Parent Coaching: Practical strategies for real life
Our parent coaching programs start with asking you what your priorities are and what is doable for you. Typical issues we address include toileting, managing challenging behavior, sleep issues, daily living skills such as dressing, bathing and brushing teeth, tolerating hair cuts and hair brushing, getting out of the door in the morning without a meltdown, simple eating problems (drinking out of a cup without a lid, staying seated while eating, eating only their own food, etc.) and the inevitable issues that are unique to each child.
Our parent coaching programs
We offer individually designed, one on one doctoral level parent coaching for families seeking support with specific challenges or skill deficits. Our programs are created to provide doable, practical and effective strategies that work for your family in your home.
Focused skill development
These programs address specific skills such as toileting, independent bathing, dressing, and/or toothbrushing skills with targeted guidance.
Behavior management
Strategies for problem behavior reduction, what to do when challenging behaviors occur, increasing appropriate behaviors, and tolerating triggers.
Enhanced daily routines
Solutions for reducing the morning mayhem, sleeping (or lack thereof) routines, sibling interactions, and functional language development as well as the unique challenges facing your child.
What exactly happens during a parent coaching program?
Parent coaching programs start with Dr. Gifford's in-person assessment of your child's skills levels and in depth interviews with parents to determine your priorities and the realistic amount of time you have to commit to working with your child. Complicated assessments may involve an RBT to assist (at no extra cost to the parent). Parent coaching programs may provide extra one on one RBT support, especially at the beginning of a program, but they typically do not involve people other than the parent working one on one with your child for more than a few sessions. Dr. Gifford also reviews any available relevant information (school and medical files, etc.). The entire assessment usually takes 6-8 hours spread out over 2-3 visits. The data and other information collected from those visits are used to design a one-of-a-kind program for the parents and/or caregivers to implement, with several suggested areas to work on, including baselines and suggested goal levels. These findings are presented in an assessment report, which is reviewed with the family along with recommendations for intensity of treatment (i.e., coaching sessions 1 hour per week, 1 hour every other week, 2 hours every other week, etc.). Typically, parent coaching programs address 3-8 skill deficit areas at any given time as well as reducing behavior challenges. When the report is reviewed, additional parent input is requested and changes are made as needed. If the family decides to proceed with a program, the coaching services start. Coaching sessions usually involve Dr. Gifford watching the parent implement procedures and going over the data from the previous week, as well as celebrating successes and trouble shooting any problem areas that many arise. These are continued until the child meets all of the goals (goals are typically added and/or revised throughout the program) or the parents decide to end the program. Parents will need to take at least some data each week and this is reviewed during the coaching sessions. (We make this as user friendly as possible). These programs usually last about 1-2 years. (Because parent coaching programs are designed to address only a few specific areas, standardized skill assessment tools such as the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS, and Vineland are not usually included in these assessments. They can be added at parent request but will require extra time to complete.)
Who benefits most?
Parent coaching is usually most appropriate for parents of older children (7-18 years old) with some existing skills such as speech, though our programs can be effectively adapted for a wide variety of skill levels. We specialize in working with families who have children with severe and profound disabilities, offering practical and doable strategies.