Neurodiversity and the Incredible Years (IY) Programs

An Evidence-based, Relationship-Centered Approach To Supporting Children’s Diverse Development
by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, M.S., M.P.H., Ph.D.
University of Washington
Reflections from four decades of research and program development.

 

In recent years I have increasingly been asked whether the Incredible Years programs are neurodiversity-affirming. The question is especially meaningful to me because when I began developing these programs more than forty years ago, the term neurodiversity did not yet exist — yet many of the ideas behind the programs grew from the same understanding that children develop in many different ways.
The core philosophy guiding this work is that every child develops differently & uniquely. From the beginning, my goal in regard to IY program development was to help parents and teachers recognize and understand each child’s developmental and sensory differences and to support their social, emotional, and academic development. Rather than focusing first on children’s behavior problems, we began by building nurturing, positive, and responsive parent-teacher-child relationships. This relationship foundation forms the base of the Incredible Years parenting and teaching pyramids and represents nearly half of each training curriculum. The emphasis on relationships reflects the fact that children vary in their learning styles, communication patterns, emotional regulation, sensory needs and developmental milestones.

 

 

I wanted parents and teachers to shine a spotlight — or even sunshine — on each child’s social, emotional, and cognitive strengths, and particularly on the positive behaviors they wanted to strengthen. Research has consistently shown that when parents and teachers notice and encourage these strengths, young children develop confidence, emotional regulation, persistence, and social competence. In turn, these abilities are associated with reduced delinquency, lower school dropout rates, and fewer depressive symptoms in adolescence.

These principles have been evaluated in dozens of randomized control group trials of the Incredible Years programs conducted over the past four decades. A summary of research on the IY programs can be found here: The Research Behind The Incredible Years® Early Intervention Programs

At the same time, we recognized that every family is different, and every classroom, school, and community has its own culture, expectations, and resources. The Incredible Years programs were designed to be flexible so that parents and teachers can adapt evidence-based strategies to fit their goals, each child’s developmental needs, and the context in which children live and learn.

Although the term neurodiversity was not commonly used when the programs were first developed, the underlying philosophy has always been consistent with the idea that children grow along many different developmental pathways.

From the beginning, the Incredible Years programs were designed to partner with parents and teachers to understand and value these differences, build strong relationships, and support children’s social, emotional and cognitive development.

Our goal has always been to help adults recognize each child’s strengths, follow their developmental lead, and respond in ways that support their individual pathways of growth.

Over time, this collaborative philosophy — and the recognition that every child has unique patterns of language, social, and emotional development — has shaped the design of all the IY parent, teacher, and child programs in several practical ways.