198. Put PRIDE to Work to Improve Behavior: Evidence-Based PRIDE Skills from PCIT That Really Work

 If you serve young children with behavior challenges, this episode delivers a framework you can put to work immediately. Today, we break down the PRIDE skills: five evidence-based behavior strategies drawn from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT). These methods have more than 50 years of empirical support and consistently improve behavior, engagement, emotional regulation, and communication across diverse populations.You’ll learn how to use objective praise, reflection, imitation, description, and genuine enjoyment to build connection—not compliance. This child-directed interaction approach has been shown to make meaningful gains for children with autism, ADHD, selective mutism, developmental language disorders, trauma histories, hearing differences, anxiety, and disruptive or externalizing behaviors. The research is broad. The effect sizes are large. And the application is simple.We dig into how PRIDE skills strengthen executive function, expressive language, joint attention, and emotional resilience—and why these strategies are essential for SLPs, early childhood educators, and anyone working in preschool or early elementary settings. When you have educationally rich activities prepared, you can stay fully present and implement PRIDE with intention, clarity, and consistency.If you want treatment plans that allow you to focus on relationships, responsiveness, and evidence-based connection strategies that actually change behavior, the SIS Membership is designed for you. Each week, you receive educationally rich activities that treat the whole child—speech, language, literacy, executive function, and motor foundations—so you can implement PRIDE seamlessly without scrambling for materials.Join the SIS Membership and make your therapy easier, richer, and more effective: https://www.kellyvess.com/sisLet’s build capacity, connection, and better outcomes—one child at a time.💚Kelly