Adapting Webster-Stratton's incredible years parent training for children with developmental delay: findings from a treatment group only study

Abstract

Background: Children with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) are more likely than typically developing children to experience behaviour problems. Parent training, such as the Incredible Years Parent Training (IYPT) series, has been a widely used intervention to support families with children with or at-risk for behaviour problems; yet to date, this programme has not been used with parents with young children with developmental delay or disabilities.

Method: This preliminary treatment group only study assessed the feasibility of implementing a modified parent training programme (IYPT-DD) with 25 families with 2-5-year-old children with developmental delay. Intervention consisted of 12 weekly (2.5 h) sessions with topics covering developmentally appropriate play, praise, rewards, limit setting and handling challenging behaviour.

Results: Results suggest preliminary evidence of efficacy in reducing negative parent and child behaviour and increasing parental perceptions of child positive impact.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the feasibility of the DD modifications applied to the IYPT. Although this approach is promising, additional evidence is needed to address the efficacy of IYPT-DD in children with developmental delay.