Using Parents as Change Agents for Their Children: A Review

SUMMARY The results and procedures of investigators who have used parents as primary or auxiliary change agents for their children arc reviewed. Deviant child behaviors that have been successfully modified by parents are first described. Following this, methods of parent training are discussed. The third and final section of the paper deals with some critical methodological issues–data collection, reliability of measurement, demonstrations of behavioral control, follow‐up, and cost‐effectiveness factors–that require routine and more careful consideration before the efficacy of parent therapists can be adequately assessed. Several recommendations are provided by which to achieve more definitive analyses of this approach to child treatment. Suggestions for subsequent research are also briefly discussed.