Introduction to the Special Issue: Interventions to Improve Children's Social and Emotional Functioning at School.
Use the SWPBIS three-tier framework to pick the right level of social-skills support for every student.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors wrote a big-picture review of school-wide positive behavior supports.
They looked at every Tier I, II, and III practice that helps kids get along and stay calm at school.
The paper does not test one program; it maps out which tools fit each level of need.
What they found
Tier I works for all kids—think clear rules and praise in every classroom.
Tier II gives small groups extra coaching, like social-skills clubs.
Tier III gives one-to-one plans for the few kids who need the most help.
How this fits with other research
Dudley et al. (2019) and Menezes et al. (2021) both show that school social-skills programs help students with autism.
Those studies looked only at autism; this review says the same tools work for all kids, not just one group.
Watkins et al. (2019) and Sasson et al. (2022) prove that interest-based play and peer-plus-video models boost social play.
These single-case studies add detail: they show exactly how to run Tier II/III tactics in preschool and recess settings.
Lopata et al. (2025) followed kids for over a year and found the gains last—backing up the long-term value of the SWPBIS tiers.
Why it matters
Use the three-tier frame like a menu. Pick Tier I for the whole class, Tier II for small groups, and Tier III for one child. Check the neighbor studies for ready-made scripts, videos, and peer setups you can drop into each tier tomorrow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Identification of evidence-based practices for promotion of social and emotional functioning of children at school is important for their academic and social development. This introduction reviews information from this special issue focusing on evidence-based research to improve the social and emotional functioning of children in their classrooms and schools. An emphasis on reduction of negative behaviors and promotion of positive, prosocial behaviors is presented in manuscripts for this special issue. The articles in this issue may be grouped in terms of the tiered system or School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Framework into articles at the Tier I, II, and III levels. Tier I interventions support positive behaviors and reduce problem behaviors for all children in a classroom or school, as a type of primary prevention. In terms of secondary prevention, Tier II interventions are selected interventions that address problem behaviors of students at risk for poor functioning, who do not respond to Tier I interventions. Finally, Tier III interventions are used for those students with behavioral and emotional issues who do not respond to Tier II interventions, and students in this group are indicated for intervention at a tertiary care level. In summary, this special issue presents evidence-based knowledge from research at all three intervention levels that aim to promote children's social and emotional development in the school setting.
Behavior modification, 2016 · doi:10.1177/0145445516648444