Promoting Positive Interactions in the Classroom: Adapting Parent-Child Interaction Therapy as a Universal Prevention Program

The adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an empirically-supported dyadic parent training intervention, to a preschool setting may provide an opportunity to enhance the well-being of both teachers and children by improving the teacher-child relationship and supplying teachers with effective tools for behavior management. The current article describes the development and implementation of a Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) program, based on the PCIT model, to a preschool setting serving primarily low-income, urban, ethnic minority youth. We discuss the rationale for applying PCIT as a prevention program, prior research on adaptations of PCIT to educational settings, application of community psychology principles and strategies in adapting PCIT to the classroom, core TCIT program components, evaluation of effectiveness, issues in sustainability, and resources for successfully implementing the program.