The Social ABCs
Intervention description
The Social ABCs is a parent-mediated, early intervention programme targeted at parent carers of children with social communication challenges which may be signs of autism. Through one-to-one coaching and prescriptive instructions, parent carers are taught strategies for supporting their children’s social communication and interaction.
Target population
The Social ABCs is designed for autistic children, and those with related social communication challenges, aged 1 to 3 years old. This includes children without a diagnosis who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism.
Intervention components
The Social ABCs programme focuses on supporting the child to share meaningful, positive emotions with their primary caregivers, and improving the child’s communication – that is, intentional, functional, directed, and vocal communication. During coaching, parent carers are supported to learn techniques in the context of play and caregiving activities such as nappy changing, bath time, and meals. The aim is for parent carers to integrate the techniques into their day-to-day interactions with their child.
Who can deliver the intervention
The intervention is delivered by a trained practitioner (e.g., a social worker or psychologist) who works directly with parent carers through one-to-one live coaching. The practitioner teaches parent carers the programme’s strategies and then provides live coaching to help parent carers implement the strategies in their child’s everyday environment.
Intervention duration
The programme involves regular home visits from a trained practitioner over a 12-week period, with varying intensity:
- Week 1: three home visits
- Week 2: two home visits
- Weeks 3 to 8: one visit per week
- Weeks 10 and 12: one booster visit per week
- Weeks 9 and 11: check-in phone call.
Each home visit lasts about 1.5 hours and includes educational instructions and parent-child practice with live coaching.
Delivery setting
- Home
- Community (for example, a local park).
Find out more about the Social ABCs on the provider’s website.
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Primary Care Stepping Stones Triple P (PCSSTP)
Intervention description
Primary Care Stepping Stones Triple P (PCSSTP) is a parenting support programme designed for parents/carers of a child with a developmental disability (including autism) and/or mild to moderate behaviours that challenge.
Target population
Families of children aged 0 to 12 years old with a developmental disability.
Intervention component
The programme involves four individual sessions with a practitioner aimed at addressing specific challenges or helping to develop key developmental skills. During the sessions, parent carers are taught strategies for encouraging their child’s emotional self-regulation, independence, communication skills, and problem-solving capabilities. The sessions involve the following:
- Session 1: The practitioner assesses the child’s presenting behaviours and supports the parent/carer to keep track of the child’s behaviour.
- Session 2: The parent carer and the practitioner work together to co-produce a parenting plan
- Sessions 3 and 4: The developed parenting plan is reviewed, refined and followed up on.
Who can deliver the intervention
The programme is designed to be delivered by practitioners who regularly offer support to parents/carers who have a child with additional needs/disability from a range of professions, e.g. family support worker, health professional, social work, education, disability services, psychology, etc.
Intervention duration
The programme involves four individual sessions of about 15 to 30 minutes per session.
Delivery setting
Primary care settings or other settings that parents are accessing help for children with additional needs/disabilities.
Find out more about PCSSTP on the Foundations Guidebook, and the provider’s website.
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The Pre-school Autism Communication Trial (PACT)
Intervention description
The Pre-school Autism Communication Trial (PACT) is designed to target social interactive and communication impairments in autistic children, including those without a diagnosis but who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism. A short video (of about 10 minutes long) of the parent carer playing or interacting with their child is reviewed within each session. The therapist and the parent carer assess video clips together to identify and discuss the child’s communication needs. The therapist then supports the parent carer to identify positive moments and strategies that would work best for the child.
Target population
Families of autistic children aged 2 to 11 years old. The programme also targets children without a formal diagnosis but who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism.
Intervention component
The programme consists of one-to-one clinic sessions between parent carers – with their child present – and a therapist. The programme aims to first enhance parental responsiveness and sensitivity to their child’s communication and reduce mistimed parental responses, by working with parent carers and using video-feedback methods to improve parent-child interaction. Further strategies are then used to improve the child’s communication, including familiar repetitive language, action routines, and pauses.
