Intervention Models for Mothers and Children at Risk for Injuries

We review risk factors commonly associated with childhood unintentional injuries and highlight adolescent mothers and their young children as a high risk group. Several intervention models of injury, including the epidemiological model, Peterson and Brown's working model, and the socioecological model have been proposed to explain the events that lead to injuries. Discussion of these models is provided and a synthesis of the adolescent parenting model and the socioecological model of injury is suggested as way to address the complex variables that lead to an injury causing event for adolescent mothers and their young children. Finally, we suggest areas of future investigation and their implications for prevention and treatment.     

Cost Comparison of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention and Special Education for Children with Autism

The financial implications of the increased prevalence of autism, though rarely discussed, will be extremely important to society. We compared the costs associated with 18 years of special education to the costs associated with the implementation of an average of 3 years of Discrete Trial Training as an Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) in an effort to minimize the need for special education. Our results indicate that the state of Texas would save $208,500 per child across eighteen years of education with EIBI. When applied to the conservative estimate of 10,000 children with autism in Texas, the State would save a total of $2.09 billion with EIBI. Implications for taxpayers, policymakers, and treatment are discussed.     

Infants and Young Children in Military Families: A Conceptual Model for Intervention

Infants and young children of parents in the military deserve special attention because the first years of life are pivotal in establishing trusting attachment relationships, which are based on the developmental expectation that parents will be reliably available and protective both physically and emotionally. For young children in military families, the stresses of extended absences of mothers and/or fathers as the result of deployment abroad, recurrent separations and reunions resulting from repeated deployments, or parents struggling with the emotional sequelae of their war experiences, and the traumatic impact of parental injury and death can strain and derail the normative expectation of parental availability and protectiveness. This article describes the key features of mental health in infancy and early childhood, the developmentally expectable early anxieties that all children experience in the first years of life across cultures and circumstances, and the ways in which these normative anxieties are exacerbated by the specific circumstances of military families. The article also describes interventions that may be helpful in supporting military families and their children with the specific challenges they face.     

A Model of Psychological Distress for Mothers of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

We functionally defined and tested a model of psychological distress for mothers of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This operationalized model includes three latent constructs which are hypothesized to influence mother's psychological symptomatology: Parenting Stress, Parent Characteristics, and Environment Characteristics. Structural equation modeling was used to reformulate and test the measurement models and the overall model. Data supported a model with some empirically-based model revisions founded on both comparisons of best fit and by an examination of statistical modification indices. The final model maintained the Parenting Stress and Parental Characteristics constructs, but replaced independent environmental variables with a more generalized construct of life stress.     

Mutually Responsive Orientation Between Mothers and Their Young Children: A Context for the Early Development of Conscience

Some parent–child dyads establish a mutually responsive orientation (MRO), a relationship that is close, mutually binding, cooperative, and affectively positive. Such relationships have two main characteristics—mutual responsiveness and shared positive affect—and they foster the development of conscience in young children. Children growing up with parents who are responsive to their needs and whose interactions are infused with happy emotions adopt a willing, responsive stance toward parental influence and become eager to embrace parental values and standards for behavior. The concurrent and longitudinal beneficial effects of MRO for early development of conscience have been replicated across studies, for a broad range of developmental periods from infancy through early school age, and using a wide variety of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive measures of conscience in the laboratory, at home, and in school. These findings highlight the importance of the early parent–child relationship for subsequent moral development.     

Children Exposed to Community Violence: The Rationale for Early Intervention

Children are exposed to violence in their homes and communities at extraordinarily high rates. Given the alarming rates of exposure and its known impact on child developmental outcomes, crisis intervention geared at interrupting the negative effects of violence exposure are increasingly important. This review provides a rationale for the implementation of early and crisis intervention strategies for children exposed to community violence and recommends principles for applying these interventions. These principles are based on the body of research concerning risk and protective factors for children who have been exposed to violence. Relevant factors are reviewed and recommended principles are explicated that correlate to these factors. Issues concerning developmentally informed crisis intervention, support of parental executive functioning, and the need for active community partnership to help ameliorate risk factors are highlighted.     

A Solution-Focused Intervention With Recovering,Alcohol-Dependent,Single Parent Mothers and Their Children*

Described is a practical approach that encourages recovering, alcohol-dependent, single parent mothers and their children to use existing strengths and resources to promote healthy family dynamics.     

Partnership-Based, Community-Assisted Early Intervention for Literacy: An Application of the Participatory Intervention Model

Many schools, particularly those in low-income, urban neighborhoods serving children from diverse backgrounds, have a high percentage of students with literacy deficits and limited resources for providing remedial services. Addressing these needs requires the use of empirically supported reading intervention strategies and expanding the availability of qualified persons to implement these approaches. Just as importantly, students need to be educated in a culturally meaningful context by one or more individuals who are committed to addressing their educational, emotional, and social needs. One method of expanding the instructional work force and engaging students in attachments with caring adults in a culturally relevant context is to establish a community-assisted tutoring program, that is a program implemented by residents from the community who work in the school. This article describes the process of establishing a partnership-based, community-assisted early intervention program for literacy, based upon a participatory intervention model, by presenting two case illustrations. Challenges for school consultants in establishing such a program in schools are described and directions for future research and practice are outlined.     

