Early Intervention for Children with Conduct Disorders: A Quantitative Synthesis of Single-Subject Research

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Abstract
To evaluate treatment of preschool children with conduct disorders, 16 studies were reviewed in which single-subject methodology was employed. Studies were coded for a number of variables including (a) description of target subjects, (b) type of intervention, (c) length and intensity of intervention, (d) primary intervenor, and (e) setting as well as a quantitative outcome variable, percent of treatment data points nonoverlapping with previous baseline phases. Variables were analyzed for covanation between outcomes and study characteristics. Results indicated that (a) reinforcement produced most positive outcomes, followed by punishment timeout and differential attention, respectively: and (b) subject characteristics such as sex, handicapping condition, and target behavior generally bore little relation to treatment outcome. Finally, stronger outcomes were found for homebased interventions and younger subjects, but these findings were inconsistent and were thought to reflect the effects of other variables. Implications for further research are given.