Disruptive Behaviors Program for Kids & Teens

From chaos to clarity. With clear goals you can actually measure.

A structured behavior program for kids and teens whose meltdowns, defiance, or aggression have made daily life feel impossible. Pre and post measures, specific behavioral goals, and the right protocol matched to your child’s age. Plus optional individual therapy for the parent who is carrying it all.

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You love your kid. You also haven’t had a calm dinner in three months.

The screaming over the wrong-color cup. The homework that turns into a two-hour battle. The other parents at school who don’t quite make eye contact anymore. The morning routine that felt like it was getting better, until it wasn’t.

Your child isn’t a bad kid. You aren’t a bad parent. Something is happening underneath the behavior, and the strategies you’ve tried so far haven’t reached it. That’s what this program is for.

When is the Disruptive Behaviors Program right?

If you’re seeing patterns like these in your home, school, or community, this program is built for that. We’ll help you understand what’s driving the behavior and what to do about it.

Tantrums and meltdowns

The screaming over the wrong-color cup. The hour-long ramp-down nobody else in your house can stand. Reactions at ages you didn’t expect them anymore.

Defiance and refusal

“No” before they’ve even heard the question. Brushing teeth turning into a forty-minute negotiation. The dread of saying anything that isn’t yes.

Aggression

Hitting their younger sibling. Throwing the iPad. The teacher who keeps emailing. The bruises on your arms that you don’t want to explain.

Impulsive choices

Acting before thinking, every time. Bolting in parking lots. Saying the thing they know not to say. The trouble at school they can’t seem to stop.

Walking on eggshells

The whole family quietly adjusting around one kid. Siblings learning to stay invisible. The relief when your child is finally asleep.

Standard parenting isn’t reaching it

You’ve read the books, done the reward charts, tried gentle parenting and timeouts. Nothing has stuck. Something else is going on.

What makes this a program, not just behavior therapy.

Plenty of practices offer behavior therapy. The difference here is structure, measurement, and a real plan you can see progress against.

1

Pre and post measures. Validated measures at intake and again throughout treatment. You see what’s actually changing, not just whether it feels different on a hard week.
2

Specific behavioral goals. Set at intake based on what’s actually happening in your home. Concrete, observable, trackable.
3

Protocol matched to your child. We pick the approach that fits your child’s age, presentation, and what’s underneath the behavior.
4

Coordinated team. Your child’s clinician consults weekly with our team, coordinates with school when helpful, and can refer for optional parent therapy.

How care works.

Three phases, with measurement at each transition. We’re not guessing whether things are working.

Phase 1

Evaluation & goal setting

Initial assessment with both parent and child. Validated behavior measures completed. Specific behavioral goals identified collaboratively. Protocol matched to your child’s age and presentation.

Phase 2

Active treatment

Weekly individual or family sessions using PCIT, PMT, or CPS depending on what fits. Parent practice between sessions. School coordination when needed. Progress reviewed every few months.

Phase 3

Re-measurement & planning

Validated measures repeated to track change. Honest conversation about whether goals have been met, what to adjust, and whether continued treatment, maintenance, or completion is the right next step.

The three evidence-based protocols we use.

Each has decades of research behind it. We match the protocol to your child’s age, the specific behaviors, and what’s underneath them.

PCIT

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Ages 2 to 7

Real-time coaching during play sessions. The therapist guides you (often via earpiece) as you respond to your child differently in the moment. 12 to 20 sessions with measurable change.

PMT

Parent Management Training

Children ages 4 to 12

Research-backed parent training to shift defiance, oppositional behavior, and the cycles that keep families stuck. Delivered as individual sessions or through our virtual PMT class (Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:30 PM, $65 per person).

CPS

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions

Ages 5 to 18

For kids whose behavior comes from skill gaps, not motivation. Works particularly well when rewards-and-consequences approaches haven’t reached your child, and for kids with ADHD, autism, or anxiety underneath.

PMT Parent Class

Learn alongside other parents.

A structured group class teaching the same Parent Management Training curriculum, but in a small-group format with parents going through similar things.

For: Parents of children ages 4 to 12
When: Wednesdays, 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Format: Virtual, available across Texas
Cost: $65 per person, or $100 per couple

Classes run in cohorts. Get in touch to be notified when the next one opens.

Ask about the PMT class

Optional add-on

Sometimes the work isn’t about parenting skills. It’s about what you’re carrying.

