Parents Training Program

Parents Training Program :

Parent training programs(PTP) for parents of children with disabilities are specifically designed to address the unique needs and challenges faced by families raising a child with special needs. These programs offer education, support, and practical strategies to help parents navigate the complexities of caregiving and advocate effectively for their child.

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What is involved in Parent Training?

Parent training is not a “quick fix” for any situation. Parents are required to attend 75-90 minute sessions once a week for 8-22 weeks depending upon their individual circumstance.

While it is ideal that both parents attend the sessions, it is often not possible. It is important to remember that, no matter what the relationship status of the child’s parents, both mothers and fathers individually have been shown to make a difference to their child’s behaviour. So do not be disheartened about the idea if you are a single parent. Perhaps you could bring a friend who is also experiencing a behavioural problem at home.

There is also group parent training offered by some clinics, where up to ten families can attend the sessions. In some studies it has been shown that these group training sessions are in fact more effective, as the parents from different families can rely on each other for support, guidance and understanding.

Sessions involve role-playing, lecture-style talks by psychologists, discussion and homework. Each session will carry on from the previous with constant revision of the learned skills and information.

Effectiveness of Parent Training

Parent training yields very positive results for behavioural and mental disorders in children. For any parent training, early intervention is the key. Parents with children under the age of 12 have shown the most success in behavioural disorders, and under the age of six for autism and overeating.

There can still be success in children over 12, but the effectiveness is weakened. By the time the children are at adolescent stages, the effectiveness of parent training is significantly reduced. It is very hard to change parenting habits that have spanned 15 years or so, and even harder for the child to accept the changes.

Effectiveness for children with behavioural and eating problems

There have been several studies that have shown parent training to be very effective in improving the behaviour of children, improving parent-child relationships, and reducing stress for parents. This sometimes takes a while to achieve once training has stopped, but do not be disheartened. Keep consistent and keep trying, and your skills will develop and you are very likely to see changes.

Other improvements clinically shown include:

• Improvement in child self-worth and self-esteem. This is particularly important in eating disorders such as obesity, anorexia and bulimia.
• Improvement in eating habits for young children who refuse to eat “healthy” food
• Improvement in child compliance with house rules and school rules
• Increase in child attention
• Improvement in child’s self-rated perception of their parents

Very often the success and effectiveness of PT relies on how much work the parents put in at home. The skills learnt at PT need to be implemented constantly, not just when it suits either the parent or child. This is not always easy.

Sticking to the skills learnt at PT involves determination. In a lot of cases, sacrifices have to be made. If the rules are broken, logical consequences MUST be implemented. Therefore it is advisable that parents never give a warning they would not follow through. If children are behaving badly, they must be reprimanded immediately, not allowed to continue the behaviour.

Above all, consistency is the key! The same rules must be applid every day so the child is very clear about the boundaries of their actions.

It is important to note that the most common therapy for ADHD children is treatment with stimulant medication. There is no rule to say that parent training and stimulant medication cannot be used together to maximally improve child symptoms. In fact, it has been shown that the best results for behavioural disorders are achieved with behavioural therapy in conjunction with medication.

Effectiveness for autistic children

With continued one on one interaction as a result of parent training, autistic children have shown improvements in:

• Language
• Social interaction
• IQ

Improved parent gaze and imaginative play by the child have been shown with consistent and intense interaction.