Helping Families with Troubled Children: A Preventive Approach, 2nd Edition

Tables and Figures xiii

About the Author xvii

Acknowledgements xviii

Introduction 1

. . . So the grounds for concern are still serious 1

The beginnings of a focus upon prevention 1

Some common themes emerging from the research 3

Dissemination of the necessary skills 7

Part I SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR HELPING FAMILIES 9

1 Research Concerning Troubled Children 11

The needs of children 11

The nature of children’s difficulties 11

Origins of children’s difficulties: risk and protective factors 13

The effectiveness of interventions to help children 27

2 Social Learning/Cognitive-behavioural Theory 33

Ways of thinking about human beings 33

A range of perspectives on human beings 36

Exploring principles of cognitive-behavioural theory 45

Making use of principles of cognitive-behavioural theory 54

Summary of some key principles of cognitive-behavioural theory 67

3 Engaging and Supporting Parents and Families 68

Children within a statutory and organisational context 68

How can we best support families? 69

Developing awareness of cultural issues 74

Developing a positive focus 77

Practice issues: the importance of structure 79

Interagency work 81

Methods of giving help: evidence from research 82

4 ASPIRE -- Assessment 84

ASPIRE: a process for practice 84

What is assessment? 85

The steps of assessment – and beyond 90

5 ASPIRE: Planning, Implementation, Review and Evaluation 105

The stage of planning – with parents or caregivers 105

Implementing the plan 119

Reviewing and evaluating the plan 123

Part II HELPING FAMILIES WITH SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES 129

6 Helping Families with Children Who are Anxious or Depressed 131

Definition of emotional disorders 131

Prevalence of emotional difficulties in children 131

Research into children and anxiety 133

Helping families with anxious children 136

Research into children and depression 148

Helping families with depressed children 151

7 Helping Families with Children’s Sleeping Problems 158

Definition of sleeping disorder 158

The prevalence of sleeping/waking difficulties 159

Research into the origins of bedtime and waking problems 161

Research into the management of bedtime and sleep problems 166

Helping families whose children have bedtime/waking problems 170

8 Helping Families with Children with Eating Problems 180

Problems of definition 180

Prevalence of eating/feeding problems 181

Research into the origins of feeding/eating problems 182

Research into the management of eating difficulties 185

Helping families with children with eating difficulties 189

9 Helping Families with Children with Serious Behaviour Problems 198

Difficulties of arriving at definitions 198

Prevalence of and continuities in conduct disorders 199

Research into the origins of conduct disorders 202

Research into intervention in conduct disorders 206

Helping parents with children with serious behaviour problems 209

10 Helping Families with Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 224

Difficulties of arriving at definitions and diagnoses 224

Prevalence of ADHD 226

Research into ADHD 227

Research concerning the management of ADHD 228

Research focusing upon organisational strategies 231

Helping parents with children with features of ADHD 232

11 Helping Families whose Children Wet or Soil 244

Enuresis/bed wetting: definition and prevalence 244

Research concerning the origins of bed wetting 244

Research concerning the management of bed wetting 247

Help for families with children who wet the bed 247

Encopresis/soiling 254

Research into the origins of soiling 255

Research into the management of soiling 256

Help for families with children who soil 256

12 Parent Education and Training: Values and Research 263

The value base of the work: ethical issues 263

Support for families in a multicultural society 265

The content and process of effective programmes of parent training 266

Content and characteristics of effective parent education programmes 266

The process and practicalities of parent training 268

Devising agreements to support practice 270

Maintaining the improvement 275

Concluding remarks 276

Appendix 1 Form for assessment of child behaviour difficulty 277

Appendix 2 Form for recording ‘life events’ for the family and child 282

Appendix 3 Form for obtaining ratings on the life events scale 283

Appendix 4 Form for compiling summary of information relevant to assessment 285

Appendix 5 Form for noting A–B–C sequences 286

Appendix 6 Form for charting behaviours 287

Appendix 7 Form for eight-week charting of positive and negative behaviours 288

Appendix 8 Form for planning with parents 290

Appendix 9 Parenting positively: some notes for parents 291

Appendix 10 Weekly sleep chart 292

Appendix 11 Guidelines for good practice of behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy 293

Appendix 12 Form for framing an agreement between a worker and a client 298

Appendix 13 Form for framing an agreement in one-to-one or family work 299

References 301

Index 315