Abstract
Behavioral parent training (BPT) has developed into one of the most successful interventions for the prevention and treatment of child and adolescent behavior problems. BPT emphasizes teaching parents more effective behavior management approaches to prevent inappropriate behavior, promote prosocial behavior, and support a healthy parent-child relationship. BPT relies primarily on principles derived from applied behavior analysis (ABA) including differential reinforcement, extinction and punishment, and stimulus control. Clinicians teach parents effective behavior management procedures using behavioral skills training, an evidence-based practice rooted in ABA. Given BPT’s conceptual framework, those with strong backgrounds in ABA are ideal professionals to offer BPT to families. This chapter presents an overview of BPT including its conceptual foundation and underlying scientific principles, specific treatment components common to evidence-based programs, and the skills and competencies unique to this treatment approach. The chapter also describes ethical considerations related to BPT, regulatory and licensing frameworks, and supervisor competencies. Behavior analysts can work collaboratively with parents to effectively solve their children’s behavior problems by addressing referral concerns using a BPT model.
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Axelrod, M.I., Santagata, M.L. (2021). Behavioral Parent Training. In: Maragakis, A., Drossel, C., Waltz, T.J. (eds) Applications of Behavior Analysis in Healthcare and Beyond. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57969-2_6
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