Individualized Parent-Mediated Behavioral Treatment for Challenging Behavior: A Program Description

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Behavioral treatments are effective for challenging behaviors in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Access to specialized services for these conditions is often limited and resource-intensive.
• Moderate challenging behaviors require accessible and effective interventions for children and young adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a parent-mediated service model for moderate challenging behaviors in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of therapist-coached parents in implementing functional analyses and treatment packages.
• To assess parent-reported outcomes, including behavior reduction and stress levels.

Main Methods:

• Programmatic description of an individualized parent-mediated service model.
• Therapist coaching for parents on functional analyses and function-based treatment implementation.
• Inclusion of 41 families with children and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Main Results:

• 75.6% of clients met all admission treatment goals.
• Significant decreases in the frequency and severity of challenging behaviors were reported by parents.
• Parents reported reduced stress levels at the conclusion of the program.

Conclusions:

• The parent-mediated treatment model is a viable and effective option for addressing moderate challenging behaviors.
• This approach enhances parental capacity to manage challenging behaviors in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• The model offers a resource-efficient alternative to traditional service delivery for these populations.