Component 4 programs

Programs designed for students who are experiencing mental health difficulties are grouped according to whether they target children’s internalising or externalising difficulties.

Internalising difficulties refer to behaviours that are inhibited or over-controlled, such as worry, withdrawal, nervousness and emotional responses that primarily affect the individual child more so than others. As such, they may not be readily detected.

Externalising difficulties refer to a wide-range of behaviours that are under-controlled, such as hyperactivity, or disruptive, oppositional, and aggressive behaviours. Externalising behaviours cause problems for others as well as for the children themselves, making them relatively easy to detect.

Some early intervention programs target both internalising and externalising behaviours. To access the full list of early intervention programs, click here.

When choosing an early intervention program, be sure to consider whether the program:

• has research evidence of effectiveness
• is suitable for your school community – has it been designed for, or demonstrated applicability to,

   special student groups?
• offers or requires further professional learning
• provides a formal parent component

Click here for further information and resources to support the implementation of an early intervention program.

Click here for more tips on how to use the Guide

Remember, to find out more information about a program, click on the title of the program in the Categorisation Table