Parent training: A review of methods for children with developmental disabilities
Section snippets
Issues in parent training
The general consensus is that a great need exists for parent involvement in intervention with their children who evince ID (Mahoney, Robinson, & Perales, 2004; Matson et al., 1997a). Furthermore, researchers have suggested that the momentum for parent involvement has been growing (Gavidia-Payne & Hudson, 2002). Those involved in the field also underscore the need to focus heavily on educational and theraputic programs on children from birth to 6 years of age (Majnemer, 1998; Matson, 2007a;
Treatment
A variety of intervention strategies have been tried to enhance parent skills for their children with ID. Matthews and Hudson (2004) emphasize that interventions should be based on sound theoretical principles and evidence demonstrating effectiveness of the treatments. We concur with these assertions. These aims and objective have typically been achieved in the framework of applied behavioral analysis and/or behavior therapy. Having said this, a variety of approaches and methods have been found
Operant conditioning
Alvey and Aeschleman (1990) describe a limited application of the parent training model. In their study the used a single case design to demonstrate the efficacy of teaching 3 children with ID to eat more independently at fast food restaurants. The authors report enhanced teaching skills on the part of the mother and enhanced eating skills on the part of the children. Mueller et al. (2003) taught 9 parents to implement pediatric feeding protocols in a hospital setting. Two parents were exposed
Training packages
To further enhance the efficacy of parent training, efforts to teach basic principles of applied behavior analysis in groups of parents has also been described. Baker and Brightman (1984) describe a model to accomplish this goal with 7 parents. The group met for 7, 2-h weekly evening sessions. Training covered basic behavioral principles such as conducting a task analysis, and using chaining, shaping and reinforcement methods to train self-help skills. Parents were given weekly reading
Manuals
The use of structured training materials for teaching parent skills to caregivers of children with ID is not a particularly new concept. Heifetz (1977), for example, reports on the use of instructional manuals on behavioral principles to enhance self-help skills of parents whose children evince ID. The 20 weeks program also focused on dealing effectively with challenging behaviors and language skills. An interesting twist to this study was that simply reading the manuals was as effective as
Training strategies
Hudson (1982) looked at another facet of training, the particular treatment strategies the therapist employed. He compared 4 groups of 10 parents each. They were: 1) verbal instructions; 2) verbal instructions plus teaching behavioral principles; 3) verbal instructions plus modeling and role-playing; and, 4) a wait list control group. The verbal instructions plus modeling and role-playing was the most effective intervention. The author concluded that it was essential to employ training methods
Conclusion
Parent training should serve as a center price for interventions geared toward children with ID. Many of the most effective treatments are psychological in origin, and are specific to behavior therapy and applied behavior analysis. Additionally, without remediation, social skills deficits, challenging behaviors and co-occurring psychopathology, which are common in this population, are likely to persist (Appelgate, Matson, & Cherry, 1999; Dawson, Matson, & Cherry, 1998; Matson et al., 1996;
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