Incredible Years

1. Introduction

Version followed: Incredible Years (IY) Preschool BASIC Parent Program (ages 3–6), group format, as set out in the developer's group-leader training handouts (online Basic training, rev. 12.20, handouts rev. 1.21; Basic workshop handouts 4.20) and the developer's BASIC Group Leader Checklist. The ADVANCE Parent Program follows its 2025 workshop handouts. A Preschool Program version 2.0 (Leader's Guide, Webster-Stratton 2025) is cited by the Title IV-E Clearinghouse and is not drawn on [uncertain: session numbering and vignette lists may differ in 2.0]. [source: OBT; BWH; GLC; ADV; T4E]

What it is. Incredible Years is a series of linked, manualised, video-based programmes developed by Carolyn Webster-Stratton (University of Washington, now Professor Emeritus). It is not a single therapy. It includes parent programmes (Baby, Toddler, Preschool, School-Age BASIC; ADVANCE; Attentive Parenting; an autism-spectrum parent programme), child programmes (Dinosaur School, classroom and small-group therapeutic versions) and a Teacher Classroom Management programme. [source: GW; PWS; CAYT] This guide covers the parent programmes a clinician runs: Preschool BASIC in full, ADVANCE in full, and the other versions only in outline.
How change happens. Children's behaviour follows the adult attention it gets. Harsh or inconsistent responses feed the escalating cycle of coercion that Patterson described. Parents first build a strong relationship base: child-directed play, coaching and praise, given freely. On that base they add predictable rules and routines, clear limits, and calm, brief, non-punitive discipline, used sparingly. Parents learn to regulate their own emotions and thoughts, then teach the child to self-regulate through modelling, prompting, coaching and practice. The leaders and group work collaboratively: parents watch video vignettes, draw out the principles themselves, rehearse them in role play, and practise at home toward their own goals. [source: TOTI; PWS; OBT; GW]

2. Framework

2.1 Versions and dose [source: GW; CAYT; PWS; FDN; T4E; ADV]

Programme	Child age	Typical sessions
Baby	about 0–1 yr (PWS: 4 weeks–9 months)	8–10
Toddler	1–3 yrs	12–13
Preschool BASIC	3–6 yrs	14–20 (prevention ≥14; treatment 18–20)
School-Age BASIC	6–12 yrs	12–16 prevention; 18–20 treatment
ADVANCE (add-on after BASIC)	4–12 yrs	9–12 (or 18–20 when combined with School-Age BASIC)
Attentive Parenting (universal)	2–5 yrs	8

Format. Weekly 2-hour groups (some sources say 2–2.5 h) of about 8–12 parents (Foundations: up to 12 families), led by two trained co-leaders. Childcare on site is ideal. [source: OBT; CAYT; FDN; BWH]
Content time. The workshop manual says to aim for 8–10 vignettes per session, with roughly 60% discussion and support, 25% video and 15% teaching. [source: BWH]

2.2 Preschool BASIC: the four programmes, in fixed order [source: BWH; T4E; CAYT; OBT]

Programs 1–2 always come before Programs 3–4. Programs 1–2 (play through incentives) usually take about nine sessions.

Program 1: Strengthening children's social skills, emotional regulation and school-readiness skills. Child-directed play. Descriptive commenting and academic and persistence coaching. Social and emotion coaching. Social coaching may need up to three sessions.
Program 2: Using praise and incentives to encourage cooperation. Part 1: labelled praise and encouragement. Part 2: tangible and spontaneous incentives.
Program 3: Positive discipline: rules, routines and effective limit setting. Part 1: household rules, routines and responsibilities. Part 2: effective limit setting (clear commands, when-then, warnings and transitions).
Program 4: Positive discipline: handling misbehaviour. Part 1–2: ignoring, distraction and redirection, and parent self-control. Part 3: Time Out to calm down. Part 4: logical and natural consequences. Part 5: teaching children to problem-solve, usually the final three sessions.

Prevention version (14 sessions). For lower-risk groups it leaves out one academic session, one social/emotional session and the final three problem-solving sessions. [source: BWH]
Treatment groups. Do not compress below 18 sessions for diagnosed or high-risk children. An alternative is to split Programs 1–2 and 3–4 into two series of 8–9 sessions each. [source: BWH]
Exact session-by-topic mapping. The workshop manual's content table could not be read reliably. Use the leader manual's protocols. [uncertain]

2.3 Standard session structure (2 h group) [source: OBT; GLC]

Check-in and home-activity review (about 25–30 min). Family situation, goals, the past week's home activities and barriers, reading, buddy calls.
New topic, part 1 (about 30 min). A benefits brainstorm, then 3–4 vignettes with discussion, then role play.
Break (10 min).
New topic, part 2 (about 45 min). More vignettes, discussion and practice.
Wrap-up (about 10–15 min). Key learning (refrigerator notes), a weekly goal, home activities and reading, a self-monitoring checklist, a session evaluation, and confirmation of the next session.
Between sessions. The leader calls, texts or emails each parent. Parents make buddy calls.

