Adapting an Internet-Based Parenting Intervention for Parents With Intellectual Disabilities

Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience a unique set of contextual challenges that may limit the effectiveness of traditional parenting interventions. Identifying effective adaptations to existing evidence-based parenting interventions to address the needs of this vulnerable population is critical for maximizing positive outcomes for parents and children. The current study describes an iterative process of adaptation and revision of the digitally delivered Play and Learning Strategies (ePALS) program. Input from previously conducted focus groups, interviews, and a consultant parent with IDD informed preliminary adaptations to the original ePALS intervention, the efficacy of which was then evaluated with three parent-child dyads via a single-case experimental design. Preliminary data were promising but also illuminated additional implementation barriers related to recruitment and retention, assessment, and skill acquisition within the ePALS program. We discuss our approach for addressing these challenges through additional procedural revisions in preparation for a larger scale randomized controlled trial.