Direct Treatment Protocol (DTP)

There are some students, who have behaviors that may be more anxiety related, for whom writing a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), may be ineffective, as it is difficult to find a replacement behavior for a behavior that is stemming from a deep seated emotional response. Often, behaviors that are addressed by the DTP are not controlled by the student, thus the use of a BIP is inappropriate. Mental health staff are the primary creators of this protocol, and work closely with educators to aide school staff members in how to best respond to the behavior using evidence based, step by step approaches. Some examples of behaviors that may benefit from being addressed through a DTP include school refusal related to anxiety, selective mutism at school, anxiety around social interactions, or withdrawn behavior/showing little joy in previously enjoyed activities.

Similar to the BIP, the DTP has some basic requirements to ensure effectiveness:

• Focus on a behavior that it impacting learning
• Use data collection, and monitor progress over time
• Provide reinforcement for building of skills,generalization across environments, and maintenance over time.

A child with or without an IEP may benefit from a DTP, and this strategy can be viewed as a Tier III intervention. Contact your school psychologist if you are interested in pursuing DTP for a student.

Resources:

• Direct Treatment Protocol (DTP) (PDF)
• DTP Template (DOC)
• DTP Example (PDF)

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