Incredible Years Toddler (IY Toddler) is for parents with a child between 2 and 3 years old, who may be living in disadvantaged communities. Two IY facilitators deliver 14 two-hour weekly group sessions to groups of up to 12 parents. During these sessions, parents learn strategies for responding sensitively to their child and encouraging positive child behaviour.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
2 to 3 years old
Group
Incredible Years Toddler (IY Toddler) is part of the Incredible Years series of interventions for children, parents, and teachers. IY Toddler is specifically for parents with a child between 2 and 3 years old living in disadvantaged communities.
Two IY facilitators deliver 14 two-hour weekly group sessions to groups of approximately 12 parents. During the sessions, parents practise child-directed play skills that build positive relationships and attachment; strengthen more nurturing parenting using social and emotional coaching methods; encourage language development and early social skills; support early learning; establish predictable routines, rules, and home-safety proofing; and reduce behaviour problems.
Parental social support is strengthened by weekly facilitator calls, parent–buddy calls, and group-process methods.
IY Toddler can be combined with Incredible Years Advanced for families with more complex issues. IY Advanced is a 10 to 12-week add-on component which covers self-management and mental-health issues.
2 to 3 years
Parents of toddlers who may be exhibiting disruptive behaviours, and are often living in disadvantaged communities
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Young children naturally exhibit challenging and non-compliant behaviours
Challenging child behaviours during preschool and primary school increase the risk of behavioural problems in adolescence.
Science-based assumption
Effective parenting behaviours and a predictable family environment help children regulate their own behaviour and reduce the risk of child behavioural problems becoming established
Ineffective parenting strategies occasionally increase the risk of child behavioural problems becoming entrenched.
Science-based assumption
Higher levels of family stress and disadvantage can increase the risk of child behavioural problems.
Intervention
Parents learn:
Age-appropriate expectations for their child
Strategies for establishing predictable family routines
Strategies for promoting positive parent–child interaction through non-directive play
Strategies for reinforcing positive child behaviour through labelled praise
Strategies discouraging challenging child behaviour through age-appropriate discipline.
Short-term
Parents implement effective parenting strategies in the home
Parents’ confidence increases
Parent–child interaction improves.
Medium-term
Children are better able to self-regulate and their behaviour improves.
Long-term
Children are at less risk of antisocial behaviour in adolescence
Children are more likely to engage positively with others.
Parents of children who are aged 2 to 3 years, and who may be exhibiting disruptive behaviours.
Incredible Years Toddler is delivered in 14 sessions of two hours’ duration each by two practitioners, to groups of between 6 and 12 parents.
The intervention encourages proactive, nurturing parenting, while discouraging harsh, punitive approaches, using videotaped modelling, group discussion, role-plays, and home practice tasks arranged across four modules (play, praise and rewards, effective limit setting, and handling misbehaviour).
Practitioners including psychologists, social workers, nurses, health visitors, and early years professionals.
The practitioners have 24 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host-agency supervisor with four hours of training and one intervention developer supervisor with no required training.
Contact person: Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Organisation: Incredible Years
Email address: cwebsterstratton1@icloud.com
incredibleyears@incredibleyears.com
Websites: https://www.incredibleyears.com/
https://www.incredibleyears.com/early-intervention-programs/parents
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
IY Toddler’s most rigorous evidence comes from a single RCT conducted in the United States and is consistent with Foundations’ Level 2+ evidence strength criteria.
This study observed statistically significant improvements in parent reports and independent assessments of IY toddler’s behaviour compared to children whose parents did not attend the intervention. Additionally, IY Toddler parents reported significant improvements in their parenting behaviours compared to parents not receiving the intervention.
Incredible Years Toddler has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 3 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 2 |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 150 parents across 12 medical practices, with children who were 22 to 42 months of age and who had scored in the 80th percentile or above on the Infant-Toddler Social-Emotional Assessment Scale. Parents were primarily mothers and married. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
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| Population risk factors |
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| Timing |
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| Child outcomes |
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| Other outcomes |
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| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Perrin, E .C., Sheldrick, R. C., McMenamy, J. M., Henson, B. S.,& Carter, A. S. (2014) Improving parenting skills for families of young children in pediatric settings: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics. 168, 16–24. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Gross, D., Fogg, L., Webster-Stratton, C., Garvey, C., Julion, W. & Grady, J. (2003) Parent training of toddlers in daycare in low-income urban communities. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 71, 261–278. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in the US.
Hutchings, J., Griffith, N., Bywater, T. & Williams, M. (2016) Evaluating the Incredible Years Toddler Parenting Programme with parents of toddlers in disadvantaged (Flying Start) areas of Wales. Child: Care, Health and Development. 43 (1), 104–113. This reference refers to a randomised controlled trial, conducted in the UK.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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