Disability-Responsive Adaptations: Child–Parent–Relationship Therapy for Children With Disabilities

Abstract

Children with disabilities have unique and often specialized needs. The parents of children with disabilities play an integral and sometimes challenging role in supporting, advocating, and caring for their children. This article introduces an evidence-based approach to work with parents of children with disabilities that focuses on strengthening the relationship between the parent and child through child–parent–relationship therapy (CPRT). Disability-responsive adaptations and recommendations are provided for CPRT, specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, children with physical disabilities, and children with autism spectrum disorder.

Effect of child–parent relationship therapy on emotion regulation and stress in mothers of deaf children.

“…It can be concluded that children need to learn various skills in early childhood for their subsequent educational and social success (Nakamichi et al, 2021). Parents’ behavior toward their children can affect children’s developmental processes (Aydin & Yamac, 2014; Rodríguez et al, 2021). Parents of deaf children may have difficulty controlling and managing their behaviors and emotions (Wake & Carew, 2016).…”

“…Mothers of deaf children need particular interventions to improve their emotion regulation (Ashori & Jalil-Abkenar, 2021). Child–parent relationship therapy (CPRT) is an evidence-based method for working with parents of children with specific problems that focuses on improving the interaction between the child and parent (Rodríguez et al, 2021). CPRT emphasizes enhancing child–parent attachment and reducing parenting stress (Lin & Bratton, 2015).…”

“…One of the unique aspects of CPRT is that parents facilitate a recorded weekly 30-min, one-on-one playtime with their child (Rodríguez et al, 2021). The skills that parents learn in each session are used with the child.…”

Meeting the needs of children through telemental health: Application for rural mental health using child–parent relationship therapy.

“…Further, scholars have conducted CPRT research with a variety of presenting concerns, including with single parents (Bratton & Landreth, 1995; Johnson, 2014), conservative Christian parents (Bornsheuer-Boswell et al, 2013), adoptive parents (Opiola & Bratton, 2018; Swan et al, 2019), and with low-income families (Ceballos & Bratton, 2010; Sheely & Bratton, 2010; Socarras et al, 2015). Additionally, researchers have utilized CPRT with diverse populations, including Latino families (Ceballos & Bratton, 2010; Hassey et al, 2017) and African American families (Sheely & Bratton, 2010; Socarras et al, 2015), and was conceptualized for use with parents of children with disabilities (Rodríguez et al, 2021). The following section outlines the CPRT procedures (Landreth & Bratton, 2019) and the specific play session skills taught for each week of the intervention.…”