The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Self-Administered Parent Training Program (IY-SAPTP) by assessing the degree to which parents alter their parenting strategies and in turn impact their children's conduct problems, carry out the program with integrity, and consider it an acceptable way to treat their child's behavior problems. Thirty-seven parents of children enrolled in Head Start who were identified as behaviorally at-risk via a reliable and valid screening approach served as participants in this research project. A replicated AB design across participants (N=37) was used to investigate individual change resulting from completing IY-SAPTP.Effectiveness data were gathered across two levels: the parent and the child. Parent report of their own parenting practices revealed statistically significant increases in the use of positive parenting practices (i.e., appropriate discipline, positive parenting, monitoring, clear expectations) and statistically significant decreases in the use of negative parenting practices (i.e., use of harsh discipline, inconsistent discipline) from pre to post intervention. The effectiveness of the intervention on child behavior change was assessed through both pretest-posttest group design and single case research design techniques. There was a statistically significant increase in pro-social skills based on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment-Preschool (DECA, LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999 ) Total Protective Factors (TPF) scores from pre-intervention to post-intervention (M= 47.65, SD = 8.82), t (36) = 6.53, p < .0005 (two-tailed). There was also a statistically significant decrease in problem behavior scores from pre-intervention (M = 71.65, SD = 1.67) to post-intervention (M = 59.14, SD = 6.79), t (36) = 11.32, p < 0.0005 (two tailed) on the DECA Behavior Concerns scale. On average parents completed 67% (SD= 21.10) of workbook activities and 66% of target behaviors (SD = 19.52) indicating an overall high level of treatment integrity. Parents also reported a high level of treatment acceptability (M = 93.89, SD = 11.15) on the Treatment Evaluation Questionnaire- Parent form (Kelley, Heffer, Gresham, & Elliott, 1989). A secondary purpose of this study was to evaluate the transportability of the IY-SAPTP to a community-based setting. Transportability was evaluated through the use of random assignment or participants (N=37) to one of two conditions. One condition involved implementation of the steps needed for parents to complete the self-administered program by those external to the agency. The other condition involved implementation of the self-administered program via collaboration with agency-related mental health consultants. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that there was not a difference in the implementation practices of Head Start consultants when compared to university-based consultants based on the time it took for families to complete the program or in attrition rate. Consistent with expectations, there were no statistically significant differences in effectiveness, integrity, or acceptability between the groups. This study adds to the body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of IY-SAPTP and supports the notion that this intervention can be effectively utilized within community-based settings. While there are design limitations important to note, results indicate that this intervention may be an accessible and beneficial program for parents of children at-risk for behavior problems.
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