their behaviors and reasons for referral. Focus on
positives rather than negative behaviors.
1. Ask students to brain storm what they believe is good behavior at school
2. Write out behaviors and expectations on whiteboard
3. Brainstorm 15 or so
4. Divide behaviors among students
5. Each student draws a picture of their 3 or so assigned behaviors
6. Create book
Post Group Notes
All four students present
Students were very excited to share this book of expectations with a new student in their
grade-they were proud of their work
Student 3 was very particular about the expectations
Would use this activity in the future
The book was a useful reminder during later sessions of behaviors

Co-Leadership Notes
This lesson was brainstormed with very little time for planning
Supervisor put my entirely in charge of this lesson, and she only attended half of the
session

3/18- Session 4
Self-Regulation worksheet
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: Talk about self-regulation and skills to help us

Objective: Have students be able to learn/recall one strategy
1. Use worksheet from self-regulation skills book
2. Teach mini-lesson
3. Have students fill out worksheet
4. Go around group and share responses
Post Group Notes
All four students present
I had used this worksheet in the past during an individual counseling session and thought
it would be a good fit for the students in this group
Students had trouble with worksheet
Ended up discussing more than doing actual work on worksheet
o Valuable discussion
May have been above students academic level
Student 3 chose not to participate and got upset during the group session
Co-Leadership Notes
Not a co-led lesson
Led entirely by me


4/1- Session 5
Teamwork/regulation exercise (balloons)
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: provide example of physical self-regulation with balloons

Objective: Students recognize what it feels like to control the impulse/urge to swat/pop/drop
balloons
1. Have students stand in circle
2. Hand out a balloon to each student
3. Explain were going to pass them in a circle
4. They must stand on their own spot, feet are glued to the floor
5. Balloons cannot touch the ground
6. Have students begin passing
a. After a few minutes, suggest a strategy like calling out names or passing in a
circle
7. Have students stop
a. Discuss self-regulation to not swat the balloons to the ground
b. Discuss self-regulation to not pop the balloons
c. Discuss self-regulation to hold the balloon still during group lesson
d. Discuss self-regulation to keep feet planted on the floor
Post Group Notes
Only student 1 and 2 were present
Lesson would have worked better with all four students
These two students learned a lot from this lesson, or at least could recite what they
learned
Students enjoyed an active lesson/activity
Co-Leadership Notes
I led this group session on my own, it was not co-led
Very fun activity to lead and observe

4/8- Session 6
Termination
Lesson Plan Outline

Goal: Go over what we learned in group

Objective: Students will recall at least one skill/strategy from group
1. Brainstorm what we learned in group
2. Write a list on the white board
3. Discuss how to use the brain stormed strategies in the future
4. Talk about how for some students group is ending, but some will still need to meet
individually
5. Termination Activity
a. Students get to choose game to play as a celebration/closing activity
Post Group Notes
Students were able to recall strategies from worksheets and activities
Students reported that they would try and use them in the classroom
Student 3 was not present
Co-Leadership Notes
This lesson was not as structured as the previous lessons
o Very relaxed session
I led this group session on my own, it was not co-led