Research & Evidence

The Incredible Years Programs:

• Have been proven to boost academic success, reading and school readiness.
• Expand the competencies of parents and teachers to prevent and address behavior problems in children.
• Are designed for implementation by existing community early childhood settings (child care centers, elementary schools, Head Start, etc.)
• Are responsive to the cultural context of the community.

In a series of studies involving low-income parents and their children, The Incredible Years programs produced the following outcomes:

• 91% of the children showed significant reductions in conduct problems.
• 73% of the children showed a significant reduction in negative behaviors at home.
• 69% of the children who showed poor social skills in the beginning of the school year demonstrated normal skills at the end of the year.
• 80% of the children continued to show improved conduct a year after the program ended.

Additional demonstrated results include:
Increased:

• Child social competence and appropriate play.
• Parental involvement with teachers and classrooms.
• Positive family communication and problem solving.
• Effective limit setting by parents.

Decreased:

• Child conduct problems at home and school.
• Child aggression in the classroom.
• Critical and violent discipline approaches.

Recognition of Quality

The Incredible Years developer, Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, has received the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist award for her work. The programs have also received the following recognitions:

• Exemplary Prevention Program - Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
• One of eleven national model "Blueprint" programs by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (2000)
• The Lela Rowland Prevention Award - National Mental Health Association (1997)
• Model Program and listed in the National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs (NREPP) - Department of Health & Human Services (2001)

 

Colorado-Specific Outcomes

During the 2009-2010 School Year:

• IY reached over 4,417children and almost 350 parents in 75 different sites in 24 Colorado communities.
• 93.8% of children who rated “below average” in a pre-test social competence scale showed improvement by the end of the program (88.4% of “average” and 68.0% of “above average” groups also showed improvement.)
• Parents showed an increase in the use of positive parent techniques in every scale including: appropriate discipline, positive parenting, clear expectations and monitoring child environment.
• 9% of participants would recommend the parent program to a friend or relative.

• “Lots of great information.  Leaders had a great developmental understanding of children.  Practical info that I could try at home.  I saw results!”
• “Each step helped solve problems in different and positive ways.  We have already recommended the program to several other parents.”
• “Praise, praise, and more praise.  This has helped change our family life incredibly.”
• “I feel like I understand my children more and therefore can have a better relationship with my kids/husband and have to discipline them less.”