The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of the Nurture Science Program's (NSP) Drop-In group via telemedicine as standard care at Children's Learning Centers (CLC) to prepare preschoolers emotionally for the preschool experience utilizing the Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS) Relational Health Toolkit. The behavioral, neurobiological, and clinical insights gained from this project may lead to better treatment of emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders.
The purpose of this study is to test the practicality of mothers and children utilizing the WECS Relational Health Toolkit. The Cuddle and Calm Book, Well Baby Book, mother and child mutual narrative activity card, Bottle of Feelings, Mother's Socioemotional Support Circle, and the WECS for emotional connection make up the preschool WECS Relational Health toolkit. The WECS Relational Health Toolkit provides family-based resources to help mothers and children emotionally connect. The WECS Relational Health Toolkit is designed to create emotional connection and establish mother-child autonomic co-regulation, which helps shape autonomic state and behavior of the mother and child and therefore determines early child development and mother well-being. The investigators will test whether this toolkit can be a positive part of a standard preschool education program. Practicality will be measured through virtual participant attendance, a participant survey, and staff notes. Effects of this program on the emotional connection of mother-child pair will be measured through the Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS). Effects on child behaviors will be measured through the WECS-Parent Report (WECS-PR), SDQ, and Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children Baby Pediatric Symptom Checklist (BPSC) or the Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC) subscales (age-dependent). We will also measure symptoms of depression in the mothers using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) before and after the introduction to the Toolkit. We will also assess differences in developmental progress using the Milestones subscale of the SWYC.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
The Cuddle and Calm Book, The Mommy Baby Book, mother and child mutual narrative, the Bottle of Emotions, and the WECS for emotional connection, make up the WECS Relational Health toolkit.
Childcare Learning Centers of Fairfield County
Stamford, Connecticut, United States
Proportion of eligible dyads who enroll
This will be used to determine study uptake.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Proportion of participants who return for a second session
This will be used to determine retention rate.
Time frame: 6-12 weeks after first session
Change in WECS screen scale score
Emotional connection will be measured from pre- and post-intervention WECS screen scale scores will be compared using paired sample t-tests. Change in WECS scores will be correlated with attendance using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. This is a clinical tool completed by study staff to assess the emotional connection of a mother-child dyad. The WECS focuses on specific domains: attraction, vocal communication, facial communication, sensitivity/responsivity and one general: a dyad's interventional need. The WECS is scored based on observed presence of these 4 domains. The lowest score being a 1 and the highest being a 3. The higher the score, the more emotionally connected the dyad is therefore indicating a better outcome.
Time frame: 90 minutes (post-intervention); 6-12 weeks after first session; 6 months after first session
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NONE
Enrollment
109