Positive Impact of Education Class for Parents with Adverse Childhood Experiences on Child Behavior

There is a need for community-based parent education programs that strengthen the parent-child relationship and mitigate the negative impact of parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on child social-emotional development.

To examine whether a community-based parent education program can improve children's social-emotional development.

This was a prospective observational study of a series of community education parenting classes in Rochester, Minnesota. Group classes were delivered weekly for three months. Classes used Dr. Becky Bailey's Conscious Discipline Program. Parents of children ages 2 to 5 years and identified as at risk of poor social-emotional outcomes based on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional 2 (ASQ:SE2) score were eligible to participate.

There were 39 child-parent dyads who enrolled. Parental ACEs scores ranged from 0 to 6 with a median of 1.5 (interquartile range, 0-3, N = 34). In the 33 children with both before and after ASQ:SE2 tests available, there was a significant decrease in the post-ASQ:SE2 score compared with the pre-ASQ:SE2 score (mean difference, -30.3; 95% confidence interval, CI -42.2 to -18.4; p < 0.001) where lower scores are associated with less social-emotional impairment. There was no significant association in the change of pre-post ASQ:SE2 scores as parents' ACEs scores increased (estimated slope, 3.1; 95% CI -3.7 to 9.9; p = 0.36).

Community-based, parent education interventions can improve child social-emotional development. This program using Dr. Becky Bailey's Conscious Discipline Program improved ASQ-SE scores, regardless of parental ACEs exposure.