Dave Daley

Maternal Distress and Expressed Emotion: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships with Behavior Problems of Children with Intellectual Disabilities.

Mothers of children with intellectual disability were assessed at two time points, 2 years apart (n = 75 at Time 1, n = 56 at Time 2). Data were gathered on maternal distress, mental health, expressed emotion, and the childs internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Consistent with previous research with families of children who have intellectual disability, maternal distress and childrens behavior problems entered into a bidirectional relationship over time. This relationship was found to be specific to externalizing problems. Exploratory analyses also suggest that maternal distress and depression had a bidirectional longitudinal relationship. In terms of maternal expressed emotion, criticism and not emotional over-involvement was cross-sectionally but not longitudinally related to childrens externalizing behavior problems and to maternal distress.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in pre-school children: current findings,recommended interventions and future directions

This paper outlines the presentation, aetiology and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pre-school children. A review of current parenting training interventions demonstrates that there is good evidence for their efficacy in reducing symptoms of ADHD in pre-school children, and three interventions are evaluated: The new forest parent training programme (NFPP); the triple P - positive parenting programme and the incredible years parent training programme (IY). The evaluation of the NFPP provides strong evidence demonstrating its effectiveness for pre-school children with ADHD, while the efficacy of the Triple - P and the IY programme have, to date, only been demonstrated on children with conduct problems and co-morbid ADHD. It is suggested that parent training should be the first choice treatment for pre-school children presenting signs of ADHD, and medication introduced only for those children where parent training is not effective. Few moderators of outcome have been identified for these interventions, with the exception of parental ADHD. Barriers to intervention and implementation fidelity will need to be addressed to achieve high levels of attendance, completion and efficacy. The IY programme is a good model for addressing fidelity issues and for overcoming barriers to intervention. The future directions for parent training are also discussed.

Do maternal attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms exacerbate or ameliorate the negative effect of child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms on parenting?

The impact of similarity in parent and child characteristics on the quality of parenting is underresearched. The current study examined the interaction between mother and child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms on parenting. Two hypotheses were tested: the similarity-fit hypothesis, which predicted that parent and child similarity will improve parenting, and the similarity-misfit hypothesis, which predicted the opposite. Study 1 examined the associations between maternal and child ADHD symptoms and child-specific rearing attitudes of 95 mothers with school-aged children. In Study 2 this analysis was extended to more objective observer-rated mother-child interaction and maternal expressed emotion in 192 mothers of preschool children. Child ADHD symptoms were associated with negative maternal comments and maternal ADHD symptoms with negative expressed emotion. In both studies maternal ADHD symptoms appeared to ameliorate the effects of child ADHD symptoms on negative parenting. Parental response to children with high ADHD symptoms was more positive and affectionate when the mother also had high ADHD symptoms. The results support the similarity-fit hypothesis and highlight the importance of considering both child and maternal ADHD symptoms in studies of parenting.

Brief report: The impact of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms on academic performance in an adolescent community sample

Less is understood about the relationship between ADHD symptoms and academic performance in adolescents than the relationship in younger children. As such, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prospective relationship between ADHD symptoms and academic performance in a community adolescent sample. Three hundred and twenty-four participants, aged 15 and 16, in their final year of compulsory education, completed measures of ADHD, anxiety, depression, and motivation, and a test of general cognitive ability. Participants were also asked for permission for their academic grades to be viewed on a later occasion (approximately 6 months later). In regression analyses, ADHD symptoms were the most significant independent psychopathological predictor of academic performance, and were almost as significant as motivation and cognitive ability. The results suggest that adolescents with more ADHD symptoms are likely to encounter greater academic difficulties.

Mothers' expressed emotion toward their school-aged sons. Associations with child and maternal symptoms of psychopathology.

IntroductionEvidence suggests that mothers are negative and critical when talking about their children with behaviour problems. However the association with specific types of behaviour problems and the influence of both child and adult psychopathology on these relationships require further clarification.MethodsSpeech samples were gathered from mothers of 100 school-aged boys and coded using standard Expressed Emotion (EE) categories. Levels of maternal and child psychopathology were ascertained using standardised questionnaires completed by the mother.ResultsThere were significant and positive correlations between criticism and child ADHD, conduct and emotional symptoms respectively. There were also significant and negative correlations between EOI and child ADHD and conduct problems.ConclusionsThe findings of the current study suggest that when considered together EE is driven more by the child rather than by maternal characteristics and these effects are specific to conduct and emotional problems. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Early prevention of conduct disorder: how and why did the North and Mid Wales Sure Start study work?

