No abstract

Errorless compliance training, a noncoercive intervention for improving child compliance, was evaluated in a multiple baseline across-subjects design with 12 oppositional children (ages 2-7 years) and their brain-injured parents, who suffered from cognitive deficits, impulsivity, and/or emotional instability. Generalized and durable increases were observed in child compliance after treatment. Pre/post improvements were also noted on a measure of parent self-esteem. Errorless compliance training may be well suited to intervention with parents with cognitive and behavioral impairments that decrease their potential to benefit from traditional parenting approaches.

Individuals with brain injury may experience severe cognitive and other impairments. For brain-injured parents, such deficits may be associated with child behavior problems, including noncompliance. We assessed the effects of a play period conducted by a brain-injured father on the compliance of his son, who had become uncooperative with his father after the injury. The child consistently demonstrated improved compliance during proximal and distal compliance sessions that followed father-son play periods.

Following a brain injury, parents often experience dispositional changes that can have a devastating effect on family relationships. Such problems are often amplified by the presence of chronic pain,which is a common sequela of brain injury and can reduce or impede the parent's ability to maintain a warm and responsive relationship with the child. In this case study involving two fathers with brain injury and severe chronic pain, we evaluated the effects of errorless compliance training, a recently developed, nonintrusive and success-based intervention, on the cooperation of their sons. After their parents' head injury, the children became severely avoidant and oppositional with the injured parents. Following treatment, children demonstrated high levels of compliance to parental requests as well as generalization and maintenance of treatment gains. Errorless compliance training may be useful for assisting parents with cognitive, emotional, and physical impairments to maintain a more cooperative relationship with their children.