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Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs

Scientific Ratings in this Topic
  • 1 Well-Supported by Research Evidence
  • 2 Supported by Research Evidence
  • 3 Promising Research Evidence
  • 4 Evidence Fails to Demonstrate Effect
  • 5 Concerning Practice
  • NR Not able to be Rated

Topic Areas

Topic Areas

Definition

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area focuses on services intended to improve experiences and outcomes with the child welfare system for parents with cognitive disabilities. Parents with cognitive disabilities, as defined by the CEBC, may include individuals who have official developmental disabilities labels, intelligence quotients (IQs) equal to 70 or lower, diagnosis of Intellectual Disability (based on the DSM-5 criteria, which replaced the Mental Retardation diagnosis in the previous DSM-5 versions), learning disabilities, selective neuropsychological difficulties, and/or traumatic brain injuries.

Programs included in this topic area may provide direct services for parents with cognitive disabilities, and include changes in the methods used to assess them for child welfare service planning and changes in the implementation of services to intervene with them. In addition, programs may include systems-based child welfare practices that are meant to increase the effectiveness of working with these parents and the availability of needed supports for those who work with this population. These programs focus on improving the child welfare staff's ability to communicate with these parents and reducing the barriers between the multiple service systems to which these families may be connected. The percentage of parents who have cognitive disabilities and are involved with child welfare may be as high as 22%. Studies have shown that, once reported to child welfare, these parents are more likely to have the reported child maltreatment substantiated, to remain active in the child welfare system longer, and to have a greater risk of having their parental rights terminated.

  • Target population: Parents with cognitive disabilities who are involved with the child welfare system, as well as child welfare staff and service providers who work with this population.
  • Service(s)/types that fit: Direct intervention with parents in individual or group formats or system-level interventions, training programs, and resource materials for child welfare staff and service providers
  • Delivered by: Trained paraprofessionals, educators, and health and mental health professionals
  • In order to be included: Program must specifically target parents with cognitive disabilities or providers who work with parents with cognitive disabilities
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) must examine outcomes for parents with cognitive disabilities (e.g., engagement, understanding, knowledge), child welfare outcomes for families involving a parent with cognitive disabilities (e.g., length of time in care, reunification rates, re-entry), or outcomes for providers working with this population (e.g., changes in attitudes or performance, knowledge of techniques or curricula)

Definition

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area focuses on services intended to improve experiences and outcomes with the child welfare system for parents with cognitive disabilities. Parents with cognitive disabilities, as defined by the CEBC, may include individuals who have official developmental disabilities labels, intelligence quotients (IQs) equal to 70 or lower, diagnosis of Intellectual Disability (based on the DSM-5 criteria, which replaced the Mental Retardation diagnosis in the previous DSM-5 versions), learning disabilities, selective neuropsychological difficulties, and/or traumatic brain injuries.

Programs included in this topic area may provide direct services for parents with cognitive disabilities, and include changes in the methods used to assess them for child welfare service planning and changes in the implementation of services to intervene with them. In addition, programs may include systems-based child welfare practices that are meant to increase the effectiveness of working with these parents and the availability of needed supports for those who work with this population. These programs focus on improving the child welfare staff's ability to communicate with these parents and reducing the barriers between the multiple service systems to which these families may be connected. The percentage of parents who have cognitive disabilities and are involved with child welfare may be as high as 22%. Studies have shown that, once reported to child welfare, these parents are more likely to have the reported child maltreatment substantiated, to remain active in the child welfare system longer, and to have a greater risk of having their parental rights terminated.

  • Target population: Parents with cognitive disabilities who are involved with the child welfare system, as well as child welfare staff and service providers who work with this population.
  • Service(s)/types that fit: Direct intervention with parents in individual or group formats or system-level interventions, training programs, and resource materials for child welfare staff and service providers
  • Delivered by: Trained paraprofessionals, educators, and health and mental health professionals
  • In order to be included: Program must specifically target parents with cognitive disabilities or providers who work with parents with cognitive disabilities
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) must examine outcomes for parents with cognitive disabilities (e.g., engagement, understanding, knowledge), child welfare outcomes for families involving a parent with cognitive disabilities (e.g., length of time in care, reunification rates, re-entry), or outcomes for providers working with this population (e.g., changes in attitudes or performance, knowledge of techniques or curricula)

Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area is relevant to child welfare because up to 22% of the parents with cognitive disabilities are involved in the child welfare system and child welfare agencies are not always well-equipped to serve these parents. Child welfare workers and other service providers are often uninformed about how to best serve these parents and are in need of specific information and training that will assist in engaging and supporting them. Workers may also be operating with the false assumption that parents with cognitive disabilities are unable to parent safely under any circumstances.

