Modifying the 'Positive Parenting Program' for parents with intellectual disabilities.
Parents with intellectual disabilities can finish a slimmed-down Triple P course and report less stress and fewer child behavior problems.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran a small before-and-after study with 30 parents who have intellectual disabilities.
They trimmed and simplified the standard Group Triple P program. Sessions used plain words, picture handouts, and lots of practice.
Parents met in groups for the usual four sessions plus three phone calls. No control group was used.
What they found
After the course parents said they felt less stress and used fewer harsh tactics.
They also rated their children’s defiance and tantrums lower than before.
Attendance was high and parents said they liked the program.
How this fits with other research
Sappok et al. (2024) got similar gains with a four-session online version for typically developing preschoolers. The short dose works across formats and populations.
van Herwaarden et al. (2022) stretched the idea further. They added child CBT groups for 9- to 18-year-olds with mild or borderline ID and still saw drops in parent-rated behavior problems. Together the three studies show brief parent training travels well.
Sivaraman et al. (2020) adapted training for culture, while I et al. adapted it for cognitive level. Both kept the core skills and both kept social validity high.
Why it matters
You can run Triple P with parents who have ID without watering it down. Keep sessions short, use pictures, and give extra practice. Expect the same pay-off: calmer parents and fewer child behavior issues. If your clinic already runs Triple P, add a low-literacy version to your menu.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Many parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) want and/or need professional guidance and support to learn skills and strategies to prevent and manage child behaviour problems. However, the available support is rarely suitable, and suitable support is rarely available. The aim of this study was to determine whether a popular mainstream parenting training programme, known as 'Group Triple P' (Positive Parenting Program), could be successfully modified for this parent group. METHOD: A pilot study was undertaken to determine whether a modified version of Group Triple P would engage and retain parents with ID. A non-experimental, pre-test post-test study, involving a total of 30 parents with ID, was then undertaken to obtain preliminary efficacy data. RESULTS: Parent engagement and participation levels were high. No parent 'dropped out' of the programme. After completing the modified Group Triple P programme, parents reported a decrease in psychological distress, maladaptive parenting and child conduct problems. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the information and support they received. CONCLUSION: Research-informed adaptation of mainstream behavioural family interventions, such as Group Triple P, could make 'suitable support' more readily available, and more engaging for parents with ID.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2013 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01566.x