Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN)
Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN) is a parenting programme for parents of children between the ages of 11 and 25 who have an intellectual disability. It is delivered in community settings and aims to improve parental stress and well-being, self-efficacy, and provide parental support in their community. By supporting the parents, it also aims to improve the wellbeing of their children with intellectual disabilities.
Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN) is parenting programme for parents who are raising an older child or adolescent with a mild, moderate or severe intellectual disability, and who may also have an additional diagnosis, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or a physical disability. The programme is designed specifically to be delivered via disability and other community family support services that work with children and young adults with an intellectual disability. Programme facilitators deliver group or individual sessions to parents which aim to increase family well-being and increase parents link with other parents and their community.
EIF Programme Assessment
Child outcomes
This programme can affect outcomes for children in Active and healthy, physical and mental wellbeing.
According to the best available evidence for this programme's impact, it can achieve the following positive outcomes for children:
Supporting children's mental health and wellbeing
Reduction in problem behaviours
based on study 1
This programme also has evidence of supporting positive outcomes for couples, parents or families that may be relevant to a commissioning decision. Please see About the evidence for more detail.
Who is it for?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to the following age-groups:
Preadolescents Adolescents
How is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to implementation through these delivery models:
- Group
Where is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation in these settings:
- Home
- Primary school
- Secondary school
- Sixth-form or FE college
How is it targeted?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation as:
- Targeted selective
Where has it been implemented?
- Ireland
- Scotland
- England
- Netherlands
Ireland provision
Ireland evaluation
About the programme
What happens during the delivery?
How is it delivered?
- Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN) is delivered in 7 sessions of two to two and half hours’ duration to individuals or groups, along with a pre-programme 45-minute introductory individual meeting with parents, and a recommended two and half hours’ follow-up group session at 3-6 months, by a programme facilitator.
What happens during the intervention?
The Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN) consists of 7 sessions which can be delivered over 6-12 weeks in small groups or with individuals. It supports parents to:
- Manage behaviour and emotional problems
- Deal with puberty, sexuality and relationships
- Reduce their own stress as parents
- Support all relationships in the family
- Build self-esteem and confidence
- Advocate for their child or adolescent
- Support education and development
- Prepare their child for adulthood and future transitions
What are the implementation requirements?
Who can deliver it?
- The programme is delivered by two practitioners with QCF-4 level qualifications.
What are the training requirements?
- The practitioners have 14 hours of programme training, alongside a recommended minimum of 2.5 hours of follow-up supervision/ coaching/ community of practice sessions. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
How are the practitioners supervised?
Practitioner supervision is provided through the following processes:
- It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one supervisor (qualified to QCF-6 level) who provides case management supervision.
What are the systems for maintaining fidelity?
- Training manual
- Other online material
- Face-to-face training
- Fidelity monitoring
Is there a licensing requirement?
There is a licence required to run this programme.
How does it work? (Theory of Change)
How does it work?
- Young people with intellectual disabilities encounter greater levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties compared to typically developing peers in adolescence.
- Parents of young children with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience mental health difficulties, and raising a child with an intellectual disability can negatively impact relationships and social support. It is therefore essential that resources are available to help alleviate parental stress and carer burnout.
- The programme provides parenting support through sessions that focus on key themes, including 'Supporting sibling and parent relationships in the family’; ‘Building self-esteem and well-being'; ‘Managing behaviours that challenge’; ‘Understanding puberty, sexuality and relationships’; ‘Advocating for their child needs’; and ‘Preparing their child for adulthood and future transitions’.
- These sessions aim to reduce parental stress, increase parent well-being, increase parent empowerment/ efficacy, and increase parent support both within the parent group and in their community.
- By improving parental well-being and strengthening networks for support, parents are better equipped to parent their adolescents and young adults with an intellectual disability, subsequently improving their child’s wellbeing.
Intended outcomes
Contact details
Dr. Eileen Brosnan
Head of Practice and Implementation at Parents Plus
eileen@parentsplus.ie
About the evidence
Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN) most rigorous evidence comes from a RCT which was conducted in Ireland This study identified statistically significant positive impact on a number of child and parent outcomes. This programme is underpinned by one study with a Level 2, hence the programme receives a Level 2 rating overall.
Study 1
| Citation: | McMahon, Wilson & Sharry (2023) |
| Design: | RCT |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Sample: | 277 parents with children between 9 and 25 years of age (mean age 13.97), diagnosed with an intellectual disability. |
| Timing: | Post-test; 3-month follow-up |
| Child outcomes: |
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| Other outcomes: |
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| Study rating: | 3 |
McMahon, S. M., Wilson, C. E., & Sharry, J. (2023). Parents Plus parenting programme for parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities: A cluster randomised controlled trial. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 36(4), 871-880.
Study design and sample
The first study is a cluster RCT. This study involved random assignment of children to a Parents Plus Special Needs (PPSN) group and a treatment as usual group. This study was conducted in Ireland, with a sample of 277 parents, with children between 9 and 25 years old [Mean age 13.97] diagnosed with an intellectual disability.
Measures
- Child emotional and behavioural problems and parents’ self-efficacy were measured using the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale – Developmental Disability (parent self-report).
- Parental practices and family adjustment were measured using Parent and Family Adjustment Scale.
- Parental satisfaction was measured using Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale (parent self-report).
- Attainment of target behaviours was measured using the Parents Plus Goal Form (parent self-report).
Findings
This study identified a statistically significant positive impact on child problem behaviour as measured by the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale – Developmental Disability measure.