How Do We Train Parents in Early Intervention?

One method of delivering intervention sessions for language disorders is supporting the family with knowledge by building their skills and training them on how to develop their child's language skills.

Parent training is a fundamental principle in early childhood intervention, and effective training has been shown to take place with multiple individuals (family, teachers, daycare providers, etc.), in multiple settings (at home, or outdoors), and under various circumstances (during early intervention, in early childhood classrooms, and others).

There is more than one method for training parents, including the TMCR approach, which stands for: Teach-Model-Coach-Review

The TMCR Approach

Teach-Model-Coach-Review: Below is a breakdown of each step:

Step 1: Teaching (Introduction)

• Explain the reasons for using the strategy
• Provide examples, either from an application or from a previous example
• Describe and clarify how and when to use the strategy with the child
• Provide examples, either from an application or from a previous example
• Ensure their understanding, and ask if they have any questions
• Provide the content in a file or handout to reinforce the information, and for parents to refer back to when needed.

Step 2: Modeling (Demonstration)

• Apply the strategy with the child, and while carrying out the strategy, explain when and why you used it.
• Connect the strategy to the child's behavior and language (for example, “When I did X, your child did Y”).
• You can also talk about times when the strategy is not used, so parents learn to recognize the difference.

Step 3: Coaching (Practice)

• Give parents the opportunity to practice the strategy.
• Coach parents to use it effectively by providing constructive feedback. Feedback should include praise and positive words (explain to them what they did well and why), and also offer constructive feedback to improve or adjust how the strategy is implemented.

Step 4: Review (Evaluation and Reflection)

• Discuss with parents how they felt about the session and the target strategy, and ask if they have any questions.
• Reinforce how the family used the target strategy and connect it to the child's behavior/language/communication skills.
• Bring up and discuss the challenges that occurred during the session, or that might arise for them during later implementation.
• Develop a plan for the next session (confirming the next appointment, location, etc.).

There is another method for parent training that includes five key practices, which are:

• Joint Planning

The specialist and the family agree on the actions each should take after the visit, such as: which strategies the family will practice with the child between sessions and how they will implement them.

• Observation

There are two ways of observation.First: The specialist implements the strategy and the family observes the method of implementation, with the aim of learning the new skill, strategy, or idea.Second: The family implements the strategy and the specialist observes them, with the aim of discussing and reflecting on it afterward. The specialist may highlight the positive things they are already doing and ask them to implement additional strategies. For example, if the family does not talk to the child during play, the specialist might ask them to use verbal routines during play as well.

• Action/Practice

The family implements the strategies they learned during planned events or spontaneous situations that occur throughout the day. These events can take place during the visit, at home, on an outing, and at any time and place.

• Reflection

The specialist asks the family about what happened and encourages them to reflect on what went well and what did not go as planned. The specialist then works with the family to generate other ideas to try, thereby continuously improving their skills and observations.

• Feedback and Advice

Following the previous step (family reflection on the implemented practices), they are guided and given advice, and feedback must be based on the specialist's observations in addition to the things they shared. Family comments should also be listened to or information added that enhances the family's knowledge of the strategy (for example, if a parent explains what they tried during mealtimes, the specialist provides additional ideas).

Source

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.