Outline of Parent Skills
Training .
◆ Introduction and group building: This
session presents group building exercises and a short lecture on learning
theory. Goals include discussing
change, focusing on positive thoughts,
and encouraging parents to observe
their child’s good behavior.
◆ Developmental expectancies and
stress management: This session discusses physical, mental, social, and
emotional development with a focus
on appropriate and realistic expectations for children at different ages. A
section on stress and anger management teaches parents what to do
when they feel overwhelmed.
◆ Rewards: This session covers rewarding children for good behavior, “attends” (describing and emphasizing
positive behavior), and providing social rewards. Parents are encouraged
to “catch their children being good.”
◆ Goals and objectives: This session focuses on setting general goals, defining
good behavior, setting behavioral goals
and objectives, and making positive
statements to children.
◆ Differential attention/Charts and spinners: This session teaches parents the
skill of rewarding good behavior and
ignoring bad behavior. Charts list and
record the child’s progress on target
behaviors the parent wants to improve
(e.g., making the bed, brushing teeth,
or cleaning the bedroom). The spinner
has rewards for achieving target behaviors the parent and child have
chosen together.
◆ Communication I: This session teaches
parents about listening and speaking,
“I” messages, and roadblocks to
communication.
◆ Communication II: This session reinforces concepts covered in the previous session with extensive role-play.
◆ Alcohol, drugs, and families: This session introduces the parent’s role in prevention of children’s problem behaviors
and awareness of at-risk behaviors.
◆ Problem solving, giving directions:
This session teaches the basic steps of
problem solving and reinforces them
with role-play. Making requests, giving
clear directions, and delivering effective commands are discussed.
◆ This session introduces
timeouts, overcorrection, positive
practice, and the parents’ game.
◆ This session covers the
issue of punishment, including how to
solve a child’s problem behavior by
setting appropriate limits.
◆ This session helps parents continue to solve problems in a
variety of situations, including those
supplied in the handbook, that may be
relevant to their individual needs.
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