Service Delivery
Feasibility study of a parent-driven intervention for youth with Down syndrome.
★ The Verdict
Five short parent-training sessions cut disruptive behaviour and boost self-control in kids with Down syndrome.
✓ Read this if BCBAs serving preschool and school-age children with Down syndrome in clinics or schools.
✗ Skip if Teams already using the full 11-session RUBI or families with no behaviour concerns.
01Research in Context
01
What this study did
You can give Down-syndrome families a proven five-session plan that fits busy lives. It cuts disruptive behaviour and builds self-control without extra clinic hours. Try it next time a parent asks, “What can I do at home?”
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Pick one RUBI skill—like giving labeled praise—and coach the parent to use it ten times before dinner tonight.
02At a glance
Intervention
parent training
Design
randomized controlled trial
Sample size
20
Population
down syndrome
Finding
positive
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with Down syndrome present with behavioural and emotional difficulties, including noncompliance, rule-breaking, emotion dysregulation and delays in executive functioning. Few behavioural interventions have been designed specifically for children with Down syndrome. The Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors is a structured empirically supported parent training programme developed for caregivers of children with autism. This feasibility trial explored the feasibility and acceptability of an abbreviated RUBI intervention with caregivers of children with Down syndrome and identified promising outcome measures to target in future larger clinical trials. METHOD: A double-blind randomised feasibility pilot clinical trial allocated participants to a behavioural intervention (BEH) or educational (EDU) group. BEH and EDU consisted of five individual sessions over the course of 5 to 8 weeks. Measures were administered to 20 caregivers and their youth with Down syndrome at three time points. RESULTS: Both BEH and EDU were rated as feasible with high parental adherence and acceptable with high treatment satisfaction. Both BEH and EDU demonstrated decreased externalising behaviours, irritability and hyperactivity and improved behavioural regulation in executive functioning over time. No impact was noted on caregiver functioning. CONCLUSION: The feasibility trial has strong findings regarding feasibility and satisfaction and has promising findings regarding the selection of measures for future trials testing an adapted RUBI programme and an education programme to reduce behavioural challenges in children with Down syndrome. Larger scale clinical trials are needed to confirm promising findings of these feasible treatments.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2024 · doi:10.1111/jir.13171