Children with disabilities and their families: Evaluation of Stepping Stones Triple P parental training

Disabled children are at risk of mental disorders. Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) offers a cognitive behavioral intervention for parents of disabled children. The current study aimed at replicating and expanding the effects of SSTP in a German sample (n = 54). Parents reported improved child behavior and autonomy as well as increased parental self-efficacy after the training. The effects persisted over the follow-up interval of three months. Parental satisfaction with SSTP could be predicted by the parental ability to cope with stress before the training. Neither the parental self-efficacy prior to the training nor the parental employment status or education level could explain variance in the criteria. This study provided evidence for the effectiveness of SSTP by providing first evidence that children's autonomy improved after SSTP training. In order to support parental satisfaction with SSTP it may be useful to enhance their stress coping skills prior to the training.