Parenting Sessions
Similarly, evidence from over 100 studies provides support for the effectiveness
of parenting interventions in improving child rule following, reducing disruptive
behaviors, and improving parent-child interactions. The benefits of parenting
programs are typically observed several months to several years after the program
has ended. Parenting programs also improve other aspects of parent functioning,
such as parental stress and self-esteem.
There are six parenting programs that have received extensive evaluation
and support:
- Gerald Patterson’s Living with Children
- Rex Forehand and Robert McMahon Helping the Noncompliant Child
- Carolyn Webster-Stratton’s The Incredible Years
- Sheila Eyberg’s Parent -Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
- Russell Barkley’s Defiant Children
- Charles Cunningham’s Community-Oriented Parenting Education (COPE)
These programs have several similarities. First, all six programs are designed
to target noncompliance and to interrupt the negative cycle of parent-child
interactions. Second, all six are based on a two-stage program for child noncompliance.
The first stage involves helping parents pay attention to appropriate behaviors
and ignore inappropriate behaviors. The second stage involves helping parents
to implement effective, consistent disciplinary techniques (e.g., time out,
response cost). Finally, the behavior management principles taught in all six
programs are most applicable to preschool and elementary school children.
The Y.E.S.S. Program uses the Defiant Children, Helping the Noncompliant
Child, and Cunningham et al.’s COPE Program manuals. Primarily because
they are inexpensive in terms of materials and training, and have very detailed
manuals to follow.
