AN EVALUATION OF A BEHAVIOURAL PARENTING INTERVENTION FOR PARENTS OF GIFTED CHILDREN

Abstract

Parents of gifted children identify a need for tailored parenting support, and gifted children have unique requirements and vulnerabilities. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a tailored behavioural parenting intervention, for enhancing the parenting skills of parents of gifted childrenand to assess the effect of these changes on the behavioural and emotional adjustment of their gifted child. A randomised controlled trial of tailored Group Triple P- Positive Parenting Program was conducted with 75 parents of children identified as gifted. Results indicated significant intervention effects for the number and frequency of parent reported child behaviour problems, as well as hyperactivity in the intervention group, relative to a waitlist control. Parents also reported significant improvements in their own parenting style, including less permissiveness, harshness, and verbosity when disciplining their child. No intervention effects were evident for teacher reports, except for a trend in relation to hyperactivity. This study demonstrated that a tailored behavioural parenting intervention is effective and acceptable for parents of gifted children, and thus has clinical implications for the delivery of parenting interventions for this population.

Participants

Recruitment was conducted over a period of 14-months. Overall, 204 families contacted the program, and completed a10-min telephone screening interview, designed to assess the family's suitability for the program, as well as inform the parent of program requirements.The major criterion for eligibility was the presence in the family of child between the ages of 3 and 10 years, and that the family lived within the Brisbane metropolitan area.

Measures

A Family Background Questionnaire was used to assess socioeconomic status (including income, occupational status, and parent education), ethnic background, single parenting, and parent age, as well as child age, gender and health. In addition, they also use inventory like Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, Difficulties Questionnaire, The Parenting, Tasks Checklist, The Parenting Scale, The Parent Problem Checklist, The Relationship Quality Index,The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Result

The results of the present study provide support for the efficacy of tailored Group Triple P for parents of gifted children.There were significant short-term effects of intervention in terms of parent reported child behaviour problems, hyperactivity, and parenting style providing partial support for hypothesis one. The participants in the intervention condition showed not only statistically significant improvements, but also changes that were clinically reliable compared to the waitlist condition. Parents reported fewer problematic child behaviours, and less frequent difficult behaviour following intervention, and there was also indication that they perceived their child to be less hyperactive. However, there was no effect on the child's emotional symptoms or peer difficulties.

Resource

M, Alina & S, Matthew. (2009). An Evaluation Of A Behavioural Parenting Intervention For Parents Of Gifted Children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, Volume 47, Pages 463-470.