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Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk of impairments in self-regulation and disruptive behavior. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Signposts program to reduce disruptive behavior and improve self-regulation in Hispanic children with ABI, and reduce parental stress and improve parenting practices. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assigned children (n = 71) and their parents to Signposts or generic telephone support. Blinded assessors conducted assessments at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention. Signposts was effective in reducing dysfunctional parenting practices. Further, when analyzing participants at risk of behavioral disturbance (n = 46), Signposts was effective in reducing child disruptive behavior in the home environment and emotional self-regulation. No differences were found for parental stress, parent sense of competence, child disruptive behaviors at school, and child cognitive and behavioral self-regulation. The reduction in disruptive behavior was associated with the implementation of authoritative parenting practices (external regulation), and not associated with child self-regulation.

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) during childhood typically causes behaviour problems in the child and high levels of stress in the family., Objectives: (1) To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a parenting programme to: improve behaviour and self-regulation (SR) in Mexican children with ABI, enhance parenting skills, and decrease parental stress in parents of children with ABI; (2) to explore the impact of parent SR on child., Methods: Case study design with four participants post-ABI, aged 7-12 years, recruited in Mexico City. A parenting programme (Signposts for Building Better Behaviour) was delivered and provided parents with strategies to manage child behaviour. Child behaviour, child self-regulation, parental stress and parenting practices were measured before, immediately post-intervention, and three months post-intervention., Results: At immediate and three months post-intervention improvements in parenting skills, reduction in parental stress, and improvement in child behaviour were identified., Conclusions: The programme is feasible in a Mexican population and was effective in improving parenting skills and reducing stress in parents of children with ABI, as well as improving child behaviour and behavioural SR. These domains continue improving three months after the intervention. The improvements in challenging behaviour at home did not transfer to the school environment.