A Meta-Analysis of the Current State of Evidence of the Incredible Years Teacher-Classroom Management Program

This meta-analysis evaluated the current state of evidence and identified potential treatment moderators of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IYTCM) program used to reduce externalizing and internalizing behaviors in school-aged children. Inclusion criteria involved published studies between 1984–2018 and examining the effects of IYTCM as a standalone program on teacher and/or child behavioral outcomes. We identified and narratively summarized potential moderators, which included the severity of child behavior, dosage, study design, and reporting methods. Overall, effect sizes revealed IYTCM had moderate positive effects on teachers and small positive effects on children. Narrative summaries indicated larger effect sizes in higher dosage studies and higher risk children. The results align with previous systematic reviews on the Incredible Years Parent Training (IYPT) program but this is the first study to look at the teacher training program. Overall, IYTCM seems to be an effective intervention; however, what components of this program work best, for whom, and under what conditions require further empirical investigation.

Protocol for a randomized pilot study (FIRST STEPS): implementation of the Incredible Years-ASLD® program in Spanish children with autism and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties

Having access to parenting interventions in the early years is key to improve the developmental outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental problems. The Incredible Years® (IY) Parent Program is a group intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in terms of reducing stress in parents, as well as improving behavioral, emotional, and social outcomes in children. The program has been recently adapted for families of children with autism or language delays (IY-ASLD®). This intervention has not yet been implemented in the Spanish Public Health System, where there is a scarcity of evidence-based interventions being offered to families with young children presenting neurodevelopmental problems. The main aims of this study are to determine the feasibility of implementing the IY-ASLD® program within Spanish Child Mental Health Services and to examine parents’ acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. As a secondary objective, we aim to evaluate its preliminary effectiveness in terms of reducing parental stress and behavioral difficulties in their children. The FIRST STEPS study is a multicenter, pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the IY-ASLD® program with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Approximately 70 families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties (aged 2–5 years) will be recruited. Families will be assessed prior to randomization and after the intervention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the intervention will consist of 22 weekly online sessions (approximately 6 months). The FIRST STEPS pilot trial will demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of reliably implementing the IY-ASLD® program within the Spanish Public Health System. The results of this study could represent the first step to inform policymakers in Spain when designing evidence-based healthcare pathways for families of children presenting ASD symptoms or neurodevelopmental difficulties at early stages. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04358484. Registered on 04 April 2020

Evaluating the Feasibility of the Incredible Years Attentive Parenting Program as Universal Prevention for Racially Diverse Populations

Parenting training (PT) can be implemented as a prevention program to effectively address children’s behavioral and psychosocial problems. In the current feasibility study, we implemented the Incredible Years (IY) Attentive Parenting Program as universal/primary prevention in a community mental health setting with racially diverse families. We evaluated the attendance and treatment outcomes in a one-group pre–post design. A total of 152 parents (88% mothers; 81% non-White) participated in the IY Attentive Parenting Program. Parents who completed the program reported a significant decrease in conduct problems and an increase in prosocial behaviors in their children. Minimal differences among race and gender were found in parents’ attendance, parenting stress, and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms and prosocial behaviors. However, pretreatment child externalizing behaviors predicted parents’ attendance. The study provides preliminary support for the feasibility of the recently developed IY Attentive Parenting Program as a universal prevention program for behavioral and psychosocial problems in children.

Protocol for a randomized pilot study (FIRST STEPS): implementation of the Incredible Years-ASLD® program in Spanish children with Autism and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties

Having access to parenting interventions in the early years is key to improve developmental outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental problems. The Incredible Years® (IY) Parent Program is a group intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in terms of reducing stress in parents, as well as improving behavioral, emotional and social outcomes in children. The program has been recently adapted for families of children with autism or language delays (IY-ASLD®). This intervention has not yet been implemented in the Spanish Public Health System, where there is a scarcity of evidence-based interventions being offered to families with young children presenting neurodevelopmental problems. The main aims of this study are to determine the feasibility of implementing the IY-ASLD® program within Spanish Child Mental Health Services, as well as to examine parents’ acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. As a secondary objective, we aim to evaluate its preliminary effectiveness in terms of reducing parental stress and behavioral difficulties in their children. The FIRST STEPS study is a multicenter, pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the IY-ASLD® program with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Approximately 70 families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties (aged 2–5 years) will be recruited. Families will be assessed prior to randomization and after the intervention.The FIRST STEPS pilot trial will demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of reliably implementing the IY-ASLD® program within the Spanish Public Health System. The results of this study could represent a first step to inform policy makers in Spain when designing evidence-based healthcare pathways for families of children presenting ASD symptoms or neurodevelopmental difficulties at early stages.

Longer-Term Outcomes of the Incredible Years Parenting Intervention

Conduct problems can develop into behavior disorders and put children at risk for other mental health problems. Parenting interventions have been shown to successfully reduce conduct problems and are often expected to prevent the development of broader mental health problems. Few studies have evaluated the longer-term and broader effects of these interventions. To what extent are parenting intervention effects sustained in the years after the intervention? And do effects pertain to conduct problems specifically, or do they also affect broader aspects of children’s mental health? We used a randomized controlled trial to assess the longer-term (2.5 years) effects of the Incredible Years parenting intervention on children’s conduct problems in an indicated prevention setting (N = 387; 79% retention rate). Using a multi-method (survey and computerized tasks) and multi-informant (parents, teachers, and children) approach, we tested whether initial effects on conduct problems were sustained, and whether Incredible Years had broader effects on children’s peer problems, emotional problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, attention and inhibition deficits, and service use. Incredible Years, relative to control (no intervention), led to sustained reductions in parent-reported conduct problems (Cohen’s d = 0.31), but not teacher- and child-reported conduct problems. There were no broader benefits: Incredible Years did not reduce children’s peer problems, emotional problems, ADHD-symptoms, attention and inhibition deficits, or their service use. Improvements in parents’ perceptions of child conduct problems sustained until 2.5 years later. Our findings do not show benefits of Incredible Years as a preventive intervention for children’s broader mental health.