A behavioural parent training programme for single mothers of physically handicapped children

The single mothers of four children with congenital physical disorders participated in a 9-week parent training programme. The programme was developed to instruct them in the systematic utilization of behavioural techniques in order to enable them to teach their children self-help skills and to reduce behaviour problems. The mothers successfully taught their children seven self-help skills, with average self-help skill performance increasing from 18% correct during baseline to 99% correct during a 5-month follow-up period. In addition, the mothers provided one another with social support and practical suggestions related to psychosocial stresses facing single parents of handicapped children. The findings suggest the potential of behavioural parent training techniques in facilitating functional independence in physically handicapped children, as well as providing single parents with increased feelings of being able to systematically contribute to their children's physical and psychosocial development.