Parenting Skills and Non-compliance: Parent Training for Families with Mildly Mentally Retarded Children

The aim of this research was to explore parent-child interaction processes. In particular, parent training was experimented in order: a) to modify parents’ misguided beliefs about mental retardation and children’s behavioural problems; b) to reduce parental stress and increase parenting skills. 28 couples of parents with mentally retarded children were tested. The experimental group was trained in communication and self-regulation strategies, and behavioural and educational techniques for child management. The results proved the efficacy of parent training. Compared to parents in the control group, those in the experimental group showed marked changes in their perception of children's problems, lower stress level and greater parental competences.