title: A controlled clinical evaluation of the Parents Plus Children's Programme for parents of children aged 6-12 with mild intellectual disability in a school setting.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the parent training, Parents Plus Children's Programme (PPCP) as an intervention for parents of children with mild intellectual disabilities. Participants were parents of children, aged six to 12, attending a special school for children with mild general learning disability (n = 29). Minor programme adaptations were made. Pre and post-assessment included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Parenting Stress Index, the Kansas Parent Satisfaction Scale and parent identified personal and child-related goals. A significant reduction in clinical range scores for treatment group participants (n = 16) was observed. Conversely, clinical range scores for control group participants (n = 13) increased, or remained elevated. These preliminary results suggest that PPCP may be successfully delivered as a routine community-based intervention and aid to prevent and reduce behavioural problems, reduce parent stress and increase parent confidence and satisfaction. Further investigation of programme effectiveness for parents of children with developmental disability is warranted.
authors.affiliation: 1Parents Plus, Mater Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ailish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hand
authors.forename: Ciara Ní
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Raghallaigh
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuppage
authors.forename: Sadhbh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sharry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Behavioural problems; Kansas Parent Satisfaction Scale; Parent Plus Children’s Programme (PPCP); Parent Stress Index; Randomised Controlled Trial; developmental difficulties; intellectual disability; parent training; strengths and difficulties questionnaire