A Parenting Program to Reduce Disruptive Behavior in Hispanic Children with Acquired Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted in Mexico

ABSTRACT

Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk of impairments in self-regulation and disruptive behavior. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Signposts program to reduce disruptive behavior and improve self-regulation in Hispanic children with ABI, and reduce parental stress and improve parenting practices. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assigned children (n = 71) and their parents to Signposts or generic telephone support. Blinded assessors conducted assessments at pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention. Signposts was effective in reducing dysfunctional parenting practices. Further, when analyzing participants at risk of behavioral disturbance (n = 46), Signposts was effective in reducing child disruptive behavior in the home environment and emotional self-regulation. No differences were found for parental stress, parent sense of competence, child disruptive behaviors at school, and child cognitive and behavioral self-regulation. The reduction in disruptive behavior was associated with the implementation of authoritative parenting practices (external regulation), and not associated with child self-regulation.

KEYWORDS:

• Rehabilitation
• disruptive behavior
• parenting practices
• children
• acquired brain injury
• Hispanic population

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the parents and children who participated in this study, The Parenting Research Centre and Iskalti Centre of Psychological and Educational Support.

Disclosure Statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología and The University of Melbourne.