Mapping the attributions of parents: a client-centered dynamic approach to assessing vulnerable caregivers and their young children

ABSTRACT

In recent years much attention has been directed to the development of effective caregiving interventions in response to a growing body of research that links parenting quality to healthy developmental outcomes of children. Many existing empirically validated interventions designed for caregivers are highly didactic and take a primarily behavioral, psycho-educational, and skill-building approach. Although there is much evidence that these interventions are useful for a subgroup of caregivers, they may not be adequate in addressing the needs of more vulnerable caregivers who themselves may have histories of trauma. For those caregivers, a highly customized and supportive framework for delivering parenting education may be indicated if an intervention is to be successful and generalizable. This article provides an overview of a dynamic assessment Mapping the Attributions of Parents (MAP) designed for clients who may benefit from an individualized approach to learning how to be sensitive and responsive caregivers to their young children. The person-centered, interactive approach that characterizes the MAP assessment provides the client and therapist with data to be used for treatment planning, while offering immediate therapeutic benefits. An illustrative case study is provided.

Die attribuierugen von eltern kartieren: ein klientzentrierter dynamischer assesment-ansatz, um verletzliche betreuungspersonen and ihre kleinen kinder zu unterstützen

In den vergangenen Jahren galt viel Aufmerksamkeit der Entwicklung effektiver Interventionen von Betreuungspersonen. Das war die Reaktion auf zunehmende Forschungsergebnisse, die die Qualität von Eltern mit einer gesunden Entwicklung von Kindern in Verbindung bringt. Viele existierende empirisch validierten Interventionen, die für Betreuungspersonen entwickelt wurden, sind hochgradig didaktisch und im Ansatz primär behavioristisch, psycho-edukativ und auf die Ausbildung von Fertigkeiten fokussiert. Während viel darauf hindeutet, dass diese Interventionen für eine Untergruppe von Betreuungspersonen durchaus hilfreich sind, sind sie vermutlich nicht angemessen, wenn es um die Bedürfnisse von verletzlicheren Betreuungspersonen geht, die vielleicht selbst eine traumatische Geschichte haben. Ein stark persönlich zugeschnittener und unterstützender Rahmen kann für solche Betreuungspersonen angezeigt sein, wenn man Erziehung zu Elternarbeit anbieten will und wenn eine Intervention erfolgreich und generalisierbar sein soll. Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick zu einem dynamischen Assessment (MAP), das für Klient-Personen entworfen wurde, die von einem individualisierten Lern- Ansatz profitieren könnten. Ziel dabei ist zu lernen, wie man eine einfühlsame und empfängliche Betreuungsperson für die eigenen Kinder sein kann. Der Personzentrierte interaktive Ansatz, der MAP charakterisiert, resultiert in einer integrierten Intervention, die sowohl die Klient Person als auch die Therapeut-Person zudem mit Daten für eine Behandlungsplanung versorgt. Eine anschauliche Fallstudie ist ebenfalls Teil.

Asignación de las atribuciones de los padres: una evaluación del enfoque dinámico centrado en la persona para apoyar a cuidadores vulnerables y sus niños.

En los últimos años mucha atención ha sido dirigida al desarrollo de intervenciones de cuidados eficaz en respuesta a un creciente cuerpo de investigación que une la calidad de crianza de los hijos con los resultados del desarrollo saludables para los niños. Muchas intervenciones existentes y validadas empíricamente diseñadas para cuidadores son muy didácticas y adoptan un enfoque principalmente conductual, psico-educativo y de capacitación. Mientras que hay mucha evidencia que estas intervenciones son útiles para un subgrupo de los cuidadores, pueden no ser adecuados para las necesidades de los cuidadores más vulnerables que pueden tener historias de trauma. Para los cuidadores, un marco altamente modificado para requisitos particulares y de apoyo para la educación de los padres puede ser indicado si una intervención es exitosa y generalizable. Este documento ofrece un resumen de una evaluación dinámica (mapa) diseñado para los clientes que pueden beneficiarse de un enfoque individualizado para aprender a ser cuidadores sensibles y receptivos de sus hijos. El enfoque interactivo, centrado en la persona que caracteriza los resultados MAP en una intervención integral que proporciona al cliente y al terapeuta datos que se utilizarán para la planificación del tratamiento. Se incluye un estudio de una caso ilustrativo

Cartographier les compétences des parents: une approche d’évaluation dynamique centrée sur la personne pour soutenir les parents vulnérables et leurs jeunes enfants.

Ces dernières années, en réponse au corpus grandissant de recherches qui établit un lien entre la qualité du rôle parental et les résultats d’un développement sain des enfants, une attention accrue a été portée au développement d’interventions de soins parentaux efficaces. Nombre d’interventions empiriquement validées conçues pour les soins parentaux sont hautement didactiques et adoptent une approche comportementale, psycho-éducationnelle et basée sur la construction d’aptitudes. Bien qu’il y ait des preuves quant au fait que ces interventions soient utiles pour un sous-groupe de parents, il n’est pas certain qu’elles soient adéquates pour ce qui concerne les besoins de parents plus vulnérables qui peuvent eux-mêmes présenter des histoires de trauma. Pour ces parents, si une intervention s’avère couronnée de succès et est généralisable, un cadre fortement soutenant et personnalisé visant à procurer une éducation parentale peut se montrer indiqué. Cet article propose un aperçu d’un modèle d’évaluation dynamique construit pour les clients qui peuvent bénéficier d’une approche individualisée pour apprendre à être des parents sensibles et responsables envers leurs enfants. L’approche interactive centrée sur la personne qui caractérise cette évaluation dynamique résulte d’interventions intégrées qui, de plus, fournissent au client et au thérapeute des données utilisables pour un plan de traitement. Une étude de cas illustrative est exposée.

