Incredible Years Research Articles

Further Consideration of Systems, Stigma, Trauma, and Access to Care

The commentaries by Williams (2016) and Gartenberg and Lang (2016) on the case of Cathy and her mother Ms. Z (Rogers, Bobich, & Heppell, 2016) explore the similarities between children who have been homeless and those in the foster system, and highlight the importance of trauma-focused treatment to address their mental health needs. A further consideration of the challenges to obtaining such treatment due to system barriers, stigma, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma is applied to the case of Cathy. This illustrates the importance of an array of mental health treatment options and the ability to transition from one treatment (an Incredible Years [IY] group) to another (Child-Parent Psychotherapy [CPP]) as opportunities to increase access to needed care for marginalized families.

Two-Year Findings from a National Effectiveness Trial: Effectiveness of Behavioral and Non-Behavioral Parenting Programs.

Long-term follow-up studies of selective parent training (PT) programs are scarce, particularly in the case of effectiveness trials conducted within regular care settings. This study evaluated the 2-year effects of 4 programs: Comet, Incredible Years, Cope, and Connect and differences in the rate of change among programs were investigated using Latent Growth Modeling (LGM). Participants were parents who had sought help at 30 local service sector units (e.g., child psychiatric clinics and social services centers) for major problems in managing their children's externalizing behavior. Parents of 749 children (63% boys) with moderate levels of externalizing behavior, aged 3-12, were randomized to one of the 4 PT programs. Assessments included parent-reported measures of child externalizing, hyperactivity and inattention, as well as parenting practices, sense of competence, and parents' stress and depressive symptoms. At 2-year follow-up, there were no differences in any of the child outcomes among the programs. All programs had reduced externalizing behaviors with large effect sizes (d=1.21 to d=1.32), and negative parenting practices with moderate to large effect sizes (d=0.49 to d=0.83). LGM analyses showed that the 2 behavioral programs, Comet and Incredible Years, produced more rapid reductions in externalizing behavior during the course of the intervention than the non-behavioral program, Connect. Connect, however, was the only program where children continued to improve after the intervention. Overall, the results indicate that the 4 programs were equally effective in a clinical setting, despite differences in their theoretical origin.

Transported Versus Homegrown Parenting Interventions for Reducing Disruptive Child Behavior: A Multilevel Meta-Regression Study

Children's disruptive behavior problems place children at high risk for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, and carry a high burden for individuals and society. Policy makers and service providers aiming to reduce children's disruptive behavior problems must often choose between importing an intervention developed abroad or instead developing or using a "homegrown" (i.e., local) intervention. No comprehensive comparison of these interventions exists. We performed a multilevel meta-regression of 129 randomized trials (374 effect sizes) of transported andhomegrown parenting interventions. We identified trials by searching the included trials lists of systematic reviews, found through searches in 6 databases (e.g.,MEDLINE, EMBASE). Trials that had not yet been reviewed were found by searching the same databases. Primary outcome was the mean difference in effectiveness between transported and homegrown interventions to reduce disruptive child behavior. We also compared thisdifferential effectiveness for various intervention"brands" (e.g., Incredible Years and Triple P Positive Parenting Program) and geographical regions (e.g.,North America and Europe). Transported and homegrown interventions did not differ in their effectiveness to reduce disruptive child behavior (d= 0.10, not significant). Results were robust across intervention brands and geographical regions. Six trials on transported interventions in Hong Kong, Iran, and Panama suggest promising results for transporting interventions to "nonwestern" countries, whereas one trial in Indonesia does not. Parenting interventions based on the same principles led to similar outcomes, whether transported or homegrown. This finding supports the selection of interventions based on their evidence base rather than on cultural specificity.

Incredible Years parent training: What changes, for whom, how, for how long?

The aims of this study were to examine the efficacy of the Incredible Years program (IY) with Portuguese families of preschoolers, moderator and mediator effects, and sustainability of results. Design: randomized controlled design with pre- and post-intervention, and 12 and 18months assessments. Participants: 124 children aged 3–6years, at risk of disruptive behavior problems. Children in the IY group showed significant reduction in behavior problems and increase in social skills; caregivers improved parenting practices and self-confidence. Positive clinical and functional impacts were demonstrated. IY was efficacious with a wide range of families. The moderating effect of the child's age suggests that IY prevents a decrease in social skills for the ages covered by this study. Changes in parental self-efficacy affected changes in parental practices, promoting changes in children's behavior. Positive effects were maintained over time.