Most parenting books assume you’re a regulated adult applying skills to a dysregulated kid. The truth is more complicated. Many parents come to us with their own old grief, trauma, anxiety, or emotional regulation struggles getting activated by their child’s behavior.

This isn’t a failure. It’s a recognition that families are systems and that your nervous system is part of the picture.

For parents who need it, we offer optional individual therapy alongside the program:

Unprocessed grief and loss showing up in parenting
Old trauma getting activated by your child’s behavior
Anxiety that makes everything feel like a crisis
Emotional regulation skills that weren’t modeled for you
The exhaustion and isolation of high-needs parenting

This isn’t required. But for the parents who need it, it often changes everything. Most practices refer parents out for this kind of work. We can keep it under one roof.

Program snapshot.

The practical details. What you can expect, when, and how.

Who it’s for Kids and teens whose disruptive behaviors are affecting daily life at home, school, or with peers

Age range Ages 2 to 18, with the protocol matched to age and presentation

Approaches PCIT, PMT, CPS, plus optional parent therapy

Format Weekly individual or family sessions. Group PMT class meets Wednesdays virtually (cohort-based).

Measurement Validated behavior measures at intake and re-measured throughout

Insurance Individual and family therapy billable to most major plans we accept. PMT class is tuition-based.

Common questions about the Disruptive Behaviors Program.

What makes this a program rather than just behavior therapy?

Three things. First, we use validated pre and post measures so you can see what’s actually changing, not just rely on your sense that things feel different. Second, we set specific behavioral goals at intake based on what’s happening in your home, then track progress against those goals throughout treatment. Third, we match the protocol to your child’s age and presentation: PCIT for ages 2 to 7, PMT for ages 4 to 12, CPS for school-age and teens. The structure is what makes this a program.

Which protocol is right for my child?

It depends on age and what’s happening at home. PCIT works best for ages 2 to 7 and addresses tantrums, defiance, and difficulty following directions. Parent Management Training works for parents of children ages 4 to 12 whose behavior at home or school has become unmanageable. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions works particularly well for kids whose behavior comes from underutilized skills rather than motivation, and for kids whose challenges have been resistant to standard behavioral approaches. We match you to the right approach during the intake process.

What does PCIT involve?

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is an evidence-based treatment for young children ages 2 to 7. The therapist coaches the parent in real time during play sessions, often through a one-way mirror or earpiece, helping you respond to your child in ways that build connection and reduce disruptive behavior. PCIT typically takes 12 to 20 sessions and produces large, measurable changes in child behavior.

What is the PMT parent class?

A virtual group class teaching the Parent Management Training curriculum to parents of children ages 4 to 12. Meets Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, available across Texas via telehealth. Cost is $65 per person, or $100 per couple if both parents attend. Classes run in cohorts, so get in touch and we will notify you when the next class opens.

You mentioned optional parent therapy. What is that about?

Often the things making it hardest to parent your child have nothing to do with parenting skills, and everything to do with what you’re carrying. Unprocessed grief. Old trauma getting activated by your child’s behavior. Anxiety that makes everything feel like a crisis. Emotional regulation that wasn’t modeled for you growing up. We offer optional individual therapy for parents whose own healing is part of what their family needs. This isn’t required, but it’s available, and many parents find it changes everything.

How long is the program?

Length varies by protocol. PCIT typically runs 12 to 20 sessions. PMT typically runs 8 to 16 sessions or one round of the parent class. CPS varies based on the complexity of the situation. We track progress with you using validated measures every few months and have a clear conversation about whether the work is helping, what to adjust, and when treatment goals have been met.

Is the Disruptive Behaviors Program covered by insurance?

Individual and family therapy sessions can typically be billed to most major insurance plans we accept. The PMT parent class follows a tuition-based model. We can verify your benefits and discuss costs before you enroll. See full insurance and fees →

My child also has ADHD or autism. Can this still help?

Yes. Most of the children we see in this program have co-occurring ADHD, autism, anxiety, or trauma. Behavioral interventions work alongside other treatments and often reduce the symptom load that makes daily life harder. We coordinate with any other providers your child works with so the approach stays consistent across settings.

Reviewed by Lauren Pasqua, PsyD, PMH-C Licensed Psychologist · Executive Director, Connections Child and Family Center · Over 20 years supporting parents, children, and families through life transitions · TX License #36214 · Last reviewed: September 2026

What the other side looks like.

A dinner where nobody yells. A morning that takes twenty minutes, not forty-five. A child who can hear “no” without the house falling apart. A parent who feels competent again. That’s what we’re working toward.