Session 1 differs. It covers introductions, group rules, parent goal-setting, an explanation of IY that ties the Parenting Pyramid to the parents' goals, and a 'getting to know my child' exercise. Then come 1–2 vignettes with practice and a review of home activities and evaluations. [source: OBT]

Individual tele-session format (45–60 min, developed for COVID-19). About 10 min check-in on family, stress and coping. About 10 min goal and home-activity review. About 30 min new content with 2–3 vignettes and role play (with the child present if appropriate). About 10 min new goal, home activities and evaluation. Between sessions the parent fills in an emailed buzz form. [source: OBT]

2.4 Moving between phases [source: OBT; BWH; TOTI; ADV]

Follow the pyramid in sequence. Show the recommended (core) vignettes. Add vignettes, practices or sessions according to parent progress. Never reduce the dose.
Time Out is introduced only after 8–12 sessions of 'time in'. That means play, coaching, praise, routines, and replacement behaviours taught first.
Pacing. Slow down for large, talkative or high-need groups. Carry unfinished vignettes into the next session. Always keep a final review and celebration session.
Practical readiness markers before moving to discipline [synthesis]. Most parents report regular daily special time of about 10–15 min. Parents can produce descriptive comments and labelled praise in role play without prompting. Their home records show more positive than corrective attention. Where these markers are missing, add play and praise practice rather than moving on.

2.5 Delivery requirements: training, certification, fidelity [source: OBT; FDN; T4E; GW; CAYT; PWS; SHOP]

Leaders. Two co-leaders from a helping profession (psychology, social work, nursing, education, medicine, counselling), ideally at least one with a master's degree. They should know child development and social learning theory.
Training. Three-day in-person workshop (some routes run 5 days), or online training of five or six 3-hour sessions. The IY Clearinghouse summary says training is required for certification. ADVANCE needs separate training (Foundations: about 16 h).
Materials. Licensed purchase. They include the leader manual (800+ pages), video vignettes, the Parenting Pyramid poster, Wally's Detective books, the parent book (Troubleshooting Guide, 3rd edn) and the leader book (Collaborating with Parents to Reduce Children's Behavior Problems). Foundations lists 'no licensing requirement' beyond these, but the materials and the IY name are controlled by Incredible Years, Inc. [uncertain about local agency agreements]
Certification (group leader). You must complete accredited training and run at least two complete groups: 14 or more sessions for prevention, 18–20 for treatment. At least two-thirds of parents must complete each group. Collect final parent-satisfaction forms. Complete leader self-evaluations, peer evaluations and session checklists. Submit session video for review; the final video must meet accreditation standards. You may send a video early, halfway through the first group. Ongoing consultation with an IY mentor or trainer is recommended, as is local clinical supervision.
Fidelity dimensions monitored. Adherence to protocols. Dose (number and length of sessions). Quality of leader methods (assessed with the Collaborative Group Process Checklist). Fit to the population. Attendance and responsiveness.

3. Guiding principles

[source: OBT; GLC; BWH; TOTI; PWS; PYR; ADV]

Collaborative, not didactic. The leader is non-blaming, nonhierarchical and reciprocal, and parents are the experts on their own children. In practice, ask before telling and build on parents' ideas.
Self-learning: the group generates the principles. Parents name what worked in a vignette and why. In practice, write the principles on the board in parents' words, credited to them.
Practise, don't just discuss. Parents apply what they rehearse more than what they hear. In practice, every session includes planned role play and pair or triad practice.
The Pyramid is the blueprint. The base (relationship skills: play, attention, empathy, listening, talking, problem-solving) is used liberally. Praise, rewards and celebration come next, also used liberally. Then rules, clear limits and follow-through. Then ignoring, distraction and redirection. Consequences and Time Out sit at the top, used selectively. In practice, never teach a discipline skill before its foundation.
The attention principle and differential attention. Attention strengthens whatever behaviour it follows. In practice, pair ignoring of mild misbehaviour with praise for the 'positive opposite'.
Choose the least intrusive response first. In practice, go through the discipline steps from nonverbal cues upward. Time Out is only for aggression, destruction or highly conflictual non-compliance.
'Bank account' / time in before time out. Positive deposits make limits work. In practice, when discipline fails, first check and increase play, coaching and praise.
Developmental fit. Expectations, coaching language and discipline are matched to the child's developmental (not chronological) age, temperament and activity level. In practice, adapt vignettes, scripts and Time Out length to the child.
Tailor to goals and culture without cutting core content. In practice, choose extra vignettes and adapt practices to family size, culture, the child's age and the parents' goals. Keep the required vignettes.
Normalise setbacks and repeated learning trials. Misbehaviour signals that the child needs more practice. In practice, predict that behaviour may get worse before it improves when ignoring starts. Plan relapses.
The leader takes responsibility for unclear teaching. If a parent misapplies a skill, the leader assumes the explanation was unclear. In practice, rewind and replay the role play rather than correcting the parent.
Reinforce first steps. In practice, praise any effort toward a goal and the parent's attempt, before refining technique.
Give to get; model what you teach. In practice, leaders praise parents specifically and use polite, positive language, the way parents should with children (the politeness and modelling principle).
Parents' own self-regulation and cognitions matter. In practice, coach coping self-talk and calm-down strategies for parents. Rewrite negative thoughts about the child as coping thoughts.
Build a support network. In practice, use buddies, teams and group problem-solving so that parents support each other between sessions.
Remove barriers to attendance. In practice, offer childcare, meals, transport, make-up sessions and weekly calls, and invite partners or other carers.
Fidelity and dose matter. Effects rise with the number of sessions attended and with leader fidelity. In practice, track attendance and offer make-up sessions.

