Father's role in parent training for children with developmental delay

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Family Therapy

Background:

• Externalizing behavior problems and developmental delays in young children present significant challenges for families.
• Parent training interventions are crucial for managing these issues, but father involvement is often understudied.
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based approach for addressing behavioral concerns in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of father involvement in parent training for children with externalizing behavior problems and developmental delay.
• To compare treatment outcomes between families with and without father participation.
• To assess the influence of father involvement on child behavior and compliance.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental pilot study involving 44 families with young children exhibiting externalizing behaviors and developmental delay.
• All families were offered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
• Data collected on treatment completion, parent-reported behavior problems, and child compliance during a cleanup task.

Main Results:

• Single-mother families had higher dropout rates compared to two-parent families.
• Children in father-involved families showed lower parent-reported externalizing behaviors post-treatment.
• Children from father-involved families demonstrated significantly higher compliance during a cleanup task compared to single-mother families.

Conclusions:

• Father involvement in parent training is beneficial for children with developmental delays and externalizing behaviors.
• Engaging fathers can improve treatment adherence and child outcomes.
• Findings underscore the importance of including fathers in therapeutic interventions for this population.