Involving parents in the treatment of behaviorally disordered children

Effective psychiatric treatment for children requires the active participation of the children's parents. This paper describes a training model that has been applied successfully to diverse groups of parents of hospitalized children. Lecture, role-playing, and other techniques are used to help parents implement social learning concepts with their children. Applications range from the judicious use of praise to elaborate contingency management systems, depending upon the abilities and needs of the parents. The authors argue that this model has wide applicability and is especially amenable to an outpatient setting.