Intervention duration
An initial meeting is offered by the therapist to discuss the child’s development, strengths and needs. Families attend bi-weekly, two-hour clinic sessions for six months, followed by monthly booster sessions for six months. Between sessions, families receive daily home practice for 30 minutes.
Delivery setting
Find out more about PACT on the provider’s website.
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Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
Intervention description
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is designed to treat disruptive behaviours or emotional challenges in children aged between 2 to 7 years old. The therapy involves coaching the caregiver on how to interact with the child in a positive and supportive way, while also teaching the child new skills and behaviours.
Target population
Families of children aged 2 to 7 years old who are experiencing social, behavioural, and/or emotional difficulties – for example, aggression, hyperactivity and emotional distress.
Intervention components
The intervention includes a Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) Phase, where parents are coached to develop child-centred interaction skills to enhance the parent–child relationship, and a Parent-Directed Interaction Phase (PDI), where caregivers learn additional behaviour management skills. The CDI Phase of PCIT aims to enhance the parent-child relationship by maximising positive communication, attention, and imitation during child-led play. In the PDI Phase, caregivers learn to use effective commands and implement additional behaviour management strategies for any remaining challenging behaviours. The overall goal for PDI is to create a supportive home environment by helping caregivers become consistent, predictable, and follow through with behaviour management skills.
Intervention duration
Families usually attend weekly 60-minute sessions over 14 to 16 weeks, although some families may need as few as 12 sessions and others more than 16 sessions.
Delivery setting
Outpatient clinics using both a clinic room and observation room – which can involve the use of a one-way mirror. PCIT can also be delivered in a clinic, hospital, at home, or online without the use of a one-way mirror.
Find out more about PCIT on the provider’s website.
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The Transporters animated and translated television series
Intervention description
The Transporters is an online narrated and an animated children’s television series developed to provide training in emotion recognition skills in autistic children aged 2 to 8 years old. The television series shows vehicles that move in a predictable way along tracks, such as trams, cable cars, and trains. Each vehicle has a real human face showing real human emotions.
Target population
Children aged 2 to 8 years old diagnosed with autism.
Intervention components
The programme is made up of 15 episodes depicting 15 key emotions, including the six basic emotions (sadness, anger, happiness, surprise, fear, disgust) and nine more complex emotions and mental states – for example: unfriendliness; pride; excitement; sorry; kind; and jealousy. Each episode lasts for five minutes. The programme includes interactive quizzes to reinforce emotional learning and a user guide for parents. Parents are encouraged to use the guide to support their children to complete the quizzes.
Who can deliver the intervention
This is a caregiver implemented programme. The online video resource can be shown to children by parent carers and teachers.
Intervention duration
15 online episodes, with each episode lasting five minutes.
Delivery setting
Find out more about the Transporters on the provider’s website.
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Parent-mediated Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM)
Intervention description
The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an intensive, play-based intervention designed for autistic children aged 1 to 5 years old. It focuses on developing cognitive, communicative, and social-emotional skills through play and joint interactions within a shared activity. The parent-mediated version of ESDM teaches parents to implement the intervention techniques in their everyday life when engaging with their autistic child, while following their child’s lead and interests.
Target population
Autistic children aged between 1 and 5 years old, and children who have not been formally diagnosed but who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism.
Intervention components
At least one parent carer (identified as the primary caregiver) and the child engage in 10 to 12 sessions delivered by a therapist in the home. Parents are taught ESDM techniques such as: gaining the child’s attention and motivating them; promoting a two-way engagement and joint activity routines; enhancing verbal and nonverbal communication; and incorporating play skills.
Who can deliver the intervention
A certified therapist with a relevant degree in, for example, Early Years Education or Psychology, with training in the ESDM.
Intervention duration
Parents attend P-ESDM training sessions ranging from one to two hours per week over a period of 10 to 13 weeks.
Delivery setting
Find out more about P-ESDM on the Foundations Guidebook, and the provider’s website.
