More parents receive training to tackle parenting challenges
A group of parents who participated in PMTO shared their positive experiences during a panel discussion at a major conference held at the Nordic House last week. Therapists, parents, specialists and others interested in PMTO parenting skills gathered to celebrate the 25-year success of PMTO in Iceland.
PMTO is an evidence-based treatment for parents of children with behavioral difficulties. Ten municipalities across the country offer parents PMTO training, and about 700 parents use the service annually, while many schools benefit from the school-based version of the method (SMT). Parents seeking the service apply through their municipality, either via their child's school or the municipality's social or educational services.
More children and their families will likely gain access to this program soon, as the Ministry of Education and Children recently provided funding for the continued operation of the PMTO center. It's intended to serve the entire country, and Keðjan, a unit within Reykjavík City that runs support programs for children, has agreed to professionally lead the center in collaboration with a research lab at the University of Iceland's School of Education for the next two years. Initially, Reykjavík City will host the program, and efforts are underway to find a permanent placement for it within a state agency.
Ambitious program at the Nordic House
The morning program was designed for therapists and examined approaches for remote consultation services and how positive interaction and parental involvement are woven into PMTO tools. More guests joined in the afternoon. Attendees heard from parents, reviewed research findings, discussed the PMTO implementation in Norway, and, finally, saw a presentation from the PMTO headquarters in Oregon.
The PMTO Center of Iceland, the University of Iceland's School of Education, Keðjan—which runs support programs for children in Reykjavík City—and the town of Akureyri jointly organized the conference.
"Saved my child's life"
Research shows that parents who have used PMTO services are very satisfied; they feel more confident in their parenting role and notice positive changes that can make all the difference for their child's and family's future. This was reflected in the day's panel discussion, where
several parents participated and described their experience with PMTO. Their children are of all ages, from different ethnic backgrounds, and face different challenges. All the parents agreed, however, that the strategies they learned through the program had greatly helped their children and families. The parents said communication with their children had improved significantly, as well as with schools, their own parents, other family members, and others in their children's immediate surroundings. One father went so far as to say the treatment saved his child's life. With help from the strategies the parents learned through PMTO, they managed to transform very negative interactions with the child and others in their life into positive ones. Today the child is happy and everything is going well. The other parents echoed the father's sentiment and had similar stories to tell.
SPARE supports inclusion and successful integration
Since PMTO treatments began in Iceland 25 years ago, they have evolved to meet society's changing needs. For example, the SPARE method has been developed as a PMTO program tailored for refugees and is believed to promote inclusion and successful integration.
At the conference, speakers noted that various opportunities exist to develop this approach further. Significant opportunities for further development also exist within child protection.