4. Intervention inventory

Part A covers the group-leader methods: the therapeutic process used every session. Part B covers the parent skills taught in Preschool BASIC, in pyramid order. Part C covers ADVANCE. Part D outlines the other IY programmes. All example language is illustrative unless quoted. Manual scripts and handouts are paraphrased, not reproduced.

A. Group-leader methods

A1. Group set-up and group rules

Purpose: Create safety and predictability. Use in session 1, and revisit when the group's norms slip. [source: OBT; GLC]
Steps:
1. Seat everyone in a semicircle facing the screen, with the two leaders at different points in the circle (not together at the front).
2. Write the agenda on the board and review it.
3. Ask the group to generate rules, then add any that are missing: confidentiality, respect (no put-downs), phones on quiet, the right to pass (with everyone encouraged to join in), start and end on time, try the home activities.
4. Post the rules each week.
Example language (illustrative): "What would help you feel comfortable sharing honest stories about your child here?"
Watch for: A rules list imposed by the leaders rather than produced by the parents. Repeated put-downs of partners or children mean the 'respect' rule needs revisiting.

A2. Parent goal setting and the 'getting to know my child' buzz

Purpose: Anchor the whole programme to each family's own goals, and give the leader developmental information. Use in session 1 and review weekly. [source: OBT; ADV]
Steps:
1. In pairs, parents describe their child. Cover family context, temperament, play level, language, favourite activities, social-emotional development and the parent-child relationship. (The developer's 'How I am Incredible' document supports this.)
2. Each parent writes short-term and long-term goals for the child and for themselves, on the goals sheet.
3. The leader links each goal to a level of the Parenting Pyramid poster.
4. Refer back to these goals when processing every vignette and setting every weekly goal.
Example language (illustrative): "If this group worked really well for you, what would be different at home in five months?"
Watch for: Goals stated only as reducing problems. Help parents also name positive goals (for example, 'plays calmly for ten minutes').

A3. Benefits (and barriers) brainstorm

Purpose: Build motivation before a new skill is introduced, and surface obstacles. Use at the start of each new topic. [source: GLC; OBT]
Steps:
1. Ask the group what the benefits of the new skill might be, for the child and for the parent.
2. Write every idea on the board in the parent's words.
3. Then ask about barriers (time, other children, beliefs such as 'praise spoils children').
4. Problem-solve the barriers as a group.
Example language (illustrative): "Before we look at praise, what do you think children get from it? And what might make it hard to do?"
Watch for: The leader filling silences with their own list. Wait, and use buzzes (A6) to get ideas moving.

A4. Mediated video vignettes

Purpose: Model the skills through short video clips showing effective and less effective parenting. The clips are discussion triggers, not demonstrations to copy. [source: GLC; OBT; FDN; PWS]
Steps:
1. Before each vignette, say what to watch for (for example, 'notice how the father responds when the child wants to change the game').
2. Afterwards ask open questions. What was happening? What was the parent thinking? How might the child feel? What would you do?
3. Acknowledge visible reactions.
4. Pause longer vignettes to ask the group to predict what happens next or what they would do differently.
5. Summarise the principle on the board, credited to the parent who named it.
6. Link it to specific parents' goals.
7. Move to practice as soon as the key points are made. Show the core vignettes (required). Add optional vignettes chosen for the group's culture, family size and children's ages, development and temperament.
Example language (illustrative): "What do you think the mother was trying to do there? How might this look with your son at bedtime?"
Watch for: Parents dismissing clips over clothing, acting or setting. Redirect them to what is relevant in their own lives. Don't over-discuss a clip and squeeze out practice time.

A5. Role play and practice (planned, spontaneous, triads)

Purpose: Behavioural rehearsal: the main mechanism of skill acquisition. Use it in every session, only for skills already covered. [source: GLC; OBT; ADV]
Steps:
1. Planned practice. The leader demonstrates first, then a parent volunteer practises. Give each actor a role card: child's age, temperament and level of misbehaviour (start mild).
2. Scaffold success. The group first brainstorms what the parent could say.
3. Other parents may coach from the side. Pause to clarify or reinforce. If it goes wrong, take responsibility for the instructions, then rewind and replay.
4. Debrief. Ask the 'parent' how it felt, then the 'child' how it felt. Then ask the group for the parent's strengths.
5. Replay with different people if useful.
6. Triad practice. Split into threes (parent, child and coach or observer) so that everyone practises. The coach gives feedback.
7. Spontaneous role play. When a parent describes a home incident during check-in, the group brainstorms a script, then the parent tries it on the spot.
Example language (illustrative): "Let's try it. I'll be four-year-old Sam who's just thrown the blocks. Who'd like to try the calm response we just came up with?"
Watch for: Parents who avoid role play. Start with low-exposure pair practice, let them play the child first, and never force anyone. Escalate the 'child's' difficulty only after the parent has succeeded.

A6. Buzzes and brainstorms

Purpose: Get everyone participating quickly and generate ideas or scripts. Use when energy or participation is low, before practice, or to write scripts. [source: OBT; ADV; GW]
Steps: Set a brief task in pairs or triads (for example, 'list three descriptive comments for a child playing with cars'). Allow 2–3 minutes. Collect ideas round the group and write them up.
Example language (illustrative): "Turn to your buddy and come up with three ways to say 'no hitting' as a positive instruction."
Watch for: One parent dominating. Rotate who reports back.