Incredible Years parenting programme: cost-effectiveness and implementation

Purpose– There is growing interest in the economic evaluation of public health prevention initiatives and increasing government awareness of the societal costs of conduct disorder in early childhood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC parenting programme compared with a six-month waiting list control.Design/methodology/approach– Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a group-parenting programme. The primary outcome measure was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a measure of child behaviour.Findings– The IY programme was found to have a high probability of being cost-effective, shifting an additional 23 per cent of children from above the clinical concern to below the cut-off on the SDQ compared to the control group, at a cost ranging from £1612-£2418 per child, depending on the number of children in the group.Originality/value– The positive findings of this study have led to ongoing implementation of the IY programme and is therefore an example of commitment to evidence-based service provision and investment in prevention initiatives.

Creating spaces of empathy in the face of regimes of control

This article focuses on the context of early childhood education in Aotearoa (New Zealand). It argues that greater consideration be given to the recognition of the ongoing intergenerational trauma resulting from histories of colonisation, particularly with regard to early childhood care and education pedagogies. It critiques the introduction of the US programme, the ‘Incredible Years’, since the behaviourist stance of its strategies lack empathy, and contradict the philosophy of the relationally based New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki.

Ethnic differences in problem perception: Immigrant mothers in a parenting intervention to reduce disruptive child behavior.

Ethnic minority families in Europe are underrepresented in mental health care-a profound problem for clinicians and policymakers. One reason for their underrepresentation seems that, on average, ethnic minority families tend to perceive externalizing and internalizing child behavior as less problematic. There is concern that this difference in problem perception might limit intervention effectiveness. We tested the extent to which ethnic differences in problem perception exist when ethnic minority families engage in mental health service and whether lower levels of problem perception diminish parenting intervention effects to reduce disruptive child behavior. Our sample included 136 mothers of 3- to 8-year-olds (35% female) from the 3 largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands (43% Dutch; 35% Moroccan; 22% Turkish). Mothers reported on their child's externalizing and internalizing behavior and their perception of this behavior as problematic. They were then randomly assigned to the Incredible Years parenting intervention or a wait list control condition. We contrasted maternal reports of problem perception to teacher reports of the same children. Moroccan and Turkish mothers, compared with Dutch mothers, perceived similar levels of child behavior problems as less problematic, and as causing less impairment and burden. Teacher problem perception did not vary across children from different ethnic groups. Importantly, maternal problem perception did not affect parenting intervention effectiveness to reduce disruptive child behavior. Our findings suggest that ethnic differences in problem perception exist once families engage in treatment, but that lower levels of problem perception do not diminish treatment effects. (PsycINFO Database Record

Classroom behaviour management strategies in response to problematic behaviours of primary school children with special educational needs: views of special educational needs coordinators

Children identified with special educational needs (SEN) and behavioural difficulties present extra challenges to educators and require additional supports in school. This paper presents views from special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) on various strategies used by educators to support children identified with SEN and problematic behaviours. The data were collected from telephone interviews with six SENCos from the UK’s South West Peninsula. The SENCos were invited to participate because their school was participating in a cluster-randomised trial of a teacher classroom management course (Incredible Years). Using thematic analysis to analyse the data, this paper illustrates strategies deemed by SENCos to be successful in the support of children identified with SEN. The management strategies generated by participating SENCos were then mapped onto those taught as part of the classroom management course for comparison. Findings indicate that strategies from the training programme appear to be appropriate for children identified with both SEN and behavioural difficulties.

Inclusion and Engagement of Fathers in Behavioral Parent Training for ADHD: An Update and Recommendations

Free AccessInclusion and Engagement of Fathers in Behavioral Parent Training for ADHD: An Update and RecommendationsLesthia Isaacs, Abigail Webb, Stephanie Jerome and Gregory A. FabianoLesthia IsaacsSearch for more papers by this author, Abigail WebbSearch for more papers by this author, Stephanie JeromeSearch for more papers by this author and Gregory A. Fabiano1 School psychology doctoral students in the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.2 Professor in the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology at the University at Buffalo. He is also on the Advisory Board of The ADHD Report.Address correspondence to Gregory A. Fabiano, Ph.D., Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Baldy Hall 426, Buffalo, NY 14260; E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:December 2015https://doi.org/10.1521/adhd.2015.23.8.1PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations About Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Understanding Differential Effectiveness of Behavioral Parent Training from a Family Systems Perspective: Families Are Greater than “Some of Their Parts”Online publication date: 2 March 2021. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar2. Does the Incredible Years reduce child externalizing problems through improved parenting? The role of child negative affectivity and serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region ( 5-HTTLPR ) genotypeOnline publication date: 24 April 2017. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar3. Initial Findings from a Feasibility Trial Examining the SafeCare Dad to Kids Program with Marginalized FathersOnline publication date: 7 September 2017. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 23Issue 8Dec 2015 Information© 2015 The Guilford PressPDF download

Prevention of Filipino Youth Behavioral Health Disparities: Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Participating in "Incredible Years," an Evidence-Based Parenting Intervention, Los Angeles, California, 2012.

