Clinician perspectives of engaging parents in behavioural interventions: a thematic analysis in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Purpose Engaging parents in child-focused interventions is considered important for intervention effectiveness but is rarely investigated in behaviour analysis literature. Methods This qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 clinicians working with parents in child-focused behavioural interventions in Aotearoa New Zealand. Interpretive description was the overarching methodology for the study, with thematic analysis utilised to analyse data. The study was guided by the research question; ‘how is parent engagement understood by behavioural clinicians?’ Results Three themes were developed to explain the process of parent engagement from the perspective of clinicians: (a) establishing parent context and needs, (b), developing connection and relationship, (c) facilitating behaviour change. These findings suggest that parent engagement is heavily relational and occurs over time. Conclusions Aligned with parent engagement literature from other allied health fields, this study highlights the relational and dynamic elements of engagement within a child-focused intervention. Behaviour analysts should focus on interpersonal connections with parents at the start of intervention and may benefit from additional training to achieve this.