‘Preparation for Birth and Beyond: a resource pack for leaders of community groups and activities’ aims to help the NHS, local authorities and the voluntary sector in planning or running groups for expectant and new parents. The pack is a practical tool that aims to improve outcomes for babies and parents through a refreshed approach [read the full story…]
There is very little available in the literature that focuses on the perspectives of families caring for someone with severe or profound learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. This ethnographic study aimed to improve understanding of the experiences and perspectives of families, in particular mothers, of young people with these complex needs. The researcher carried out [read the full story…]
Researchers at Norah Fry have been looking at issues relating to supporting parents with learning disabilities for many years, recently producing an extremely helpful report (Finding the right support? A review of issues and positive practice in supporting parents with learning difficulties and their children ). In this report, they focus on the role of grandparents [read the full story…]
The authors of this review of the literature set out to look at the assumptions held about the impact of short breaks on family carers and disabled children. 60 articles or reports were identified for inclusion in the review, the vast majority being cross-sectional studies. The reviewers found eight studies using quasi-experimental pre-post designs or [read the full story…]
This randomised controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry looks at the effectiveness of a new cognitive-behavioural parenting-based approach for treating anxiety in young children. Timid to Tiger is an entirely parenting-based approach to managing anxiety in children aged nine years or below. It is based on evidence that anxious children benefit [read the full story…]
Family Nurse Partnership is a preventive programme for vulnerable first time young mothers. It offers intensive and structured home visiting, delivered by specially trained nurses, from early pregnancy until the child is two. The Family Nurse Partnership began in England in 2007 with initial testing in 10 sites. There are now over 50 sites across [read the full story…]
A recent randomised controlled trial from Melbourne Australia has highlighted the effectiveness of a prevention and early intervention parenting programme, which aims to “improve emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children”. Tuning in to Kids is a 6-session group parenting program that helps children learn to understand and regulate their emotions. It teaches parents: [read the full story…]
This study evaluated the outcomes of a public health nurse home visiting system for mothers with learning disabilities and for those in a comparison group without learning disabilities. The study authors carried out a secondary analysis of existing family home visiting data using a two-group comparative design. They looked at 68 (17 for mothers with [read the full story…]
There are many barriers to people with learning disabilities becoming parents. Published research describing the experience of parents with a learning disability suggests that these include planning for both pregnancy as well as for parenthood. Studies have also shown however that the provision of the right support at the right time can enable parents with [read the full story…]