IntroductionEvidence-based interventions for training parents are proven to prevent onset and escalation of childhood mental health problems. However, participation in such programs is low, especially among hard-to-reach, underserved populations such as Filipino Americans. Filipinos, the largest Asian subgroup in California, have significant behavioral health disparities compared with non-Hispanic whites and other Asian subgroups. The purpose of this study was to learn about Filipinos’ barriers and facilitators to participating in “Incredible Years” (IY), a parenting program.MethodsWe conducted 4 focus groups in Los Angeles, California, in 2012; the groups consisted of 20 Filipino parents of children aged 6 to 12 years who recently completed the IY parenting program, which was offered as a prevention workshop. Three reviewers, including two co-authors (A.S., J.J.) and a research assistant used content analysis to independently code the interview transcripts and extract subthemes. Grounded theory analytic methods were used to analyze interview transcripts.ResultsParents’ perceived benefits of participation in IY were learning more effective parenting techniques, networking with other parents, improved spousal relationships, and improvements in their children's behavior. Parents’ most common motivating factor for enrollment in IY was to improve their parenting skills and their relationships with their children. The most common barriers to participation were being uncomfortable sharing problems with others and the fear of being stigmatized by others judging their parenting skills. Participants said that parent testimonials would be the most effective way to promote IY. Many recommended outreach at schools, pediatricians’ offices, and churches.ConclusionIncreasing Filipino American parent enrollment in IY in culturally relevant ways will reduce the incidence of mental health disorders among children in this growing population.

Incredible partnerships: parents and teachers working together to enhance outcomes for children through a multi-modal evidence based programme

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the utility of an evidence-based suite of programmes, The Incredible Years (IY), to enhance outcomes for children using a parent-teacher partnership model. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the broad evidence base for the IY parent, teacher and child programmes, uniquely focusing on the inter-relationships between home and school contexts. Findings – Evidence suggests that it is beneficial to parents, teachers and children to deliver IY programmes applying a multi-modal approach. Originality/value – This paper, read in conjunction with other contributions in this volume, demonstrates the growing viability of partnership strategies that support children, their families and teachers to enhance school readiness, and promote positive child outcomes.

The effectiveness of the Incredible Years™ Parents and Babies Program as a universal prevention intervention for parents of infants in Denmark: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundInfancy is an important period in a child’s life, with rapid growth and development. Early experiences shape the developing brain, and adverse experiences can have both an immediate and lifelong impact on health and wellbeing. Parenting interventions offered to parents of newborns can support parents in providing sensitive and responsive care, and reinforce healthy development for their infants. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Incredible Years™ Parents and Babies Program in a universal setting for parents with infants.Methods/DesignThis is a pragmatic, two-arm, parallel, pilot, randomized controlled trial (RCT) where 128 families with newborn infants up to four-months-old are recruited in two municipalities in Denmark. Families are randomized to the Incredible Years Parents and Babies Program or usual care with a 2:1 allocation ratio. The primary outcome is parenting confidence measured after 20 weeks by the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale and Parental Stress Scale. Secondary outcomes include measures of parent health, reflective functioning, relationship with the infant, and infant development. Interviewers and data analysts are blind to allocation status.DiscussionThis is the first RCT of the Incredible Years Parents and Babies Program, and one of the first rigorous evaluations of a universally offered preventive intervention for parents with infants. The trial will provide important information on the effectiveness of a relatively brief, universally offered parenting intervention for parents of infants, and will also provide information on infant measures, parent recruitment and participation, and implementation of the program, which could inform future trials.Trial registrationThis trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT01931917) on 27 August 2013.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0859-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Bringing The Incredible Years® Programs to Scale.

The Incredible Years(®) (IY) program series is a set of interlocking and comprehensive training programs for parents, teachers, and children. This article briefly reviews the theoretical foundations, goals, and research underlying these programs. The main purpose of the paper is to describe how the IY programs have been scaled up slowly and carefully with fidelity by engaging in a collaborative building project with strong links between the developer, agency or school administrator, mentors, coaches, clinicians, and families using eight foundational building blocks or fidelity tools.

