The Incredible Years®

The Incredible Years® series is a set of comprehensive curricula targeting children age 2 to 12 years old and their parents, and teachers of children ages 3 - 8. The curricula are designed to work jointly to promote emotional and social competence and to prevent, reduce, and treat children's behavioral and emotional problems. The series includes programs for parent training, child training, and teacher training.

The Incredible Years® Parents, Teachers, and Children Training Series has two long-range goals. The first goal is to develop comprehensive treatment programs for young children with early onset conduct problems. The second goal is the development of cost-effective, community-based, universal prevention programs that all families and teachers of young children can use to promote social competence and to prevent children from developing conduct problems in the first place.

Studies have shown that children who participate in the programs demonstrate significant improvements in school readiness, emotional regulation, and social skills, as well as reductions in behavior problems in the classroom.

Parent Program Evidence: Evidence of Parent Program Effectiveness as a Treatment Program with Clinic Populations of Children Diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD (ages 3-8 years):
Eight randomized control group trials (RCTs) by the developer and six RCTs by independent investigators of the parenting series with diagnosed children have indicated the following significant findings:
• Increases in positive parenting including child-directed play, coaching and praise and reduced use of criticism and negative commands.
• Increases in parent use of effective limit-setting by replacing spanking/hitting and harsh discipline with proactive discipline techniques and increased monitoring.
• Reductions in parental depression and increases in parental self-confidence.
• Increases in positive family communication and problem-solving.
• Reductions in conduct problems in children’s interactions with parents and increases in children’s positive affect and compliance to parental commands.
• 2/3 of children in normal range at 3-year and at 10-year follow-up.

Evidence of Parent Program Effectiveness as a Prevention Program with a Selective Population of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Families of Children (ages 2-12 years):
Four RCTs by the developer and six RCTs by independent investigators of the parenting series with high risk populations (e.g. Head Start and Sure Start) indicated significant improvements in positive parenting interactions, reductions in harsh discipline with children, reductions in aggressive behavior problems and increases in child social competence.

Teacher Program Evidence: Evidence of Teacher Classroom Management Program Effectiveness by Developer with Clinic Populations of Children Diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ages 3-8 years):
One RCT by the developer of the teacher training with diagnosed children indicated significant:
• Increases in teacher use of praise and encouragement and reduced use of criticism and harsh discipline.
• Increases in children’s positive affect and cooperation with teachers, positive interactions with peers, school readiness and engagement with school activities.
• Reductions in peer aggression in the classroom.

Evidence of Teacher Classroom Management Program Effectiveness by Developer and Independent Investigators with Selected Populations of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children (ages 3-8 years):
Two RCTs by the developer and five RCTs by independent investigators of the teacher training series with high risk populations indicated significant improvements in positive discipline and proactive management skills and decreases in classroom aggression and increases in children’s pro-social behavior.

Child Program Evidence: Evidence of Child Dinosaur Treatment Program Effectiveness by Developer and Independent Investigators with Clinic Populations of Children Diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD (ages 4-8 years):
Three RCTs by the developer and one RCT by an independent investigator of the small group dinosaur child treatment series with diagnosed children indicated significant:
• Increases in children’s emotional language, social skills, and appropriate cognitive problem-solving strategies with peers.
• Reductions in conduct problems at home and school.
• Reductions in hyperactivity and inattention.

Evidence of Child Dinosaur Classroom Program by Developer with Selected Populations of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Populations (ages 3-8 years):
Two RCTs with Head Start families and Primary grade classrooms indicated significant improvements in school readiness, emotional regulation and social skills and reductions in behavior problems in the classroom.