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Background Early risk factors for poor child outcomes are well established, and some group parenting programmes have demonstrated good outcomes for children under 3 years of age. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of the Incredible Years® Toddler Parenting Programme with parents of 1-year-old and 2-year-old children recruited by staff in disadvantaged Flying Start areas across Wales. Methods Eighty-nine families with a child aged between 12 and 36 months at baseline participated in a pragmatic community-based trial of the programme in eight Flying Start areas. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months using measures of parental mental health, competence, child behaviour, child development, home environment and blinded-observation of parent-child interactions. Results Significant intervention group improvements were found in parental mental well-being and observed praise at 6 months. Significant improvements for the intervention group at 12 months included child development, home environment and parental depression. Conclusion The study provides preliminary evidence for programme attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Parental language is associated with children's later language development. Parenting programmes, based on social learning theory, enhance a range of parenting behaviours, yet there is limited evidence for their effect on parental language. Aim To assess the benefits of a behavioural-based parenting programme, which features components of language and communication, to enhance parental language. Method Parents of toddlers, aged 12 to 36 months, were recruited from eight Flying Start early intervention centres across Wales. Participants were randomised 2:1 either to a parenting programme ( n = 60) or to a wait-list control group ( n = 29). Researchers were blind to participant allocation throughout the trial. Fifteen-minute video-recorded observations of parents and children interacting during free-play, both at a pre-intervention and at 6-month follow-up, provided the data for the study. Five observed measures of parental language were assessed; quantity and variety, encouraging, critical, child-led and parent led interactions. Intervention The Incredible Years Parent- Toddler Programme ( IYPTP) is a 12-week group-based behavioural intervention that teaches effective relationship and behavioural management skills including social, emotional and persistence coaching to enable parents to better support their children's development. Results Of 89 dyads that completed pre-intervention assessments 81 (54 intervention and 27 control) met the criteria for the current study. Intention to treat analysis indicated that child-led language interactions significantly benefited from the intervention [regression coefficient ( B) = −1.44, 95% confidence intervals ( CI) = −2.59 to −0.29, P = 0.015, effect size ( ES) = 0.47] and a positive trend for encouraging language in favour of the intervention sample was evident. Per-protocol sample analysis replicated these findings with encouraging language reaching statistical significance ( B = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.11 to 2.03, P = 0.03, ES = 0.52). No further benefits were evident. Conclusions The IYPTP has limited evidence as an effective programme for enhancing some aspects of parental language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study examined the long-term efficacy of the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC Parenting Programme delivered as a preventive intervention with parents of pre-school children who display signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct problems. Families were followed up after the completion of a controlled trial with 11 Sure Start areas in North and Mid-Wales and North West England. Methods Participants in the study were 50 pre-school children whose parents had received the intervention. Child ADHD symptoms were assessed at baseline, at follow-up one (6 months after baseline); at follow-up two (12 months after baseline); and at follow-up three (18 months after baseline). Families in the original waiting-list control group were not assessed after follow-up one as they had subsequently received the same intervention. Results The significant post-intervention improvements in child ADHD symptoms evident at follow-up one were maintained over time, as demonstrated by statistical and clinical stability of measures. No significant differences were found for ADHD symptoms across each follow-up, indicating that the gains made post intervention were maintained for at least 12 months, with 57% of the sample maintaining scores below the clinical cut-off on the Conners. Eighty-six, 58, and 30 per cent respectively had maintained at least a modest, large, or very large improvement in ADHD symptoms at follow-up three. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that the IY psychosocial treatment programme is a valuable intervention in the longer term for many pre-school children displaying early signs of ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The efficacy of the Incredible Years (IY) Basic parent training (PT) programme for a community-based sample of families with pre-school children at risk of developing both conduct problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was examined. Methods Pre-school children displaying signs of both early-onset conduct problems and ADHD were randomly allocated to either IY PT intervention, or to a waiting list (WL) control group. Child symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention. Results Post intervention, the intervention group was associated with significantly lower levels of parent-reported inattention and hyperactive/impulsive difficulties, even after controlling for post-intervention changes in child deviance. In addition, 52% of those in the intervention condition, compared with 21% in the control condition, displayed clinically reliable improvements post intervention, giving an absolute risk reduction of 31% and a number needed to treat of 3.23. Conclusions Findings from this study indicate that the IY PT programme is a valuable intervention for many pre-school children displaying early signs of ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]