A7. Home-activity review (session opening)

Purpose: Accountability, reinforcement, and identifying barriers. Use for the first 25–30 minutes of every session. [source: GLC; OBT]
Steps:
1. Ask every parent how home activities went: play, coaching, reading, buddy calls.
2. Praise efforts toward personal goals.
3. Name the principle each example shows.
4. Ask parents how earlier principles might apply to new problems.
5. For parents who didn't complete activities, explore the barriers and adapt the task (don't scold).
6. If a skill was misapplied, take responsibility, clarify, and use a spontaneous role play.
7. Return parent folders with written encouraging feedback on last week's sheets.
Example language (illustrative): "You managed play on four days with a new baby in the house. That's a lot. What made those four days possible?"
Watch for: The review turning into a long individual case discussion. Keep to time and offer a call.

A8. Wrap-up: refrigerator notes, home activities, self-monitoring, evaluation

Purpose: Consolidate learning and commit to practice. Use in the last 10–15 minutes. [source: GLC; OBT; ADV]
Steps:
1. Summarise the key principles (read the refrigerator notes aloud).
2. Explain the home-activity and record sheet and why it matters. Discuss adaptations for particular families. Support a realistic smaller plan for parents who can't commit to everything.
3. Parents complete the self-monitoring checklist and set a personal weekly goal.
4. Confirm buddy calls.
5. Parents complete the weekly session evaluation.
6. End on time.
Watch for: Neutral or negative evaluation ratings. Follow up by phone before the next session.

A9. Leader between-session contact

Purpose: Engagement, individual tailoring, and catching problems early. Use weekly with every parent. [source: OBT; GW; BWH]
Steps:
1. Call, text or email each parent briefly during the week.
2. Ask about the goal and home activities, praise attempts and troubleshoot.
3. Call any parent who missed a session, to arrange a make-up session.
4. Call any parent whose evaluation was negative.
Example language (illustrative): "I'm just checking how the special playtime is going this week. Anything getting in the way I can help with?"
Watch for: Calls drifting into counselling for crises. Note risk and arrange separate help (see Section 5).

A10. Buddy calls and parent support team

Purpose: Build peer support that lasts beyond the group. Use from early sessions onward. [source: OBT; GW; ADV]
Steps:
1. Pair parents as buddies (rotate pairs periodically) and agree a short weekly call or text.
2. Form teams with shared goals.
3. Use group problem-solving for individual parents' dilemmas.
4. Celebrate weekly successes.
Watch for: Uneven pairs (one buddy never responds). Re-pair, and check confidentiality is understood.

A11. Strengthening positive parent cognitions

Purpose: Counter negative, angry or depressive self-talk that blocks change, and build parenting confidence. Use throughout, especially when introducing ignoring and Time Out. [source: OBT; GW; ADV]
Steps:
1. Elicit the parent's automatic thoughts in a hard moment (for example, 'he does this to wind me up').
2. Rewrite them as coping thoughts ('he's tired; I can stay calm; this will pass').
3. Write the coping thought on a card to carry or display (thought cards).
4. Use benefits-and-barriers exercises. Predict success, and predict setbacks as normal.
Example language (illustrative): "When you're in the supermarket and the tantrum starts, what goes through your head? What could you say to yourself instead that would help you stay calm?"
Watch for: Persistent hopelessness or self-blame. Consider screening for parental depression (see Section 5) and ADVANCE.

A12. Engagement supports

Purpose: Reduce dropout, especially in high-risk families. Use from referral onward. [source: OBT; PWS]
Steps: Offer childcare, transport, a meal or snack, and attendance incentives where the service allows. Offer make-up sessions (individual catch-up with the missed vignettes). Invite partners, grandparents or other carers. Use bilingual services where possible. Get to know the children (for example, at childcare pickup).
Watch for: Attendance falling below about two-thirds of sessions. Dose relates to outcome, so act on early absences.

B. Parent skills taught in Preschool BASIC (pyramid order)

For every skill, the leader's sequence is the same: benefits brainstorm (A3), then vignettes (A4), then practice (A5), then home activity and refrigerator note (A8), then review the following week (A7). The steps below are what parents are taught to do at home.

B1. Child-directed play ('special time')

Purpose: The relationship foundation of the pyramid. It builds the child's self-esteem and the 'bank account' of positive interaction, and helps parents escape the criticism trap. Program 1 starts here. [source: OBT; BWH; PYR]
Steps:
1. Schedule about 10–15 minutes of one-to-one play every day, logged on a special-times record sheet.
2. Choose open-ended toys (blocks, figures, crayons, play dough) and put away screens.
3. Let the child choose the activity and follow the child's lead. Imitate, and be an appreciative audience.
4. Avoid commands, questions, teaching and criticism.
5. Match the child's pace and developmental level.
6. Toddler version: add pretend play, songs and games, and practise ending play successfully (give notice, then praise).
Example language (illustrative): "You're building a really tall tower. You've put the red block right on top."
Watch for: Parents who take over, quiz ('What colour is that?') or correct. Working looks like longer, calmer play bouts and the child seeking out the parent.

B2. Descriptive commenting

Purpose: The core verbal skill in play. It builds language, confidence and frustration tolerance. Use throughout play. [source: OBT; BWH]
Steps:
1. Narrate what the child is doing, sportscaster-style, in short sentences.
2. Describe; do not ask or direct.
3. Keep the comments warm and frequent but not constant. Leave pauses.
Example language (illustrative): "The car is going down the ramp … now it's under the bridge."
Watch for: Question-heavy narration. Count questions in role play and convert them to statements.

