Using a Mobile App to Support Parents of Children with Behavior Problems.
A four-week phone app cut child defiance and parent stress without anyone leaving home.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers tested a four-week phone app called Treks. It teaches parents how to handle tantrums and defiance.
Fifty-three families used the app at home. Most kids had autism or ADHD. Parents watched short videos and got daily reminders. A coach called once a week for 15 minutes.
What they found
Parents said the app was easy and helpful. Stress dropped by half. They felt more sure of their skills.
Child problem behavior fell a medium-to-large amount compared to the wait-list group. Gains stayed four weeks later.
How this fits with other research
van der Miesen et al. (2024) pooled 11 years of studies. Caregiver-run plans cut self-injury just as well as clinic plans. Treks adds a new way to give that caregiver power through a phone.
Scudder et al. (2026) sent bachelor-level staff into homes to teach PCIT. They also saw big drops in disruptive acts. Treks shows an app can reach the same goal without a worker in the house.
Mount et al. (2011) warned that parents often quit using strategies after class. Treks tackles this with daily pings and quick coach check-ins, turning old low-adherence news into new high-use results.
Why it matters
You can hand busy families Treks tonight. No travel, no wait list. Four weeks later you get calmer parents and fewer meltdowns. Try it as a first step or a bridge until in-home care starts.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Evidence-based mental health services are difficult to access; telehealth and mobile health hold promise by removing barriers to traditional clinic-based interventions and enabling broader access. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is an evidence-based treatment for child disruptive behaviors. This project examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of using a mobile BPT app, Treks, with families as a standalone treatment (Study 1) or in combination with brief clinician consultation (Study 2). Study 1 participants included 20 caregivers of children with challenging behaviors who engaged with Treks for four weeks. Study 2 participants included 26 caregivers of autistic children with behavioral concerns; all parents received a one-session telehealth consultation followed by random assignment to four weeks of Treks engagement (Treks; n = 14) or access to online resources (consultation control: CC; n = 12). Across both studies, Treks was rated positively and was reported by parents as acceptable and appropriate for their concerns, as well as adequately feasible. In Study 1, 60% of participants fully completed Treks and 83% of completers showed reliable improvement in at least one main outcome (parenting stress, parent sense of competence, and child behavior problems). In study 2, there were significant improvements in Treks but not CC participants, showing moderate-to-large decreases in child disruptive behaviors and parent stress and increases in parent-perceived competency. Mobile app-delivered BPT has the capacity to support families as a feasible and acceptable standalone treatment and should be considered as part of a stepped-care approach or for families who cannot access clinician-delivered BPT.
Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s10802-025-01385-z