Modular Therapy with Academic Supports: Three Case Studies in a High Needs Setting

Modular therapies allow practitioners to design and deliver individualized child and adolescent psychotherapies using the elements common to multiple evidence-based treatments, but most modular therapies are derived from outpatient treatments that do not directly address academic or social impairments in schools. In three case studies conducted in an urban Title 1 public school, we examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of school-based modular therapy combined with elements of the Challenging Horizons Program (CHP), an academic skills training package. Adherence measures suggest that school-based practitioners successfully integrated academic training elements into their modular sessions, but only at low doses. Parent satisfaction ratings suggest that the hybrid approach was acceptable, and measures of short-term efficacy suggest reliable improvements for two of the three cases, as reported by teachers. We discuss the practice implications of these cases and offer directions for future research in school-based modular approaches.