Parents building a stepping stone path for children with disabilities

Stepping Stones to Success: How Positive Parenting Programs Can Transform Families with Children with Disabilities

Lena Kashyap in Mind & Education December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program empowers parents, improves family dynamics, and offers valuable insights for raising children with disabilities."

Raising children with disabilities presents unique challenges that can impact both the child's development and the family's well-being. Studies show a significant percentage of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience behavioral issues, highlighting the need for effective parenting strategies.

Positive parenting programs, like the Group Stepping Stones Triple P (GSSTP), offer a structured approach to equip parents with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate these challenges. These programs aim to foster a supportive family environment, improve child behavior, and enhance overall family relationships.

This article delves into a qualitative study evaluating the experiences of parents and facilitators participating in the GSSTP program. By understanding their perspectives, we can uncover the program's strengths, address its limitations, and identify key improvements for supporting families raising children with disabilities. Let's explore how GSSTP can make a tangible difference in the lives of these families.

Unlocking the Positive Impacts of GSSTP: What Parents and Facilitators Are Saying

Parents building a stepping stone path for children with disabilities

The GSSTP program is designed to empower parents with effective strategies for managing their children's behavior and fostering positive family dynamics. Participants in the study revealed several key benefits:

Parents reported a significant increase in their ability to manage their children's challenging behaviors. They shifted from feeling helpless to confident in their capacity to make a real difference.

Improved Self-Regulation: Parents gained awareness of how their behavior impacts their children, enabling them to respond more positively and reduce impulsive reactions.
Stronger Parent-Child Relationships: Understanding their children's behavior helped parents connect more deeply and engage in meaningful ways.
Enhanced Co-Parenting: The program fostered better communication and consistency between co-parents, creating a united front in raising their children.

Facilitators noted that the program's success stemmed from teaching key parenting skills, creating a supportive group environment, and offering personalized guidance. This multi-faceted approach empowered parents and fostered a sense of hope for the future.

Optimizing GSSTP: Addressing Challenges and Charting a Course for the Future

While GSSTP offers significant benefits, the study also highlighted areas for improvement. One key concern was the use of outdated video materials, which many parents found difficult to relate to. Additionally, some felt the program didn't fully address the complex needs of vulnerable families and struggled with the amount of content covered in each session.

To enhance the program's effectiveness, the study suggests several key changes:

<ul><li>Offer Follow-Up Support: Providing ongoing support after the program can help parents maintain their skills and connect with others.</li><li>Incentivize Attendance: Making the program more accessible with evening sessions and showcasing testimonials from past participants can encourage greater participation.</li><li>Increase Flexibility: Tailoring the program content to individual needs and updating video materials to reflect modern families can increase engagement and relevance.</li></ul>By implementing these changes, GSSTP can better empower parents and transform the lives of families raising children with disabilities.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1177/1359104518807265, Alternate LINK

Title: A Qualitative Study Of Parents’ And Facilitators’ Experiences Of Group Stepping Stones Triple P For Parents Of Children With Disabilities

Subject: Psychiatry and Mental health

Journal: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Authors: Ailbhe Ruane, Alan Carr, Valerie Moffat

Published: 2018-11-06

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly does the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program do for parents of children with disabilities?

The Group Stepping Stones Triple P program is specifically designed to provide parents with strategies to manage their children's behavior and create a more positive home environment. It aims to shift parents from feeling overwhelmed to feeling capable of making a positive impact on their children's lives. This involves not only learning behavior management techniques, but also developing a deeper understanding of their children's needs and how their own actions influence their children's behavior. It also focuses on the importance of a supportive co-parenting relationship.

What specific positive changes did parents notice after participating in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program?

Parents participating in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program reported several key benefits, including improved self-regulation, stronger parent-child relationships, and enhanced co-parenting. Specifically, parents became more aware of how their behavior impacts their children, enabling them to respond more positively. Understanding their children's behavior helped parents connect more deeply and engage in meaningful ways, and the program fostered better communication and consistency between co-parents.

What is the role of the facilitators in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program and how do they support parents?

Facilitators play a crucial role in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program by teaching key parenting skills, creating a supportive group environment, and offering personalized guidance. They empower parents by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to manage their children's behavior effectively. The support group aspect is essential as it allows parents to share experiences, learn from each other, and realize they are not alone in their struggles. Personalized guidance ensures that the program's strategies are tailored to each family's unique needs and circumstances.

What were some of the challenges or areas for improvement identified by parents in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program?

The study highlighted that some parents found the video materials used in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P program to be outdated and difficult to relate to. Additionally, some parents felt the program didn't fully address the complex needs of vulnerable families and struggled with the amount of content covered in each session. This suggests a need for updated and more relatable materials, as well as potentially tailoring the program to better meet the needs of diverse family situations and addressing the content load.

Beyond behavior management, are there other areas of family life that could be addressed to better support families raising children with disabilities, building on the concepts in Group Stepping Stones Triple P?

While Group Stepping Stones Triple P focuses on children with disabilities, it is important to remember the holistic well-being of the family. Future interventions could also incorporate modules on stress management for parents, sibling support, and strategies for navigating the educational and healthcare systems. Addressing these broader aspects of family life can create a more sustainable and supportive environment for raising children with disabilities and lead to a bigger improvement in well being across the family unit.