Learning from the experts: a thematic analysis of parent's experiences of attending a therapeutic group for parents of children with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour

Accessible summary Parent groups can be helpful for parents of children with learning disabilities and behaviour problems. We talked to parents who had attended the Confident Parenting' group to find out what they thought about it. They told us that the group helped them in lots of ways and think it would help other parents like them too. SummaryThe Confident Parenting group is a therapeutic group for parents of children with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, which is informed by the principles of behavioural theory and acceptance and commitment therapy. Parent's experiences of the group were elicited through participation in a large focus group which followed a semistructured interview format with questions and discussion guided by the lead researcher. This aimed to elicit information about parent's overall experiences of attending the group and its perceived effectiveness. Thematic analysis was used to draw themes from parent's rich narratives. Four main themes were identified: (i) parent's pre-group narratives, (ii) barriers and solutions, (iii) positive aspects of Confident Parenting and (iv) positive outcomes of Confident Parenting. The themes highlighted how beneficial parents found Confident Parenting as well as raised helpful ideas about how to engage families where there are practical and personal barriers to attending.