Skip to main content

menu

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Golisano Children's Hospital / Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics / Developmental and Behavioral Research / Completed Studies / Parent Engagement

 

Parent Engagement Strategies Review

Conducted at University of Rochester, Drexel University, University of California at Davis, University of California Los Angeles, and University of Pennsylvania

Study Overview

Families of young children with different disabilities are often asked to participate in interventions for their children. We studied the strategies that were most effective at keeping parents involved in these kinds of programs.

Study Outcomes

Parents are more likely to continue their participation in research programs when:

  • Programs occur at home or in the community
  • Parents are paired with a peer for shared learning, guidance, and support
  • There is less oversight and more praise from a provider

Study Technique

Researchers reviewed articles (published between 1/1/2000 and 7/1/2016) that included a focus on parent engagement strategies.

Thirty-five articles met criteria for answering their main research question: What engagement strategies kept parents actively involved in the treatment program?

Study Impact

When parents are involved in their child’s treatment, it results in improvements in the child’s and family's overall well-being. Using effective strategies for parent engagement 1) can help guide clinicians in family interactions and 2) can help us understand how to work with parents who are underrepresented.

Potential Next Steps

  • Identifying engagement strategies that meet the diverse needs of families and studying their effectiveness
  • Future studies should use parent engagement strategies as part of the intervention, because previous work shows how important it is to keep families involved
  • Future studies should clearly describe whether they use engagement strategies, what they are, and how families – especially those with diverse income and education levels – benefit from the use of those strategies.

This Full Article Can Be Found Through This Citation:
Pellecchia, M, Nuske, HJ, Straiton, D, Hassrick, EM, Gulsrud, A, Iadarola, S, Vejnoska, SF, Bullen, B, Haine-Schlagel, R, Kasari, C, Mandell, DS, Smith, T, & Stahmer, AC. (2018). Strategies to engage underrepresented parents in child intervention services: A review of effectiveness and co-occurring use. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(10), 3141-3154. Link to full text