Mapeamento das atribuições parentais: uma abordagem de diagnóstico centrada na pessoa e dinâmica para apoio a cuidadores vulneráveis e aos seus filhos pequenos

Nos últimos anos tem sido dada muita atenção ao desenvolvimento de intervenções de prestação de cuidados eficientes, em resposta ao crescente volume de pesquisa que relaciona a qualidade parental com os resultados saudáveis no desenvolvimento das crianças. Muitas intervenções existentes e validadas empiricamente, concebidas para cuidadores, são altamente didáticas e seguem maioritariamente uma abordagem comportamental, psico-educacional e com vista à aquisição de competências. Apesar de existirem inúmeras evidências de que estas intervenções se revelam muito úteis com um determinado subgrupo de cuidadores, elas poderão não ser adequadas na resposta às necessidades de educadores mais vulneráveis e que podem, eles próprios, ter um historial traumático. Para esses cuidadores, pode ser indicada uma estrutura mais personalizada de treino de competências parentais, caso o objetivo seja conseguir-se uma intervenção bem-sucedida e generalizável. Este artigo fornece uma perspetiva de um diagnóstico dinâmico (MAP), concebido para clientes que podem beneficiar de uma abordagem individualizada à aprendizagem de como ser um cuidador sensível e responsivo face aos seus filhos pequenos. A abordagem centrada na pessoa interativa que caracteriza o MAP resulta numa intervenção integrada que fornece ao cliente e ao terapeuta mais dados, que poderão ser usados na planificação do tratamento. Apresenta-se um estudo de caso ilustrativo.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• client-centered assessment
• client-centered intervention
• parenting
• treatment planning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. A version for children 4 to 10 is also available (see PCIA-II MAP; Bohr & Holigrocki, 2005, 2007).

2. The MAP manual is available with training to clinical and research teams for the purpose of program evaluation. If you would be interested in participating in research trials that examine the advantages of using the MAP assessment, and would like to receive the assessment manual and training, please contact Dr. Yvonne Bohr at [email protected].

3. All initials and potentially identifying information have been altered.

4. See Appendix .

5. See Appendix.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yvonne Bohr

Yvonne Bohr is Associate Professor of Clinical Developmental Psychology at York University, and the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research in Toronto, Canada. In her clinical psychological practice she specializes in child and family mental health in multi-cultural contexts. It is her conviction that children and their parents should be entitled to the best available scientifically supported resources and interventions, that they should have a voice in these interventions, and that prevention and treatment should always be based on collaborative empiricism. She has participated in mental health research projects in many contexts, including Rwanda and Nunavut, and greatly appreciates the opportunities created by working and learning within a culture other than one's own.

Bramilee Dhayanandhan

Bramilee Dhayanandhan is a clinical psychologist at Kinark Child and Family Services and The Red Oak Centre in Toronto, ON. She specializes in the provision of family therapy, parent coaching, and consultation for families who have experienced trauma, high conflict, attachment disturbances and associated relational ruptures. Her doctoral research examined predictors of resilience in teen mothers and their and their young children facing psychosocial adversity.

Deborah Kanter

Deborah Kanter is completing her doctorate in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University. She has a particular interest in resilience in her research and clinical work. Deborah's research focuses on protective factors that stop children with aggressive behaviour from committing criminal offences. She works clinically with children and families experiencing  depression, anxiety, behavioural difficulties, parent-child relationship conflict, and trauma.

Rick Holigrocki

Rick Holigrocki is the founding dean of the Graduate School of Psychology at California Lutheran University, overseeing doctoral and master’s programs in psychology and two community counseling centers. He is the former dean of the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Indianapolis where he collaborated with Yvonne Bohr’s Infant and Child Mental Health Lab in the development the PCIA-II Modifying Attributions of Parents intervention.  Prior to academia, he served as a postdoctoral fellow and then staff clinical psychologist at the Menninger Clinic’s Child and Family Center where he co-developed the Parent-Child Interaction Assessment.

Leigh Armour

Leigh Armour is a clinical social worker, and an infant mental health therapist at Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre, Toronto, ON. Ms. Armour has over 15 years' experience with complex clinical work with very young children and their families. She has expertise in peri-natal mood disorders, trauma, and vulnerable family systems. Her administrative expertise includes program design, implementation and evaluation.

Emma Baumgartner

Emma Baumgartner is Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education at University of Rome, Sapienza. She has been the Director of the Psychology Department(Development and Socialization processes) since 2009. She is a member of the Directorate of the Inter-University Center for Research on the Genesis and Development of Prosocial and Antisocial Motivations.