Parents Plus Early Years (PPEY) is for parents with concerns about a preschool child. It is delivered by two practitioners to parents for eight to 10 sessions. Some sessions are offered to parents individually and some are delivered to groups of up to 12 parents. During each session, parents learn strategies for encouraging positive child behaviour and implementing age-appropriate discipline.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
3 to 7 years old
Group
Parents Plus Early Years (PPEY) is one of eight Parents Plus interventions adapted specifically for families with concerns about the behaviour of a child between one and six years old.
It is delivered by two practitioners with a master’s qualification or higher in mental health profession. Parents attend between eight and 10 group and individual sessions, each session lasts 2.5 hours. The group sessions involve eight to 12 parents.
The group session topics are drawn from two teaching DVDs with scenes involving real-life parent– child interactions filmed both at home and in the clinic. Topics covered in these DVDs include building a positive parent–child relationship, encouraging child cooperation, and responding to misbehaviour. The video input is backed up by group discussion, practice exercises, skills role-play, homework activities, and handouts.
The individual sessions, which include the parent, child, and therapist, are designed to give parents an opportunity to ‘try out’ the ideas raised in the group sessions, address specific parental concerns, and tailor the course to their child’s individual needs. The use of video feedback created during the sessions is central to these sessions.
1 to 6 years old
Families with concerns about the behaviour of a child aged 6 years old or younger.
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 increase the risk of behavioural problems in later childhood and adolescence.
Science-based assumption
Effective parenting behaviours and a predictable family environment help children to learn how to regulate their own behaviour and reduce the risk of child behavioural problems becoming entrenched
Ineffective parenting behaviours occasionally increase the risk of child behavioural problems becoming entrenched.
Science-based assumption
Parents with a child exhibiting more entrenched behavioural problems during the early years often benefit from intensive support, specific to their needs.
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 for 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’s self-regulatory capabilities and behaviour improves.
Long-term
Children are at less risk of antisocial behaviour in adolescence
Children are more likely to engage positively with others.
Parents with concerns about the behaviour of a preschool child.
Parents Plus Early Years is delivered by two mental health professionals to groups of eight to 12 parents in nine sessions, lasting 2.5 hours each.
Parents attend a combination of group and individual sessions.
The individual sessions, which include parent, child, and therapist, are designed to give parents an opportunity to ‘try out’ the ideas in the course and raise specific concerns, as well as tailor aspects of the course to an individual child’s needs. Videos of parent–child interaction are created and then replayed and discussed in the individual sessions. The use of video feedback is central to these sessions.
The group session topics are drawn from two teaching DVDs of videotaped scenes of real parent–child interactions that were filmed both at home and in the clinic. The video input is backed up by group discussion, practice exercises, skills role-play, homework activities, and handouts.
The two Parents Plus Facilitators who deliver Parents Plus Early Years are typically mental health professionals with a master’s qualification or higher.
Practitioners receive 21 hours of initial intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners supervised by one intervention developer supervisor and one host-agency supervisor.
Contact person: John Sharry
Organisation: Parents Plus
Email address: admin@parentsplus.ie
Website: http://www.parentsplus.ie/
*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.
Parents Plus Early Years’ (PPEY) most rigorous evidence comes from a single QED conducted in Ireland consistent with Foundations’ Level 2+ evidence strength criteria.
This study identified statistically significant improvements in PPEY parent’s reports of their children’s behaviour immediately after intervention completion which were greater than parents not receiving the intervention.
Parents Plus Early Years has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 5 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 4 |
| Study design | QED |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sample characteristics | 117 parents and their children (aged 3 years to 6.8 years old) attending mental health services in Dublin. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | Families recruited from mental health services on the basis of pre-identified behavioural difficulties. |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Griffin, C., Guerin, S., Sharry, J. & Drumm, M. (2010) A multicentre controlled study of an early intervention parenting programme for young children with behavioural and developmental difficulties. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 10, 279–294. |
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.
Gerber, S., Sharry, J., Streek, A. & McKenna, G. (2016) Parent training: Effectiveness of the Parents Plus Early Years programme in community preschool settings. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. 24 (4), 602–614.
Hayes, N., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Keegan, S. & Goulding, E. (2013) Evaluation of the Early Years Programme of the Childhood Development Initiative. Centre for Social and Educational Research, Dublin Institute of Technology and Institute of Education, University of London.
Kilroy, S., Sharry, J., Flookd, C. & Guerin, S. (2010) Parenting training in the community: Linking process to outcome. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1–15.
Lonergan, A., Gerber, S., Streek, A. & Sharry, J. (2015) Parenting groups, how long is enough? The efficacy of a community-run Parents Plus Early Years Program as a preschool parenting intervention of modifiable duration. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice. 6, 1–13.
Sharry, J., Suerin, S., Griffin, C., & Drumm, M. (2005). An evaluation of the Parents Plus Early Years Programme: A video-based early intervention for parents of pre-school children with behavioural and developmental difficulties, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10, 319-336
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.
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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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