In what ways could positive psychology interventions impact parents raising children with disabilities? - implications for parents, professionals and systems: A panel discussion.
ABSTRACT:
Children with disabilities and developmental delays face significant risks of school failure, poor wellbeing, and other adverse outcomes (Cox & Marshall, 2020). Families often feel disempowered, as paradigms in disability care and practice worldwide primarily retain a deficit focus (Mahmic et al., 2021). Positive psychology interventions have the potential to create transformational impact through novel partnerships between families and professionals, enabling parents to (re)gain control of their child’s progress.
The panel will discuss the application of positive psychology interventions embedded in the evidence-based Now and Next programs. These conceptual interventions, launched in 2015 with families of children up to 5 yrs old, are now expanding to families with school age children. The programs support families and professionals collaborating to experience:
‘Prospecting’ and thinking about the future positively and set goals
Identifying and harnessing character strengths to achieve goals
Practicing wellbeing
Experiencing empowerment and agency
Collaborating in novel ways to support children
These positive psychology core concepts come to life through game-like, practical resources. Programs are evaluated against a global benchmark sample of over 600 parents.
Our panel will discuss implications for families, positive psychology practitioners, mainstream professionals, policy makers and researchers.
This discussion was recorded in late June, 2021 & will be screened in this event, followed by a Q&A discussion with the event organiser, Annick Janson.
NZAPP copyright. All rights reserved. The New Zealand Association of Positive Psychology is a not-for-profit organisation. 24 Banks Rd, Aongatete, Katikati, 3181.