Both the government and local service providers in the UK are becoming increasingly aware of the possibility of improving child outcomes through the delivery of parenting programmes. Government initiatives, such as Sure Start, Pathfinders and Flying Start are a positive step forward, yet programmes sometimes fail to work in service settings. This article describes the components necessary to deliver effective interventions, exploring the need to choose an evidence‐based parent programme, implement it with fidelity and evaluate the outcome. It describes the steps taken in North and Mid Wales to do this and reports briefly on the successful outcomes achieved by delivering the Incredible Years Basic Parenting Programme to the parents of high‐risk children in Sure Start areas.

Testing the interactive effect of parent and child ADHD on parenting in mothers and fathers: A further test of the similarity-fit hypothesis

Mother and child ADHD symptoms both have a negative effect on parenting. Little is known about how these characteristics interact. In a recent paper, we reported two studies that suggested that maternal ADHD ameliorated the negative effects of child ADHD on negative parenting supporting a similarity-fit hypothesis. The aim of the current paper is to extend this analysis to a sample of mothers and fathers. The study examined the association between child and adult ADHD symptoms on child-specific parenting practices in 278 mothers and 85 fathers from a population-based sample of school-age children. As in the previous study, high levels of ADHD symptoms in mothers ameliorated the negative effects of child ADHD on parenting - supporting the similarity-fit hypothesis. Fathers demonstrated the opposite effect with high levels of ADHD exacerbating the effects of child ADHD - supporting a similarity-misfit hypothesis. The study confirms the important role played by parental ADHD symptoms in parenting while highlighting differences between mothers and fathers in this regard.

Parenting empathy: Associations with dimensions of parent and child psychopathology

BackgroundParenting empathy, the understanding by parents, and the sharing in their childs perspective, represents an important element of competent parenting. The present study tested the hypotheses that maternal empathy might be lower where mothers or their children display symptoms of psychopathology. MethodMothers (N=268) of school-aged children completed questionnaires on child-directed empathy and egoistic personal distress and their own and their childs symptoms of psychopathology across a number of broadly defined domains. ResultsChild conduct problems were associated with decreased child-directed empathy and increased maternal egoistic distress. Maternal aggressive characteristics and maternal ADHD symptoms were each associated with increased egoistic personal distress. ConclusionThe findings indicate that symptoms of psychopathology in children and adults are associated with deficits in empathy and increased maternal egoistic personal distress. The implications of the findings for responsive parenting and child social behaviour are discussed.

Assessing expressed emotion in mothers of children with autism: The Autism-Specific Five Minute Speech Sample

Background: Expressed emotion (EE) is a measure of family emotional climate found to be predictive of symptom levels in a range of psychiatric, medical, and developmental disorders, including autism. Method: Employing data from 104 mothers of children with autism, this study examines the Autism-Specific Five Minute Speech Sample (AFMSS), a modified EE coding system based on the widely used Five Minute Speech Sample (Magana et al., 1986). Findings: With the exception of one EE component, emotional over-involvement, the revised coding system demonstrated adequate internal consistency and good to excellent inter-rater and code-recode reliability. It also demonstrated acceptable validity, based on its significant correlations with factors linked to EE in previous research. Regression analyses also indicated AFMSS-EE to be a significant predictor of child social competence, but not child problem behaviors. Discussion: While further testing is required, the AFMSS appears to be a useful method of assessing EE within the context of parenting children with autism and related disorders.

The Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT): Development and Testing of a New Classroom Observation Measure

Teacher-pupil relationships do not solely impact children’s academic development; they also influence emotional and behavioural development. Positive teacher-pupil relationships help reduce maladaptive behaviour while negative ones can lead to increased academic, social and behavioural difficulties. Identifying and measuring teacher-pupil relationship through classroom behaviours and interactions is therefore important as an index of classroom-based influences on child outcome. This article illustrates the development and testing of a classroom observation measure - the Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT) - in a small-scale study of 12 teachers and 107 children in 12 reception classrooms. To assess validity and reliability, observed behaviours on the T-POT were correlated with each other (internal validity), and with teacher rated reports of classroom behaviour (discriminant and concurrent validity). Observer agreement was also assessed (inter-rater reliability). The T-POT showed promising psychometric properties in all cases. The T-POT is currently the main outcome measure in four funded evaluation studies in Gwynedd, North Wales, and an outcome measure in a funded evaluation study in Clondalkin, Ireland. These studies will further benefit the measure’s validity and reliability and test the sensitivity of the T-POT in detecting change in teacher-pupil behaviour over time.