B3. Academic coaching

Purpose: School readiness and pre-literacy, embedded in play. Use in Program 1 Part 2. [source: OBT; BWH]
Steps:
1. Weave concept labels into descriptive comments at the child's level. For about 4–6-year-olds: colours, shapes, numbers, letters, positions, sizes, new vocabulary. For about 6–8-year-olds: complex shapes and patterns, spelling, sentences, problem-solving, connections, simple maths. For limited language: names of everyday objects and simple actions.
2. Keep the ratio of comments far higher than questions.
Example language (illustrative): "You've lined up three blue cars, next to the big yellow truck."
Watch for: Play turning into a lesson. If the child withdraws, go back to plain descriptive commenting.

B4. Persistence coaching

Purpose: Builds attention, calm and persistence, especially for inattentive or impulsive children. Use in Program 1 Part 2, often combined with emotion coaching. [source: BWH; OBT]
Steps:
1. When the child keeps trying, stays calm or concentrates, name it.
2. When frustration rises, name the effort and the calm before the child gives up.
Example language (illustrative): "You're working so hard on that puzzle. You're staying calm and trying another piece."
Watch for: Praise reserved only for finishing. Coach the process.

B5. Social coaching (including puppets)

Purpose: Teach sharing, turn-taking, waiting, asking and helping. Use in Program 1 Part 3. Social and emotion coaching may need up to three sessions. [source: BWH; OBT]
Steps:
1. One-to-one with the parent: the parent models (offers a turn, says thank you), prompts, then names and praises the child's social behaviour.
2. Use puppets or fantasy play to model and take perspectives (the puppet asks for a turn and says how it feels).
3. Later, coach the child with a sibling or peer during play dates.
Example language (illustrative): "You gave your sister the blue crayon. That's sharing. Look at her smile."
Watch for: Over-prompting. Let natural opportunities arise and coach lightly.

B6. Emotion coaching

Purpose: Build emotional vocabulary and self-regulation. Use in Program 1 Part 3, and in everyday routines (meals, bath, shopping). [source: OBT; BWH]
Steps:
1. Name the child's feelings and the cues that show them.
2. For negative emotions, name the feeling and add a coping statement (for example, a calm breath or trying again).
3. Label more positive emotions than negative ones.
4. Model naming your own feelings and how you cope.
Example language (illustrative): "You look frustrated. The tower keeps falling. You're taking a big breath and trying again. That's staying calm."
Watch for: Labelling only distress, which can draw attention to tantrums. Watch the positive-to-negative ratio.

B7. Labelled praise and encouragement

Purpose: Reinforce target behaviours (the second tier of the pyramid, used liberally). Program 2 Part 1. [source: BWH; BLOG; OBT]
Steps:
1. Each parent lists the 'positive opposites' of the problem behaviours (for example, hitting becomes gentle hands).
2. Catch the child doing them, and praise immediately and specifically: say exactly what the child did.
3. Praise effort and first small steps, not perfection.
4. Use proximal praise: praise a nearby sibling or peer for the desired behaviour.
5. Model self-praise, and encourage the child to praise themselves.
6. For children who resist praise, use quieter, briefer praise, or non-verbal praise (a thumbs-up), and persist.
Example language (illustrative): "Thank you for putting your shoes by the door the first time I asked."
Watch for: Parental beliefs that praise spoils children, or that children should behave anyway. Process these with a benefits/barriers exercise (A3) and with 'give to get'. Praise followed by criticism ('Good, why can't you do that always?') undoes it. Coach parents to stop after the praise.

B8. Tangible and spontaneous incentives

Purpose: Motivate harder behaviours with sticker charts, tokens and small rewards. Program 2 Part 2. [source: BWH; BLOG; OBT]
Steps:
1. Pick one or two clearly named positive behaviours.
2. Break each behaviour into small steps (shaping).
3. Choose rewards that fit this child, including inexpensive privileges and time with the parent.
4. Use stickers for young children and tokens or points for older ones.
5. Give the reward immediately after the behaviour, together with praise.
6. Add spontaneous, unexpected rewards.
7. Use first-then statements ('first teeth, then story').
8. Explain to parents the difference between a reward (planned in advance, earned for a new behaviour, temporary) and a bribe (offered to stop misbehaviour already happening).
9. Parents reward themselves too.
Chart detail [synthesis]. Steps 1–9 are from the sources. The developers' own detailed chart-building and fading procedure is not given here, so the following is general behavioural practice. Make early success likely. Never remove stickers already earned. Raise the criteria gradually. Fade the chart to praise once the behaviour is stable.
Example language (illustrative): "When you've stayed in bed all night, you get a sticker in the morning. Three stickers and we go to the park together."
Watch for: Charts that are too ambitious, or rewards that are too delayed. If the child never earns a reward, make the step smaller.

B9. Household rules, routines and responsibilities

Purpose: Predictability that prevents misbehaviour. Program 3 Part 1. [source: BWH; OBT; PYR]
Steps:
1. Agree a few clear, positively worded household rules and post them (with pictures for young children).
2. Build predictable routines for morning, bedtime, separations and reunions, and transitions.
3. Introduce small age-appropriate chores (emphasised more in School-Age).
4. Praise rule-following.
Example language (illustrative): "Our rule is: we use gentle hands. What does gentle hands look like?"
Watch for: Long rule lists, or rules carers do not share. Get both carers to agree the list.

