Researching the Incredible Years Infant

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Researching the Incredible Years Infant Toddler
Programmes

• Nia Griffith
• Bangor University

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The new programme

• The new Infant and Toddler Programme developed by
  Carolyn Webster-Stratton
• to promote Early Development
• The programme is set in two parts
• 0-1 years
• 1-3 years

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Flying Start

• Flying start initiative aims to fund high quality
  services for children aged 0-3 years in
  disadvantaged areas in Wales
• Extra health visits
• Free childcare
• Basic skills
• Parenting courses
• The Infant and Toddler programme was developed by
  Carolyn Webster-Stratton in response for the
  demand for a parenting programme to fulfill the
  needs of the Flying start programme

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Infant 0-1 years

• Programme contains six topics, 6-8 sessions in
  length
• Getting to know your Baby (0-3 months)
• Babies as Intelligent Learners (3-6 months)
• Providing Physical, Tactile and Visual
  Stimulation
• Parents Learning to Read Babies Minds
• Gaining Support
• Babies Emerging Sense of Self (6-12 months)

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Toddler 1-3 years

• Programme contains eight topics, and is 12
  sessions in length
• Child-Directed Play Promotes Positive
  Relationships
• Promoting Toddlers Language with Child-Directed
  Coaching
• Social and Emotional Coaching
• The Art of Praise and Encouragement
• Spontaneous Incentives for Toddlers
• Handling Separations and Reunions
• Positive Discipline- Effective Limit Setting
• Positive Discipline- Handling Misbehaviour

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Randomised Controlled Trial

• An outcome study where participants are randomly
  assigned to intervention or waiting list control
  conditions
• 18 Participants will be recruited in each
  service area, and will be randomly allocated to
  intervention or control groups, 21 ratio
• This type of study is recognized as the best and
  most definitive way of demonstrating that an
  intervention is effective (Kazdin, 2003)
• Services aware they must deliver the programme to
  control participants following completion of data
  collection

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Proposed Timetable

• Jan-Mar 08 Develop detailed observation scale to
  observe the interaction between mother and
  child.
• Apr-Jun 08 Field test the observational scale
• Recruit the first three service
• Jul-Aug 08 Collect baseline measures for services
  1, 2 and 3
• Recruit services 4,5 and 6
• Sep-Oct 08 Delivery of IY Infant programme in
  three of the services
• Collect baseline measures for services 4, 5
  and 6
• Nov-Dec 08 6-month follow-up for services 1,2 and
  3
• Delivery of IY Infant programme in services
  4,5 and 6

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Proposed Timetable

• Jan-Feb 09 6-month follow-up for services 4, 5
  and 6
• Jan-Mar 09 Delivery of IY Toddler programme to
  services 1, 2 and 3
• Apr-May 09 Second follow up for services 1, 2 and
  3
• Jun-Jul 09 Second follow up for services 4, 5 and
  6
• Delivery of IY Infant programme to control
  families
• Sep-Oct 09 Delivery of IY Toddler programme to
  control families
• Aug-Dec 09 12-month follow up for all
  intervention families
• Throughout the RCT high levels of supervision
  will be delivered.

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Participating Services

• What we need
• Six flying start services
• Experienced trained leaders
• High levels of supervision
• Continued involvement of service managers
• What are the long-term benefits for service
  providers
• Lessons in programme fidelity
• Receive post-project outcome data
• Builds on the number of certified leaders
  available to ensure effective programme delivery
  in the future

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Other Services

• While we have funding from WAG to evaluate the
  programme across 6 flying start areas, this does
  not mean we only need 6 participating services.
• Incredible Years Wales is interested in supplying
  other services who will be rolling out the Infant
  and Toddler Programme with before and after
  parent report measures, to enable additional data
  analysis to take place in other services.
• Services to receive feedback
• Services to receive supervision

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Funding

• Limited
• Research Funded Materials, staff for
  recruitment, data collection
  Supervision
• Service Funded Staffing costs, Crèche
  availability, travel to supervision

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A Battery of Measures

• What do we measure?
• What is practical in the time we have?

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What do we measure?

• Developmental Measure of attainment of
  developmental milestones in areas of
• Loco-motor
• Personal-Social
• Hearing Language
• Eye Hand co-ordination
• Performance
• Measure of the home environment
• Measure of maternal depression
• Measure of maternal sensitivity / responsivity
• Measure of parenting
• Demographic and family risk factors
• Direct home observation
• The battery must be easily administered in a
  short time period, as the children are so young,
  and will only be awake for a limited time.

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In Conclusion

• Recruitment
• Design
• A battery of measures