There are programs and practices that have shown promise in working with parents with cognitive disabilities; however, they are not well-known across the country. The field could benefit from knowing what services are effective with these parents. Ultimately, through improved services to parents with cognitive disabilities, more of them will be able to parent successfully, keeping their children safely at home, or — if that is not possible — maintaining a positive connection to their children over time.

Pamela Day,
Former CEBC Advisory Committee Member

Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area is relevant to child welfare because up to 22% of the parents with cognitive disabilities are involved in the child welfare system and child welfare agencies are not always well-equipped to serve these parents. Child welfare workers and other service providers are often uninformed about how to best serve these parents and are in need of specific information and training that will assist in engaging and supporting them. Workers may also be operating with the false assumption that parents with cognitive disabilities are unable to parent safely under any circumstances.

There are programs and practices that have shown promise in working with parents with cognitive disabilities; however, they are not well-known across the country. The field could benefit from knowing what services are effective with these parents. Ultimately, through improved services to parents with cognitive disabilities, more of them will be able to parent successfully, keeping their children safely at home, or — if that is not possible — maintaining a positive connection to their children over time.

Pamela Day,
Former CEBC Advisory Committee Member

Topic Expert

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area was added in 2014. Sandra Azar, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2014 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2014 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Azar was not involved in identifying or rating them.

Topic Expert

The Working with Parents with Cognitive Disabilities: Programs topic area was added in 2014. Sandra Azar, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2014 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2014 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Azar was not involved in identifying or rating them.

Programs

Healthy & Safe

Healthy & Safe. An Australian Parent Education Kit is a home-based education resource tailored to the unique learning needs of parents with learning difficulties. It is designed to equip these parents who have young children with the knowledge and skills necessary for managing home dangers, accidents, and childhood illness.

Healthy & Safe was adapted from the UCLA Parent-Child Health and Wellness Program developed by Alexander Tymchuk (Tymchuk, A. J. (2006). The health & wellness program: A parenting curriculum for families at risk. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company) and has been widely disseminated as a part of the Australian national strategy Healthy Start. Healthy Start is a national capacity building strategy which aims to improve health and well-being outcomes for children whose parents have learning difficulties (www.healthystart.net.au).

The Healthy & Safe kit provides lesson plans, modules, and parent workbooks covering 6 health and 13 home safety topics including recognizing when your child is sick, calling the doctor, using medicines safely, identifying dangerous objects in the home, and developing a home safety plan.

Scientific Rating 3

Step-by-Step Parenting Program®

The Step-by-Step Parenting Program® breaks down essential child-care skills for children from birth to about 3 years or age into small steps. A wide-range of parenting skills are covered related to child health, safety, and development, including: newborn care; feeding and nutrition; diapering; bathing; home and sleep safety; first aid; toilet training; parent-child interactions; and positive behavior support. The Step-by-Step Parenting Program® combines the Step-by-Step Parenting Program Manual, instructions, modelling, roleplaying, and performance feedback to help teach the parents the above skills. The 238-page Step-by-Step Child-Care Parenting Program Manual includes over 50 step-by-step child-care checklists developed with the input of pediatric health care professionals and consumers, and corresponding picture books for about half of these skills.

Scientific Rating 3

Designing Support Groups for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities

Designing Support Groups for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities by Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is an 86-page training module designed to be a tool for any individual or organization that is considering forming a group for parents with intellectual disabilities. The module includes the rationale and benefits of a specialized group, many concrete organizational and format ideas, examples of interventions by facilitators, important disability accommodations, small details that are important to success, and video clips of a TLG group with discussion questions. The module also includes a copy of TLG's Strategies and Adaptations in Working with Parents with Intellectual Disabilities.