Albanian Teachers’ Approaches to Classroom Management

One of the key elements in having an effective teaching and learning atmosphere goes through classroom management. On the other hand, different needs brought different approaches and strategies to solve the broad area of classroom management. The 21st century classroom managements require quite complex approaches. In this article it is aimed to present strategies used by teachers in classroom management. The researcher anonymously surveyed 45 teachers who were teaching in private institute in Tirana were asked to complete the Incredible Years Teacher Strategies Questionnaire (TSQ) section A and section B only to measure classroom management behavior and the frequency of use of five teacher strategies: praise and effectiveness, proactive strategies, limit-setting, total positive approaches, and inappropriate strategies. The variables such as gender, years of experience, and age that may influence teachers’ classroom management strategies and confidence are discussed. After analyzing the data, it was revealed that male and female teachers differ in terms of coaching, praise and incentives, proactive strategies, and social - emotional teaching strategies they employ. The results indicated that there was no relationship between years of experience and coaching, praise and incentives strategies and proactive strategies. Only there was a relationship between years of experience and social - emotional teaching strategies. However, they differed in terms of age, teachers in age group of 45-54 are better at coaching, praise and incentives, proactive strategies, and social - emotional teaching strategies. By analyzing the data, the results indicated that a solid half of the study’s participants were not using positive classroom strategies and lack of these classroom management strategies were also causing use of inappropriate classroom management techniques.

Implantación piloto de dos programas basados en la evidencia (SafeCare e Incredible Years) en los Servicios de Protección Infantil de Gipuzkoa (España)

This paper describes the implementation process of two evidence-based programs in Gipuzkoa's Child Protection System (Spain): SafeCare and Incredible Years. SafeCare is a home visiting program for high-risk and neglectful families with children under 5 years. Incredible Years is a parenting skills training program for families with children between 4 to 8 years with behavior problems whose parents have significant difficulties to manage. The paper describes the process by which public institutions responsible for child protection in Gipuzkoa decided to shift from current intervention programs towards more structured, focused, and short-term programs that have shown positive results in previous applications in other countries. Issues related to programs adaptation, selection, and training of professionals and preand postresults obtained in the preliminary application of SafeCare and Incredible Years to a limited set of families are presented. Finally, the next step of the implementation process (pilot implementation with a randomized control trial design) is described. The paper discusses a significant number of issues that have been important throughout this process and that may be useful for administrations and institutions that wish to undertake a similar process.

Thriving and surviving? The incredible problem of constructions of normality and Otherness in early childhood settings

This article explores what it means today for children to survive, thrive and reach their full potential – aspirations set out nearly 25 years ago as rights in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Espoused in the principles of the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand, the spirit and intent of these aspirations are undermined by a range of normalizing strategies endemic to The Incredible Years behaviour management programme imported to promote effective management of challenging behaviour in young children. We draw here on the philosophies of Julia Kristeva and Michel Foucault to question the normalization and consequent othering of children and childhoods, problematizing what it is to be ‘normal’. We confront government ‘solutions’ for education driven more by economic rationality than by educational concern for the complexities of the early childhood context. Our analysis of the normalization of childhoods and the government of teachers as ‘behaviour managers’ culminates in a rupturing of normalizing networks and highlights possible resistances and openings, towards surviving and thriving, and potential.

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From the Editor

From the Editor

Group Parent Training Combined With Follow-Up Coaching for Parents of Children With Developmental Delays

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between group training using an abbreviated version of the Incredible Years parent training with family coaching and positive parenting practices. Two at-risk mothers and their young children with disabilities participated in the study. Both mothers were enrolled in a group parent training program through their local early intervention agency. This study extends the research on parent training by examining the relation between group training with individualized, evidence-based coaching and positive parenting practices for parents of children with developmental disabilities. Results suggest coaching combined with group training is related to low to moderate increases in positive parenting practices. More intensive, individualized coaching for at-risk parents might maximize treatment outcomes of group parent training programs.

Exploring the effects of a universal classroom management training programme on teacher and child behaviour: A group randomised controlled trial and cost analysis

Teachers frequently struggle to cope with conduct problems in the classroom. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme for improving teacher competencies and child adjustment. The study involved a group randomised controlled trial which included 22 teachers and 217 children (102 boys and 115 girls). The average age of children included in the study was 5.3 years (standard deviation = 0.89). Teachers were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 11 teachers; 110 children) or a waiting-list control group (n = 11; 107 children). The sample also included 63 ‘high-risk’ children (33 intervention; 30 control), who scored above the cut-off (>12) on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for abnormal socioemotional and behavioural difficulties. Teacher and child behaviours were assessed at baseline and 6 months later using psychometric and observational measures. Programme delivery costs were also analysed. Results showed positive changes in teachers’ self-reported use of positive classroom management strategies (effect size = 0.56), as well as negative classroom management strategies (effect size = −0.43). Teacher reports also highlight improvements in the classroom behaviour of the high-risk group of children, while the estimated cost of delivering the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme was modest. However, analyses of teacher and child observations were largely non-significant. A need for further research exploring the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme is indicated.