COGNITIVELY ENHANCED PARENT TRAINING

Parent training is one of the most effective interventions for behaviour problems in young children. Most models of parent training are largely behavioural in content and have been developed from social learning theory. As with developments in treatments for adult disorders, it is proposed that parent training implementation and parental engagement may be improved by the introduction of a cognitive component. In particular, the use of the "thoughts, feelings, behaviour cycle" throughout parent training is proposed as a tool for challenging parental beliefs and attributions regarding children's behaviour and increasing parental uptake of the behavioural strategies that are taught. Preliminary findings are discussed with reference to clinical implications and future research.