Scientific Rating NR

Parenting Young Children

Parenting Young Children (PYC) is a comprehensive, home–based parent training and support program for parents with learning difficulties and their young children. PYC was developed in 2003, has been evaluated and widely disseminated across Australia as a part of the Australian national strategy “Healthy Start”. Healthy Start is a national capacity building strategy which aims to improve health and well-being outcomes for children whose parents have learning difficulties (www.healthystart.net.au).

Practitioners use a four-section manual to guide their practice:

  • Developing the Intervention
    • Clarifying roles
    • Setting goals with parents
    • Developing the intervention (selecting a module, designing content, developing teaching materials)
  • Teaching Strategies
    • General principles for teaching
    • Knowledge and practice skills
    • Teaching strategies
  • Core Content Areas (Two intervention modules)
    • Module 1 – Child Care Skills assists parents to develop skills around toilet training, food preparation, nutrition, bathing, sleeping, and health care (based on Maurice Feldman’s Parent Education Program)
    • Module 2 – Parent’ Child Interactions teaches parents to provide stimulating play activities for their child, and how to use praise, modeling, and other parent-child interaction skills (based on Sheila Eyberg’s Parent-Child Interaction Therapy)
  • Putting It All Together
    • Practitioner skills
    • Program adherence
    • Promoting generalization and maintenance of skills

Scientific Rating NR

Positive Parenting Resource

Positive Parenting Resource operated by The United Arc provides services to parents with intellectual and/or functional limitations. The Positive Parenting Resource Center is built upon the concept of providing programs through a multi-tier level of support. Their mission statement is:

The Positive Parenting Resource Center will educate and build upon the strengths of families with learning differences to enhance their parenting skills and become recognized as valued, contributing members of their community. This is addressed by providing comprehensive and individualized services to the families. The center also educates the human service community and the community at large and promotes a change in the current service system to recognize the potential for growth and increased parental capacity.

Positive Parenting Resource offers a variety of services including home visiting with parenting skills training; both supervised visitation observation/monitoring and supportive/instructional supervised visitation; parent education and support groups; mentoring support; and a transitional supported living program. Through the programs, the center addresses how the combination of disability, poverty, and isolation often leads to struggles with maintaining housing security or household stability and makes the challenges of parenting becoming more complicated. Issues addressed are parenting skills, budgeting, community referrals, and personal well-being and safety.

Scientific Rating NR

Project IMPACT

Project IMPACT provides intensive, in-home services for parents with intellectual and/or significant learning disabilities (ID/LD) who are risk for family disruption due to allegations of child maltreatment. Services are provided three times a week for six months. Program areas include basic child care, home and health safety, child management, and problem-solving skills. All skills are taught in a multimodal intervention format designed to meet a family's particular learning style. Baseline, ongoing, and postintervention data is collected on both parent and home functioning.

Scientific Rating NR

Working Successfully with Parents with IDD

This live, online, and interactive training is designed to build on professionals’ skills when working with families where the parents have an intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD). Professionals are taught how to modify their skills to make reasonable accommodations in the services they provide with the goal of giving parents with disabilities a fair chance to parent.

Scientific Rating NR

Programs

Healthy & Safe

Healthy & Safe. An Australian Parent Education Kit is a home-based education resource tailored to the unique learning needs of parents with learning difficulties. It is designed to equip these parents who have young children with the knowledge and skills necessary for managing home dangers, accidents, and childhood illness.

Healthy & Safe was adapted from the UCLA Parent-Child Health and Wellness Program developed by Alexander Tymchuk (Tymchuk, A. J. (2006). The health & wellness program: A parenting curriculum for families at risk. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company) and has been widely disseminated as a part of the Australian national strategy Healthy Start. Healthy Start is a national capacity building strategy which aims to improve health and well-being outcomes for children whose parents have learning difficulties (www.healthystart.net.au).

The Healthy & Safe kit provides lesson plans, modules, and parent workbooks covering 6 health and 13 home safety topics including recognizing when your child is sick, calling the doctor, using medicines safely, identifying dangerous objects in the home, and developing a home safety plan.

