Influences of Family-Systems Intervention Practices on Parent-Child Interactions and Child Development

Abstract

The manner in which family-systems intervention practices were related to both parent-child interactions and child development was the focus of the meta-analysis described in this paper. The family-systems model that was investigated has been developed and updated during the past 25 years (Dunst, Trivette, & Deal, 1988;Trivette, Deal, & Dunst, 1986). Each version of the model includes key elements from social systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), empowerment (Rappaport, 1981, family strengths (Stinnett & DeFrain, 1985), social support (Cohen & Syme, 1985), and help-giving (Brickman et al., 1982) theories. The most recent version of the model has been modified and changed based on findings from research syntheses of each of the different practices making up the key elements of the model (Dunst & Trivette, 2009a). Figure 1 shows the four components of the family-systems model. The components include capacity-building helpgiving practices, family needs (concerns and priorities), family strengths, and social supports and resources. The model is implemented by practitioners by using capacitybuilding help-giving practices to have family members identify their needs, the supports and resources to meet those needs, the use of family members' existing capabilities (strengths), and the development of new abilities to obtain resources and supports to meet their needs. The hypothesized influences of family-systems intervention practices on parent-child interactions and child behavior are based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979Bronfenbrenner's ( , 1992Bronfenbrenner's ( , 1999 contention that unless parents are provided the necessary supports and resources to have the time and energy to carry out their parenting responsibilities, they cannot interact with their children in development-enhancing ways that promote child development. More specifically, Bronfenbrenner (1979) noted that whether parents can perform effectively in their child-rearing roles within the family depends on the role demands, stresses, and supports emanating from other settings. . . . Parents' evaluation of their own capacity to function, as well as their view of their child, are related to such external factors as flexibility AbstractThe extent to which the influences of family-systems intervention practices could be traced to variations in parent-child interactions and child development was investigated by meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM). MASEM is a procedure for producing a weighted pooled correlation matrix and fitting a structural equation model to the patterns of relationships in the data. The main practices constituting the focus of analysis were capacity-building help-giving practices, social supports and resources, family needs (concerns and priorities), and family strengths. Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The participants were 910 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with and without developmental delays or disabilities and their parents or other primary caregivers involved in different kinds of help-giving programs. Resul...

Perceived needs among parents of children with a mild intellectual disability in Sweden

“…Thus, the relationships between the level of needs, parental self-efficacy, and perceived control over services indicate that services need to be provided in a manner that strengthens parental self-efficacy and control over services. This interpretation of the results is supported by meta-analytic structural equation model studies that show that when professionals work in a capacity-building manner, parents self-efficacy is strengthened, and parental and child well-being increases (Dunst and Trivette 2009;Trivette, Dunst, and Hamby 2010). Further support for this interpretation is provided by the strong statistical relationship in this study between parent's perceived control over services and their satisfaction with the specific support provided to their child.…”

“…When parents report good self-efficacy, it affects how they feel as parents, how worried they are, and their relationship with their child (Dempsey and Dunst 2004;Wakimizu et al 2011). Studies have also shown that supporting self-efficacy will have an effect on parental and child well-being and that parents with a high self-rated selfefficacy rate their needs for support lower (Trivette, Dunst, and Hamby 2010). Whether these patterns hold true in Sweden is unknown, but it is likely that parents with higher self-efficacy have lower perceived needs for support and information.…”

Cómo implementar el modelo centrado en la familia en atención temprana.

“…Trivettte and Dunst (2000) and Trivette, Dunst and Humby (2010) identified seventeen evidence-based family-centered practices and grouped them into four categories: (1) Families and professionals share responsibilities and work collaboratively in order to share expert knowledge so that families can make informed decisions; (2) practices strengthen the family's functioning as supports allow families to take advantage of not only formal but informal supports to lead the life that they want; (3) practices are flexible and adjusted to the needs, values, and beliefs of the families; and (4) practices mobilize the strengths of the families in order to take advantage of their daily routines. Trivette et al (2010) stated that results show that FCM practices aimed at promoting parental competences (empowerment) have a direct effect on the parents' beliefs about their self-efficacy and well-being; and indirect effects on the improvement of the parents' interactions with their child, generating as a result more and better opportunities for their development. In this same respect, Trivette and Dunst (2009) observed that the family-centered approach, rather than the professional-centered approach, helps parents to be more capable and competent to promote their child's development as it improves the family functioning, promotes some specific competences, confidence in their possibilities and their satisfaction.…”

Kansas Inventory of Parental Perceptions: Spanish Adaptation of a Shortened Form

“…It also ties in with the current emphasis in the field of disability on applying a family-centered approach (McWilliam 2012) which identifies and stresses the strengths and capabilities (Trivette and Dunst 2013;Trivette et al 2010) of families to promote positive family functioning. For Guralnick (2011), supporting families in their caregiving role by designing interventions based on their strengths is likely to bring important benefits.…”