B10. Effective limit setting (clear commands)

Purpose: Increase compliance and reduce conflict. Program 3 Part 2. [source: BWH; OBT]
Steps:
1. Reduce the number of commands. Before giving one, ask yourself whether it is needed.
2. Make each command clear, brief, respectful, positive and action-oriented. Say what to do, not what to stop. Avoid vague, chained or question-form commands.
3. Get the child's attention, give the command, then wait (the training handouts use about 5 seconds before the next step).
4. Use when-then statements, and give positive choices where you can.
5. Give warnings before transitions, and reminders for distractible children.
6. Praise compliance.
7. Follow through calmly (see B11–B14).
8. Follow the politeness principle: adults model the respectful language they want from the child.
Example language (illustrative): "Please put the blocks in the box." (wait) "Thank you, you did it straight away." / "In two minutes it's bath time." / "When your coat is on, then we can go outside."
Watch for: Repeating or escalating the command, and giving threats you won't carry out.

B11. The discipline hierarchy: lowest step first

Purpose: A graded framework for misbehaviour. Always start with the least intrusive response. [source: OBT; PYR]
Steps (the developer's eight-step summary, paraphrased):
1. Prevention: non-verbal cues, clear rules, predictable schedules, clear transitions.
2. Positive verbal redirection and distraction.
3. Coaching calm-down strategies (B13).
4. Ignoring mild, non-aggressive behaviour while praising the positive opposite (B12).
5. Logical consequences (B15).
6. Time Out for aggressive or destructive behaviour (B14), or a work chore for older children.
7. If the problem persists: review the behaviour plan, increase positive attention and incentives, and coordinate with the teacher (or request an educational assessment and individual plan).
8. Throughout: repeated learning trials, practising the alternative behaviour, and reconnecting after discipline.
Example language (illustrative): "Which of these steps could you try first, before going to Time Out?"
Watch for: Parents jumping straight to the top of the pyramid. In role play, ask the group which lower step was skipped.

B12. Planned ignoring with differential attention

Purpose: Remove the attention that maintains mild misbehaviour such as whining, sulking or tantrums. Program 4 Parts 1–2. [source: OBT; BWH]
Steps:
1. Agree in advance which behaviours will be ignored. Never ignore aggression, danger or destruction.
2. When the behaviour starts, withdraw attention: no eye contact, no talking, a neutral face, and turn away or get busy. Stay nearby if needed for safety.
3. Combine ignoring with distraction or redirection, and with praise for a nearby child or for the positive opposite.
4. Expect the behaviour to get worse before it improves. Do not give in during the escalation.
5. The moment the child calms, re-engage warmly and praise.
6. Parents use their own calm-down self-talk while ignoring.
Example language (illustrative): Parent's self-talk: "Stay calm; this means it's working." After the child calms: "You're calm now. Shall we finish the drawing together?"
Watch for: Intermittent giving in, which strengthens the behaviour. Watch for ignoring that becomes cold withdrawal for long periods; re-engage as soon as the child calms. Working looks like shorter episodes within 1–2 weeks [synthesis on timescale].

B13. Teaching children to calm down (self-regulation)

Purpose: Give children a skill to use instead of an outburst. It is the learning component of Time Out. Use from Program 1 emotion coaching through Program 4. [source: OBT; TOTI]
Steps:
1. Teach and practise when the child is calm, not mid-tantrum.
2. Use a puppet (the developer's 'Tiny Turtle') to model: notice a strong feeling, withdraw into the 'shell', take deep breaths, think of a happy place or a calming thought, then come out and try again.
3. The child helps the puppet when it 'forgets' the steps.
4. In real situations, prompt the steps (breaths, naming the feeling, visualisation, self-talk) and praise their use.
Example language (illustrative): "Tiny Turtle is so cross. Let's help him go in his shell and take three slow breaths. … He did it! He's calm now."
Watch for: Practising only when upset. Rehearsal while calm is the key ingredient.

B14. Time Out to calm down

Purpose: A brief, predictable, respectful break from attention, to interrupt aggression, destruction or highly conflictual non-compliance and let the child regain self-control. It is a self-regulation tool, not a punishment. Program 4 Part 3. Introduce it only after 8–12 sessions of 'time in'. [source: TOTI; OBT; BWH]
Preparation:
1. Explain Time Out to the child beforehand in age-appropriate terms, and rehearse it while the child is calm. A puppet can model it.
2. Choose a safe, boring spot within the parent's view.
3. Both carers agree which behaviours lead to Time Out.
Steps (Preschool, ages about 3–6):
1. For non-compliance: give a clear command, wait about 5 seconds, then give a warning. For aggression, go straight to Time Out.
2. Calmly name the behaviour and tell the child to go to Time Out to calm down. Do not lecture.
3. Time Out lasts about 3–5 minutes and ends when the child has been calm for the last 1–2 minutes.
4. Stay nearby to monitor safety, but give no direct attention.
5. Use calming self-talk yourself.
If the child refuses:
1. Offer a choice (walk there yourself, or with help), then walk the child calmly without talking.
2. For school-age children: add one minute per refusal, up to a maximum (the handouts give 9 minutes). Beyond that, give a privilege loss instead (for example, no screen time that evening), follow through, and drop the Time Out.
3. The training handouts mention a back-up room for children who won't stay in Time Out. [synthesis: it must never be locked, the child must be kept safe and audible, and physical restraint is not part of the procedure; check local child-protection guidance.]
After Time Out:
1. Reconnect warmly right away, and comment on the calm body.
2. Praise the next positive step.
3. Do not force an apology, and do not rehash the misbehaviour.
4. Problem-solve later if needed. Attend to and help the child who was hurt.
Example language (illustrative): "You hit. You need to go to Time Out to calm down." After Time Out: "You calmed your body. Let's go and build the tower again."
Contraindications and adaptations [source: TOTI]: Do not use Time Out when the child is hurt, frightened or needs comfort. Do not use harsh, shaming, unpredictable or prolonged versions. For children with trauma or attachment difficulties, use clinical judgement: spend longer on praise, coaching, distraction, rules and ignoring first, and adapt the length and location (for example, the parent stays closer). Weigh the parent's own self-control before teaching it. If a parent cannot stay calm, delay Time Out and work on the parent's self-regulation first. [synthesis on the last point]
Watch for: Over-use. If Time Out is used several times a day, return to the base of the pyramid. Working looks like fewer and shorter Time Outs and the child beginning to self-calm.