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New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP)
Intervention description
New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP) is for parents with a child between 3 and 11 years old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents are visited at home by a trained practitioner who supports the parents to improve their understanding and management of their child’s behaviour.
Target population
children aged 3 to 11 years old diagnosed with ADHD, and those without a formal diagnosis but who are showing potentially similar characteristics of ADHD.
Intervention components
Parents learn about the nature of ADHD and are introduced to a range of behavioural strategies for increasing their child’s attention and reducing challenging behaviour. Some of these strategies are taught through games that engage the child’s attention, encourage their patience, and increase their concentration. The practitioner also observes the parent and child playing games together and provides feedback on the quality of their interaction.
Who can deliver the intervention
NFPP is designed to be delivered by trained practitioners with experience in family support, including:
- Social workers
- Family-support workers
- Psychologists
- Health visitors
- Nursery nurses.
Intervention duration
The intervention is delivered in one to one and a half hour weekly sessions over eight weeks.
Delivery setting
Find out more about NFPP on Foundations Guidebook and the provider’s website.
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Incredible Years Preschool
Intervention description
Incredible Years Pre-school is an evidence-based parenting programme for supporting parent carers with concerns about the behaviour of their children. The programme aims to teach parent carers about strategies to promote positive parent–child interactions and increase parenting confidence.
Target population
The programme targets children aged 2 to 9 years old demonstrating behaviours that challenge their parent carer.
Intervention components
Parent carers learn:
- Child-directed play skills aimed at building positive parent–child relationships and attachment
- Strategies to strengthen nurturing parenting through coaching
- School readiness and problem-solving skills
- Strategies to establish predictable routines and rules, provide incentives for positive behaviour, and reduce challenging behaviour.
Parent carers are also given additional support through weekly calls with parent buddies and one of the group facilitators.
Who can deliver the intervention
Group sessions can be facilitated by social workers, psychologists, or professionals with expertise in parenting.
Intervention duration
Parent carers attend weekly two-hour group sessions over a period of 18 to 20 weeks. Group size can range from 12 to 14 parent carers.
Delivery setting
- Nursery and other early years settings
- Schools
- Community centres
- Family Hubs.
Find out more about Incredible Years Preschool on the Foundations Guidebook, and the provider’s website.
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Parents Plus Early Years
Intervention description
Parents Plus Early Years is a parenting intervention for parents of a child between 3 to 7 years old who are worried about their child’s behaviour. Parents are taught how to use effective parenting practices and create a predictable family environment that will help children to learn how to regulate their own behaviour and reduce the risk of child behavioural challenges becoming long-term.
Target population
Families with concerns about the behaviour of a child aged 3 to 7 years old.
Intervention components
The intervention includes group and individual sessions. In the group sessions, parents are shown video footage of 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.
Who can deliver the intervention
Mental health practitioners with master’s qualification or higher, who have completed the required Parent Plus facilitator training.
Intervention duration
Parent carers attend between eight and 10 group and individual sessions, each session lasting two and a half hours.
Delivery setting
- Outpatient health settings
- Home
- Children’s centres or early-years settings
- Primary schools
- Community centres
- Family Hubs.
Find out more about Parent Plus Early Years on the Foundations Guidebook, and the provider’s website.
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I-InTERACT
Intervention description
I-InTERACT is an online parenting programme designed to support parent carers of children diagnosed with acquired or traumatic brain injury. It is aimed at supporting parents to understand the potential long-term outcomes of acquired or traumatic brain injury, and support parents to develop strategies to reduce parental stress and behaviours that challenge.
Target population
The programme targets parent carers of children aged 3 to 9 years old diagnosed with acquired/traumatic brain injury.
Intervention components
Key features include:
- An online training module that provides parents with information about acquired/traumatic brain injury and effective parenting strategies
- Video conferencing sessions where parents receive direct coaching from a psychologist; providing one-to-one guidance and support.
Who can deliver the intervention
The programme is delivered by certified clinical psychologists.
Intervention duration
A total of six months duration.
Delivery setting
Find out more about I-InTERACT.
