Parent Counseling and Training

Parent counseling and training is one of the most effective and underutilized related services - Research demonstrates that parent counseling &/or training can have a dramatic and positive impact on student behavior; yet it's rarely delineated on IEPs. The effects of parent training in preventing and reducing conduct problems are most impressive when intervention begins early, during early childhood or the early school years. Early intervention also has more lasting effects when parent training incorporates an academic/cognitive component. Effective parent counseling/training programs teach parents to break a coercive & punitive parenting approach by promoting the following parenting and/or teaching skills:

1. The use of social and tangible reinforcement techniques (e.g., attention, treats, praise, privileges, etc.) for pro-social behavior (s) with their children, including:

a. Recognizing and reinforcing desired behaviors

b. Social and tangible reinforcement techniques (e.g., praise, differential-attention, encouragement, point systems, privileges, and treats)

c. Problem-solving and negotiation strategies

d. Giving direct commands in such a way as to gain more compliance

e. Cognitive behavioral approaches such as mutual problem-solving strategies, self-management principles, and self-talk approaches to cope with depressive and self-defeating thoughts

2. The use of less coercive discipline techniques and recognizing, tracking, and addressing problematic behaviors:

a. Effective response to inappropriate behaviors

b. Setting limits effectively

c. Using nonviolent discipline procedures, such as time-outs, short-term privilege removal, response cost, work chores, and logical and natural consequences, and monitoring

d. The use of problem-solving and negotiation strategies

3. Strengthening the parent and child relationship through a variety of techniques and strategies:

a. Recognizing their children's positive qualities

b. Non-directive &/or child-directed play skills

c. Responding to their children in a sensitive and genuine manner

d. Teaching children and parents conflict management skills and self-control techniques

e. Monitoring their children even when the children are away from home.