Structured training with parents of exceptional children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to apply the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) program to a population of parents of handicapped children and to investigate the relative effectiveness of the program among the three diagnostic subsets of that population. Relative effectiveness was assessed by a means of pre-post scores on each of the two separate scales, which measured parental child-rearing attitudes and parental perceptions of child behavior. Of 55 parents who began the program, 33 attended at least six of the nine sessions and thus completed the study. All participants were volunteers, including both singles and couples, and were assigned to the groups by day-of-the-week preferences. Participants were typically middle class and essentially randomly assigned. The three independent variables were defined by the diagnostic subsets of handicapping conditions. Treatment effects were examined for parents of mentally retarded (MR) (n=8), parents of language learning disabled (LLD) (n=17), and parents of speech handicapped (SP) (n=8). Six groups met once a week and followed the program outlined in STEP without deviation. Subjects were administered the Attitude Toward the Freedom of Children-Scale II and the Adlerian Parental Assessment of Child Behavior Scale before the beginning of the first session and immediately following session nine. ...