The Incredible Years

Evaluation Tools for IYS

IYS Quality Assurance Review Process

IYS Outcomes Report Guidance and Template

General Presentations, Resources, and Articles Related to the Incredible Years

IYS BASIC Parent Program Resources

IYS DINA Classroom and Small Group Resources

IYS Quarterly Newsletter

The Incredible Years are research‐based, proven effective programs for reducing children's aggression and behavior problems and increasing social competence at home and at school. The Incredible Years includes several stand alone programs including a BASIC parent training program, an ADVANCE parent training program, and a social emotional child program called DINA that can be used in the classroom or in a small group setting.

Incredible Years Training for Parents includes three programs targeting parents of high-risk children and/or those displaying behavior problems. The BASIC program emphasizes parenting skills known to promote children's social competence and reduce behavior problems such as: how to play with children, helping children learn, effective praise and use of incentives, effective limit-setting and strategies to handle misbehavior. The ADVANCE program emphasizes parent interpersonal skills such as: effective communication skills, anger management, problem-solving between adults, and ways to give and get support. The SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION program (known as SCHOOL) emphasizes parenting approaches designed to promote children's academic skills such as: reading skills, parental involvement in setting up predictable homework routines, and building collaborative relationships with teachers.

Incredible Years Training for Children emphasizes training children in skills such as emotional literacy, empathy or perspective taking, friendship skills, anger management, interpersonal problem-solving, school rules and how to be successful at school. The treatment version is designed for use as a "pull out" treatment program for small groups of children exhibiting conduct problems. The prevention version is delivered to the entire classroom by regular teachers, two to three times a week.

Multiple randomized control group evaluations of the 3 components indicate significant:

Increases in parent positive affect such as praise and reduced use of criticism and negative commands.
Increases in parent use of effective limit-setting by replacing spanking and harsh discipline with non-violent discipline techniques and increased monitoring of children.
Reductions in parental depression and increases in parental self-confidence.
Increases in positive family communication and problem-solving.
Reduced conduct problems in children's interactions with parents and increases in their positive affect and compliance to parental commands.

Increases in teacher use of praise and encouragement and reduced use of criticism and harsh discipline.
Increases in children's positive affect and cooperation with teachers, positive interactions with peers, school readiness and engagement with school activities.
Reductions in peer aggression in the classroom.

Increases in children's appropriate cognitive problem-solving strategies and more prosocial conflict management strategies with peers.
Reductions in conduct problems at home and school.

National Site: The Incredible Years

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