B15. Logical and natural consequences

Purpose: Teach responsibility for repeated misbehaviour or non-compliance, mainly with children over about 4–5 [synthesis on age]. Program 4 Part 4. [source: BWH; OBT]
Steps:
1. Choose a consequence that is brief, immediate, developmentally appropriate and logically related to the behaviour. Examples: losing screen time, a short loss of free time or of a privilege, or a work chore.
2. Warn in advance with a when-then or if-then statement.
3. Follow through calmly without arguing.
4. Give the child a fresh chance (a new learning trial) soon after.
5. Natural consequences: let a safe consequence happen (for example, a toy left in the rain gets wet) without saying 'I told you so'.
Example language (illustrative): "If the toys get thrown again, the toy will go on the shelf until after lunch."
Watch for: Consequences that are long, cumulative or unrelated, which breed resentment and power struggles.

B16. Teaching problem-solving to young children

Purpose: Build empathy and the ability to generate and evaluate solutions to social problems. Program 4 Part 5, usually the final sessions. [source: BWH; OBT; SHOP]
Steps:
1. Teach the problem-solving steps through games, stories and puppets (the Wally's Detective books supply problem scenarios). The adult guides the puppet's responses toward prosocial solutions.
2. In a calm moment after a real conflict, validate the child's feelings, help the child see the other person's view, and generate several solutions.
3. Ask what might happen after each solution, and choose one to try.
4. Model problem-solving aloud in your own life.
Example language (illustrative): "Wally's friend took his ball. How do you think Wally feels? What could he do? What would happen if he grabbed it back?"
Watch for: Lecturing or imposing the 'right' answer. Accept the child's ideas and guide gently.

C. ADVANCE Parent Program (after BASIC)

Who and how. ADVANCE is for families at higher risk (parental depression, anger problems, marital conflict, low support) and for families whose children have diagnosed behaviour problems. It is delivered in small groups by two leaders who are certified or highly experienced in BASIC. It uses the same leader methods as Part A, plus triads with an observer and turn-taking cues.

Standard 9-session plan:

Welcome, goals and attentive listening.
Active listening and speaking up.
Self-talk.
Giving and getting support.
Adult problem-solving meetings.
Problem-solving with teachers.
Teaching children to problem-solve.
Family meetings (for children aged 8–12).
Review and celebration.

Plan at least 2 sessions each for children's problem-solving and family meetings. Core vignettes are required. A school-success add-on (4 sessions) is optional. For lower-risk groups, 4–6 booster sessions 3–6 months after BASIC are an option. [source: ADV; FDN]

C1. Active listening and validating feelings

Purpose: Improve communication between adults and between parent and child. ADVANCE session 1–2. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Show listening: eye contact, questions, paraphrasing or summarising, reflecting feelings.
2. Avoid listening blocks: interrupting, lecturing, advising too soon.
3. Validate both negative and positive feelings, and celebrate positive ones more often.
4. Hold back quick fixes.
5. Practise in triads (speaker, listener, observer). An object such as a floor tile can signal whose turn it is to speak.
Example language (illustrative): "So what you're saying is the mornings feel impossible and you end up shouting. That sounds exhausting."
Watch for: Listeners jumping to advice. The observer flags it.

C2. Speaking up and consistent messages

Purpose: Assertive, non-blaming expression of concerns. ADVANCE session 2. [source: ADV]
Steps (the six speaking-up elements, paraphrased):
1. Start with positive feedback.
2. Use 'I' messages.
3. State a clear, positive goal.
4. Keep to the present.
5. Ask for the listener's response.
6. Keep it brief.
Also: Match tone and body language to the words (consistent messages).
Example language (illustrative): "I really appreciated you doing bedtime on Tuesday. I feel stretched in the mornings. Could we split the school run? What do you think?"
Watch for: 'You always/never' statements, and bringing up the past.

C3. Stop Action (truce)

Purpose: Stop escalating adult conflict. ADVANCE session 2. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Couples or co-parents agree a truce signal in advance.
2. Either person can use it.
3. Both separate to cool off.
4. Return to the topic soon. The handouts limit cooling-off to no more than 24 hours.
Watch for: The signal used to avoid every difficult topic. The return is part of the deal.

