Abstract

This research investigated the needs of mothers in regard to designing an educational website for parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This research was designed to provide information to inform outreach efforts of Brigham Young University's Family HOPE (Happiness, Optimism, Promise, and Excellence) Project. This project assists families struggling with child behavior problems. Results from this study provided an initial understanding of the potential for a website to offer support to families not directly served through the Family HOPE project. Participants included 26 adult females, 25 mothers and one female caregiver. Each participant was the primary caregiver of a child with a disability and challenging behaviors. Results from this study indicated that what parents would like to see on a website are modules or lessons to teach how to solve behavior problems, video demonstrations of parents successfully solving children's behavior problems, information about how to solve behavior problems, and blog/posts where parents can post questions and professionals and/or parents who have dealt with similar problems can post answers. This study provided incentive for practitioners, educators, and the human services field to conduct, design, and make available training modules or video demonstrations for parents on dealing with their children's problem behaviors at home. Due to the rise of computer networking via the Internet and advances in multimedia technology, the Internet provides an opportunity to provide services to families with limited access to traditional services (Feil et al., 2008). When participants were asked where they go to get the most helpful support in solving their child's behavior problem, the majority of respondents reported that they go to the doctor, family, friends, and the Internet for support: Most found these avenues to be helpful in providing that support. This study's findings offer several implications for practitioners, educators, and other human services professionals. Professionals, particularly school personnel, can increase their efforts to decrease family stress and increase their quality of life by providing support, resources, and expertise related to handling challenging behaviors in children with disabilities. Service providers must be open to exploring technology's potential to enhance their clinical work. It is critical to adapt empirically supported interventions to a nontraditional delivery system, such as the Internet.

Degree

EdS

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2009-11-25

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd3283

Keywords

behavior, children, disabilities, Internet, website

Language

English

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