Collaborative Home-Based Therapy (CHBT): A Culturally Responsive Model for Treating Children and Adolescents Involved in Child Protective Service Systems

Mental Health professionals are challenged with utilizing innovative treatment models to meet the needs of diverse communities. Enhancements in interventions have led to a reconceptualization of the role of mental health professionals, specifically, family therapists. This paper presents a collaborative, home-based model for working with children and adolescents involved in foster care. We begin by examining literature on home-based therapy. This review provides a framework to understand the need for a culturally responsive approach. A collaborative, home-based approach is presented along with unique issues and guidelines for practice. A clinical case is presented to illustrate implications for treatment.     

Adolescent Pregnancy: A Model for Intervention

This article reviews current demographic data regarding adolescent pregnancy in conjunction with current approaches to family planning and presents an interdisciplinary (counselor-physician) intervention model.     

Home-Based Preventive Parenting Intervention for at-Risk Infants and Their Families: An Open Trial

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcome of a home-based adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for at-risk infants with externalizing behavior problems. Seven 12- to 15-month-old infants and their families were recruited at a large pediatric primary care clinic to participate in a home-based parenting intervention to prevent subsequent externalizing behavior problems. Home-based assessments were conducted at baseline, postintervention, and a 4- to 6-month follow-up. Six of the 7 (86%) families completed the intervention, and all completers reported high satisfaction with the intervention. All of the mothers demonstrated significant improvements and statistically reliable changes in their interactions with their infant, and most reported clinically significant and statistically reliable changes in infant behavior problems. The current study provides preliminary support for the use of this brief, home-based parenting intervention in addressing behavior problems as early as possible to improve access to an intervention for at-risk infants and their families. Successes and challenges with the development and implementation of this intervention are discussed along with directions for future research and clinical practice.     

A Journey Without Planned Destination: Traumatic Transmigration Experiences of Refugee Children

There is a dearth of information pertaining to experiences that refugee children encounter on a journey to the host country (transmigration). This study is a presentation of transmigration experiences of Zimbabwean refugee children from their home country to South Africa. The study was guided by the following critical questions: What were refugee children’s transmigration experiences from Zimbabwe to South Africa, and why did they have those experiences? Kunz’s kinetic model of refugee flight and settlement was used as a theoretical framework. Informed by the paradigmatic position of interpretivism, the study was done using a qualitative case study of a school of refugees in South Africa. Twelve refugee children and four parents/guardians were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data was analysed using content analysis. The study found that transmigration is a relatively major life event that is characterised by perilous and harrowing experiences to children. It is concluded that due to traumatising transmigration experiences that refugee children encounter, pseudo and fluid identities develop.     

Establishing the First Stages of Early Reciprocal Interactions Between Mothers and Their Autistic Children

No abstract available for this article.     

Effects of a Genetic Counseling Model on Mothers of Children with Down Syndrome: A Brazilian Pilot Study

Down syndrome occurs in approximately 1:600 live births. Genetic counseling is indicated for these families and may be beneficial for adaptation to the challenges that accompany by this diagnosis. Although the basic counseling goals are similar, there are many models of genetic counseling practiced around the world. The aim of this article is to report the results of a pilot study that evaluated the level of satisfaction with a model of service delivery of genetic counseling practiced in Brazil, the knowledge assimilated about Down syndrome and whether this process resulted in a feeling of well-being and psychological support. Thirty mothers of under 6-month-old children with Down syndrome were interviewed after having two sessions of genetic counseling in a public healthcare service within a period of 30 days. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed by the researchers to collect identification, socioeconomic and demographic data and to assess the client’s satisfaction with the model of genetic counseling. Data were collected using both open and closed questions. The reported level of satisfaction was high. The knowledge assimilated about Down syndrome after only two sessions was considered technically vague by raters in 44 % of cases. Most mothers (96.7 %) reported that genetic counseling was beneficial and provided psychological support. The model was considered satisfactory, but further research is needed to identify ways to improve knowledge retention by this population. These results highlight the utility of referring families for genetic counseling when there is a suspicion of a diagnosis of Down syndrome.     

A Trust-Based Home Intervention for Special-Needs Adopted Children: A Case Study

Research on the effects of abuse, neglect, and other traumas in early childhood has consistently demonstrated severe deficits that can be prevalent across the life span. Costs associated with addressing such deficits in special-needs children can strain families and are an immense financial burden to society. Trust-Based Relational Intervention® is an intervention modality that targets the attachment system as part of a dynamic system of development. Presented is a summary of the costs of addressing the sequelae of childhood abuse and neglect, a brief overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention, and a case study demonstrating the efficacy of this intervention with an adopted special-needs child in a home-based setting.     

Multiple Roles and Well-Being: A Study of Mothers of Preschool Age Children

The relation of well-being to involvement in multiple roles was examined in a study of 134 Caucasian women. All subjects were married and mothers of at least one preschool child; 50 were also paid workers. Two indices of well-being were used: (a) self-esteem; and (b) satisfaction with one's current role pattern. No differences in level of well-being were found between the employed and nonemployed groups. Findings were discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives on multiple role involvement.     

Home-Based Early Head Start plus Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up: A Qualitative Study of Implementation Outcomes

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Elucidating factors that promote or hinder successful implementation of evidence-based practices in real-world settings is an essential component of...