93 - Behavioral Parent Training and Consultation

Abstract

Externalizing behavior problems in early childhood—aggression, noncompliance, tantrums, and other disruptive behaviors—are among the most common concerns reported in pediatric settings, and among the most frequently cited reasons for families to be referred to developmental-behavioral and mental health specialists. Fortunately, treatments for externalizing behavior problems are among the most well-researched and effective programs available in the psychological sciences. These packages rely almost exclusively on parents and caregivers as agents of change, and employ a range of behavioral, social learning, and cognitive-behavioral mechanisms to interrupt coercive behavior patterns and facilitate prosocial interactions. This chapter introduces the epidemiology and behavioral processes of externalizing behavior problems in childhood, followed by a survey of the most prominent empirically supported parent-mediated treatment packages. Next, the key practical steps of conducting behavioral parent training are described, including the most important shared elements of the evidence-based intervention packages. Finally, extensions of the original behavioral parent training model are discussed, including applications for new patient populations, strategies for expanding access to more families via new delivery pathways and practice settings, and opportunities to increase the utility of these interventions by attending to parent and caregiver engagement.