Scientific Rating 3

Step-by-Step Parenting Program®

The Step-by-Step Parenting Program® breaks down essential child-care skills for children from birth to about 3 years or age into small steps. A wide-range of parenting skills are covered related to child health, safety, and development, including: newborn care; feeding and nutrition; diapering; bathing; home and sleep safety; first aid; toilet training; parent-child interactions; and positive behavior support. The Step-by-Step Parenting Program® combines the Step-by-Step Parenting Program Manual, instructions, modelling, roleplaying, and performance feedback to help teach the parents the above skills. The 238-page Step-by-Step Child-Care Parenting Program Manual includes over 50 step-by-step child-care checklists developed with the input of pediatric health care professionals and consumers, and corresponding picture books for about half of these skills.

Scientific Rating 3

Designing Support Groups for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities

Designing Support Groups for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities by Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is an 86-page training module designed to be a tool for any individual or organization that is considering forming a group for parents with intellectual disabilities. The module includes the rationale and benefits of a specialized group, many concrete organizational and format ideas, examples of interventions by facilitators, important disability accommodations, small details that are important to success, and video clips of a TLG group with discussion questions. The module also includes a copy of TLG's Strategies and Adaptations in Working with Parents with Intellectual Disabilities.

Scientific Rating NR

Parenting Young Children

Parenting Young Children (PYC) is a comprehensive, home–based parent training and support program for parents with learning difficulties and their young children. PYC was developed in 2003, has been evaluated and widely disseminated across Australia as a part of the Australian national strategy “Healthy Start”. Healthy Start is a national capacity building strategy which aims to improve health and well-being outcomes for children whose parents have learning difficulties (www.healthystart.net.au).

Practitioners use a four-section manual to guide their practice:

  • Developing the Intervention
    • Clarifying roles
    • Setting goals with parents
    • Developing the intervention (selecting a module, designing content, developing teaching materials)
  • Teaching Strategies
    • General principles for teaching
    • Knowledge and practice skills
    • Teaching strategies
  • Core Content Areas (Two intervention modules)
    • Module 1 – Child Care Skills assists parents to develop skills around toilet training, food preparation, nutrition, bathing, sleeping, and health care (based on Maurice Feldman’s Parent Education Program)
    • Module 2 – Parent’ Child Interactions teaches parents to provide stimulating play activities for their child, and how to use praise, modeling, and other parent-child interaction skills (based on Sheila Eyberg’s Parent-Child Interaction Therapy)
  • Putting It All Together
    • Practitioner skills
    • Program adherence
    • Promoting generalization and maintenance of skills

Scientific Rating NR

Positive Parenting Resource

Positive Parenting Resource operated by The United Arc provides services to parents with intellectual and/or functional limitations. The Positive Parenting Resource Center is built upon the concept of providing programs through a multi-tier level of support. Their mission statement is:

The Positive Parenting Resource Center will educate and build upon the strengths of families with learning differences to enhance their parenting skills and become recognized as valued, contributing members of their community. This is addressed by providing comprehensive and individualized services to the families. The center also educates the human service community and the community at large and promotes a change in the current service system to recognize the potential for growth and increased parental capacity.

Positive Parenting Resource offers a variety of services including home visiting with parenting skills training; both supervised visitation observation/monitoring and supportive/instructional supervised visitation; parent education and support groups; mentoring support; and a transitional supported living program. Through the programs, the center addresses how the combination of disability, poverty, and isolation often leads to struggles with maintaining housing security or household stability and makes the challenges of parenting becoming more complicated. Issues addressed are parenting skills, budgeting, community referrals, and personal well-being and safety.

Scientific Rating NR

Project IMPACT

Project IMPACT provides intensive, in-home services for parents with intellectual and/or significant learning disabilities (ID/LD) who are risk for family disruption due to allegations of child maltreatment. Services are provided three times a week for six months. Program areas include basic child care, home and health safety, child management, and problem-solving skills. All skills are taught in a multimodal intervention format designed to meet a family's particular learning style. Baseline, ongoing, and postintervention data is collected on both parent and home functioning.

Scientific Rating NR

Working Successfully with Parents with IDD

This live, online, and interactive training is designed to build on professionals’ skills when working with families where the parents have an intellectual and/or developmental disability (IDD). Professionals are taught how to modify their skills to make reasonable accommodations in the services they provide with the goal of giving parents with disabilities a fair chance to parent.

Scientific Rating NR