A goal directed approach to training parents of children with a developmental disability

This paper describes the rationale and techniques of a general approach to setting up a series of related training programmes for parents of children with a developmental disability. The goal directed approach described in this paper offers practical guidelines for setting up and evaluating parent training programmes and was implemented in a research and service project entitled A School for Parents of Children with a Developmental Dioability. It also can provide data for testing the validity and usefulness of a number of comprehensive statements about human behaviour and development. This approach can also be viewed as a partial res- ponse to divergent criticisms of existing parent teaching programmes.