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Counsellor-Assisted Problem-Solving (CAPS)
Intervention description
Counsellor-Assisted Problem-Solving (CAPS) is a therapeutic technique where a psychologist or therapist helps parent carers and their children to identify, analyse and resolve life challenges. The programme is designed to support families of children diagnosed with acquired or traumatic brain injury. It involves supporting families to breakdown complex issues into manageable steps and equipping them with the necessary skills to cope more effectively, and fostering parents’ self-efficacy and resilience.
Target population
Families of children aged 12 to 17 years old with acquired or traumatic brain injury.
Intervention components
The programme includes an initial 90-minute face-to-face session with the psychologist in the family home. During this initial session, the psychologist learns about the child’s injury and how this has affected the child and the family. The psychologist then supports the family to identify mutually agreed goals to be addressed. Each subsequent session consists of a self-guided online activity on problem solving skills with video clips modelling these skills and assignments that offer the family opportunities to practice the learned skills. The content of the programme includes lessons on:
- Staying positive
- Problem solving
- Getting organised and working with the school
- Self-management
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Controlling your behaviour and handling crises
- Planning for the future.
Who can deliver the intervention
The programme is delivered by certified clinical psychologists.
Intervention duration
Bi-weekly sessions for a total duration of three months, with a total of six video conference sessions.
Delivery setting
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Family-Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers (FITT)
Intervention description
The family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers (FIIT) is a collaborative parent coaching model that is designed to support families to better engage with their child and understand the characteristics of the child’s condition. The programme uses structured techniques to facilitate children’s expressive and receptive communication, play skills, and social communication, and to improve outcomes for the family, such as a reduction in parental stress and improvement in the family’s wellbeing.
Target population
Parent carers of autistic children aged 0 to 4 years old, and those without a formal diagnosis but who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism.
Intervention components
Parent carers are provided coaching to:
- Better understand how their toddler learns
- Use structured techniques to promote engagement with their child.
To do this, the delivery practitioner conducts an initial interview with the family to agree broad goals and determine a support plan for parent carers and their child. Weekly sessions are then conducted with a focus on achieving the agreed goals. During the sessions, parent carers learn ways of:
- Teaching their child at home
- Building self-help and communication skills
- Addressing behavioural challenges.
Practitioners also work directly with the child to model suggested techniques and then work with parent carers to implement the techniques with the child at home.
Who can deliver the intervention
Social workers or psychologists.
Intervention duration
45 to 60 minutes per week for eight to 12 weeks, depending on the individual family’s needs.
Delivery setting
Find out more about FIIT on the provider’s website.
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The Social ABCs
Intervention description
The Social ABCs is a parent-mediated, early intervention programme targeted at parent carers of children with social communication challenges which may be signs of autism. Through one-to-one coaching and prescriptive instructions, parent carers are taught strategies for supporting their children’s social communication and interaction.
Target population
The Social ABCs is designed for autistic children, and those with related social communication challenges, aged 1 to 3 years old. This includes children without a diagnosis who are showing potentially similar characteristics of autism.
Intervention components
The Social ABCs programme focuses on supporting the child to share meaningful, positive emotions with their primary caregivers, and improving the child’s communication – that is, intentional, functional, directed, and vocal communication. During coaching, parent carers are supported to learn techniques in the context of play and caregiving activities such as nappy changing, bath time, and meals. The aim is for parent carers to integrate the techniques into their day-to-day interactions with their child.
Who can deliver the intervention
The intervention is delivered by a trained practitioner (e.g., a social worker or psychologist) who works directly with parent carers through one-to-one live coaching. The practitioner teaches parent carers the programme’s strategies and then provides live coaching to help parent carers implement the strategies in their child’s everyday environment.
Intervention duration
The programme involves regular home visits from a trained practitioner over a 12-week period, with varying intensity:
Each home visit lasts about 1.5 hours and includes educational instructions and parent-child practice with live coaching.
Delivery setting
Find out more about the Social ABCs on the provider’s website.
<< Go back to the Practice Guide