Program implementation

This chapter compares the Therapist-guided education and Interactive Computer-based Intervention. Parenting Wisely (PW) provides skill training in several areas including praise, prompting, contracting, clear expectations, planned ignoring, positive reinforcement, contingency management, mindful parenting, monitoring, and supervision. One of the initial goals for the development of the program increase access to an evidence-based parent education program that did not require expensive practitioner training and also did not need ongoing, expensive quality assurance mechanisms. Parenting Wisely is a research-based parent education computer program that can be accessed anytime from any computer that has access to high-speed Internet. The program is based on social learning theory, family systems theory, cognitive psychology, mindfulness research, and neuroscience. Parents can access the program over the Internet or using the CD-ROM on an agency's computer or laptop either on-site or at home. Contrary to expectations, self-administered PW achieved significantly stronger reductions in child behavior problems and higher parental self-efficacy compared with group use of the program.