Collaborating with Parents to Reduce Children's Behavior Problems

Book excerpt: Approximately 2/3 of all children referred to mental health agencies are labeled as having Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These children are at increased risk for poor outcomes including academic failure, deviant peer groups, drug use, violenece, and deliquency. Identifying and treating these children as early as possible offers promise for stregnthening child protective factors such as social, emotional, and academic competence and effective parenting, thereby preventing and reducing the development of conduct problems and other secondary risk factors. The book has two elements -- first it allows parents to tell thier stories: sharing what it is like to have a "problem" child as well as the long and painful route to finding support and recovery through parent and child training. The book also elucidates in detail the "collaborative process" of therapists working together with familes. This process combines the knowledge and expertise of the clinician with the unique stregnths, perspectives, culture and goals of parents. Essentially the goal is to empower parents by making them active partners in the therapy process, teaching them parenting strategies to cope effectively with their child and stregnthen their relationship as well as build support networks. The book uses case examples to illustrate these points and provides examples of how to tailor the parent programs for high-risk populations and multicultural families. Examples of when and how to add adjunct therapies such as child and teacher training are also discussed, providing a comprehensive guide for the collaborative process for therapists using the Incredible Years® programs.