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Incredible Years

Health Factors: Education
Decision Makers: Schools
Evidence Rating: Scientifically Supported
Population Reach: 1-9% of WI's population
Impact on Disparities: Likely to decrease disparities

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Description

The Incredible Years program seeks to prevent and reduce children's challenging behavior while increasing their social skills (FYI, PPN). It is targeted at children up to 12 years old that exhibit or are at risk for behavioral problems. Incredible Years offers parent, teacher, and child training. The program teaches parents how to parent more effectively and warmly, teachers how to manage classrooms more effectively, and children how to better manage their interpersonal relationships (Blueprints).

Expected Beneficial Outcomes

Increased social competence
Reduced behavior problems
Improved parenting
Reduced harsh discipline
Improved classroom management

Evidence of Effectiveness

There is strong evidence that Incredible Years (IY) reduces children's behavioral problems (FYI). The program also improves parenting skills and teacher's classroom management abilities (FYI, Blueprints).

IY reduces children's behavior problems at home and at school (Blueprints, PPN). The program also reduces children's aggressive behavior and improves conflict management and social skills. IY increases participant cooperation and positive interactions with teachers, parents, and peers (Blueprints).

IY helps parents parent more positively and warmly. The program also helps parents set effective limits and reduces spanking, harsh discipline, and criticism. Teachers who undergo IY training offer more praise and encouragement, improve their classroom management, and do not harshly punish or criticize their students as often as non-participating teachers. Students of IY-trained teachers behave better, gain more school readiness skills, and become more academically engaged than non-participating peers (Blueprints).

The program appears especially effective for children with conduct disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Jones 2008) or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and for disadvantaged children at risk of developing behavior problems. Children at the highest risk may benefit the most from the program (FYI).

Preliminary evidence suggests that the program's positive effects may last through adolescence. However, children who continue behaving poorly upon completing the program, or whose parents remain highly critical, may still be at risk for poor adolescent outcomes (Webster-Stratton 2011).

The IY curriculum costs $1,200 to $1,600 per training program (IY).

Implementation Examples

United States

IY has been translated into many languages and is being used in over 15 countries. To implement the program successfully, IY developers recommend choosing group trainers with applicable education and experience, providing ongoing mentor support and peer support for trainers and teachers, and adhering to the program's prescribed protocols, sequence, and session length (Webster-Stratton 2011a).

Wisconsin

The Madison Public School System offers Incredible Years to parents in Spanish and English (CHW-KinderReady).

Implementation Resources

IY - The Incredible Years (IY). Parents, teachers, and children training series. Accessed on June 20, 2012
Webpage: http://www.incredibleyears.com/

Citations - Description

Blueprints - Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV). Blueprints for violence prevention model programs. Accessed on June 20, 2012
Webpage: http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/modelprograms.html
FYI - Find Youth Info (FYI). Program directory of evidence-based, federally-funded youth programs. Accessed on May 1, 2012
Webpage: http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/programsearch.aspx
PPN - Promising Practices Network (PPN). On children, families and communities. Accessed on May 7, 2012
Webpage: http://www.promisingpractices.org/programs_evidence.asp

Citations - Evidence

Blueprints - Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV). Blueprints for violence prevention model programs. Accessed on June 20, 2012
Webpage: http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/modelprograms.html
FYI - Find Youth Info (FYI). Program directory of evidence-based, federally-funded youth programs. Accessed on May 1, 2012
Webpage: http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/programsearch.aspx
IY - The Incredible Years (IY). Parents, teachers, and children training series. Accessed on June 20, 2012
Webpage: http://www.incredibleyears.com/
Jones 2008* - Jones K, Daley D, Hutchings J, Bywater T, Eames C. Efficacy of the Incredible Years programme as an early intervention for children with conduct problems and ADHD: Long-term follow-up. Child. 2008;34(3):380-90. Accessed on June 19, 2012
Webpage: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00817.x/full
PPN - Promising Practices Network (PPN). On children, families and communities. Accessed on May 7, 2012
Webpage: http://www.promisingpractices.org/programs_evidence.asp
Webster-Stratton 2011* - Webster-Stratton C, Rinaldi J, Reid JM. Long-term outcomes of Incredible Years parenting program: Predictors of adolescent adjustment. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2011;16(1):38-46. Accessed on June 19, 2012
Webpage: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00576.x/full

Citations - Implementation Examples

CHW-KinderReady - Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW). KinderReady. Accessed on June 20, 2012
Webpage: http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/43164/router.asp
Webster-Stratton 2011a* - Webster-Stratton C, Reinke WM, Herman KC, Newcomer LL. The Incredible Years teacher classroom management training: The methods and principles that support fidelity of training delivery. School Psychology Review. 2011;40(4):509-29. Accessed on June 19, 2012
Webpage: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pits.21608/abstract

* Journal subscription may be required for access.

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Health Factors

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Evidence Rating

Level of effectiveness based on a scan of academic literature and key recommendations of leading organizations.

  • Scientifically Supported Numerous studies or systematic review(s) with positive results
  • Some Evidence Research suggests positive impacts; further study may be warranted
  • Expert Opinion Recommended by credible groups*; research evidence limited
  • Insufficient Evidence Evidence limited or unavailable; further study warranted
  • Mixed Evidence Evidence mixed; further study warranted
  • Evidence of Ineffectiveness Research consistently shows program is detrimental or has no effect

Although many policies and programs are recommended by credible groups, we apply the rating ‘expert opinion’ only when policies are recommended but limited scientific evidence of effectiveness is available.

* The American Heritage Dictionary defines credible as 'capable of being believed; plausible.' and 'worthy of confidence; reliable.' To be considered an 'expert recommendation,' policies and programs must be recommended by one or more organizations that are recognized for their impartial expertise in the area of interest and have limited evidence available.

Potential Population Reach

Portion of Wisconsin's population likely to be reached by a policy or program if implemented statewide, based on its characteristics (e.g., target population(s), geographic limitations, and potential implementers).

<1%   20-49%
1-9%   50-99%
10-19%   100%

Potential Population Reach

Portion of Wisconsin's population likely to be reached by a policy or program if implemented statewide, based on its characteristics (e.g., target population(s), geographic limitations, and potential implementers).

<1%   20-49%
1-9%   50-99%
10-19%   100%

Potential Impact on Health Disparities

Likely impact of a given policy or program on racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic or other disparities in Wisconsin based on its characteristics (e.g., target audience, mode of delivery, etc.) and best available evidence related to disparities.

  • Likely to decrease disparities
  • No impact on disparities likely
  • Likely to increase disparities