The Coping Skills Training Program for Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities: An Experimental Evaluation

Abstract

This pretest-posttest no-treatment control group study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of a social work intervention called the Coping Skills Training Program (CSTP) in helping parents deal with the problems they face raising children with developmental disabilities. The CSTP involved training in problem solving, achieving personal goals, interpersonal skills training, and cognitive restructuring-all presented in a group treatment format. The positive results demonstrate the value of teaching parents to set realistic, behaviorally measurable goals and argue for increased attention to the development of support networks. Finally, they demonstrate that a behavioral approach to skills acquisition can make a significant contribution to parents who daily face situations for which they may be ill prepared.