C4. Self-talk: recognising and changing upsetting thoughts

Purpose: Parental anger and depression management. ADVANCE session 3. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Identify negative thought patterns. The handouts list: labelling, mind-reading, catastrophising, prophesying gloom, 'shoulds and musts', revenge thoughts, self-criticism, blaming a spouse, giving up.
2. Decrease them. Interrupt the thought, schedule a later 'worry time', use the turtle 'objectify' technique (step back into the shell and look at the thought), and normalise the situation. The handouts also list a rubber-band snap as an interrupter; [synthesis: offer gentler interrupters as alternatives.]
3. Increase positive thoughts. Dispute the negative thought, substitute a coping statement, project to a better time, praise yourself, use humour, and model coping self-talk aloud for the child.
4. Covert rehearsal: imagine a stressful scene and practise calming thoughts in it. Plan for relapse.
Example language (illustrative): "When you think 'he's doing this on purpose to wreck my day', how do you feel? What's another way to see it that would help you stay calm?"
Watch for: Severe or persistent low mood or hopelessness. Screen for depression and refer for individual treatment alongside ADVANCE (Section 5).

C5. Giving and getting support

Purpose: Reduce isolation, and increase help from partners, friends and teachers. ADVANCE session 4. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Replace vague, disguised or negative requests with specific, positive requests for help.
2. Offer help in return, and express thanks.
3. Map possible support people, and plan one request this week.
Example language (illustrative): "Could you take Mia to the park on Saturday morning for an hour so I can rest?"
Watch for: Parents who believe asking for help is weak. Work on this as a self-talk issue (C4).

C6. Adult problem-solving meetings

Purpose: Structured joint decisions between partners, co-parents or other adults. ADVANCE session 5. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Schedule a short meeting (about 30 minutes) on only one or two problems.
2. Define the problem briefly, specifically and positively: who, what, when, where, how often, and how you feel. No vague labels.
3. Summarise the problem and agree the goal.
4. Brainstorm solutions without judging. Aim for quantity; humour is allowed.
5. Evaluate the options, choose one, and plan the details: who, when, how, and whether the solution is short-term or long-term.
6. Write the agreement down, and schedule a follow-up meeting.
Example language (illustrative): "Let's just take bedtime tonight. What exactly happens, and what would we like to happen?"
Watch for: Problem definitions that blame the other person. Reframe them as a shared goal.

C7. Problem-solving with teachers

Purpose: Home-school coordination. ADVANCE session 6, and BASIC discipline step 7. [source: ADV; OBT]
Steps:
1. Prepare for the parent-teacher meeting with the speaking-up and problem-solving steps.
2. Agree one shared target behaviour.
3. Set up a linked home-school plan, for example tally charts that travel between school and home with praise and rewards at both ends.
4. Review regularly.
Watch for: Blame cycles between home and school. Start the meeting with positives.

C8. Teaching children to problem-solve (guided)

Purpose: Children generate their own solutions. ADVANCE session 7, building on B16. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Ask for the child's feelings and view of the problem first.
2. Build empathy: how might the other child feel?
3. Draw out the child's own solutions, and talk through what might happen with each.
4. Offer guided solutions to young children or children who have none.
5. Recognise when the child can do it more independently.
6. Avoid imposing solutions, lecturing, or insisting on one right answer.
Example language (illustrative): "What happened? How did you feel? … What else could you try next time Jake takes your seat?"
Watch for: Parents slipping back into lecturing. Practise the steps in triads.

C9. Family meetings (children aged 8–12)

Purpose: Whole-family problem-solving and shared rules. ADVANCE session 8. [source: ADV]
Steps:
1. Hold regular, short meetings.
2. Rotate the leader role, including children.
3. Use the problem-solving steps (C6).
4. Help children express their feelings.
5. Review previous plans at each meeting.
Watch for: Meetings used only for complaints. Start each one with appreciations [synthesis].

D. Other IY programmes: outline only (not covered in detail)

Baby and Toddler BASIC. Content includes respecting developmental abilities, child-directed and pretend play, songs and games, language coaching, the art of praise, spontaneous incentives, and differential attention. The developer publishes session agendas and checklists for the Toddler programme; they are not drawn on here. [source: BWH; CAYT; GW] [uncertain]
School-Age BASIC. Three themes: promoting positive behaviour, reducing inappropriate behaviour, and supporting the child's education. Content includes monitoring, homework support and partnering with teachers. [source: CAYT; GW]
Autism (IY-ASD) parent programme. Social communication, language, visual supports, sensory adaptations, peer play, emotion and self-regulation, and behaviour management. Individual home coaching as needed. [source: PWS]
Dinosaur child programmes (ages about 3–8; classroom and small-group therapeutic versions) and Teacher Classroom Management (six full-day workshops, every 3–4 weeks). These are often combined with BASIC for treatment cases. Their protocols are not drawn on here, so no procedures are given. [source: GW; PWS] [uncertain]

5. Handling problems

The developer's sources describe engagement methods and leader-process rules. They say little about resistance or ruptures as such: the detailed treatment is in Webster-Stratton's leader book Collaborating with Parents to Reduce Children's Behavior Problems [uncertain]. Items tagged [source] come from the sources. Items tagged [synthesis] are my own guidance, consistent with the collaborative model.

Parent doesn't do the home activities (non-adherence).
- [source: GLC; OBT] Explore the barriers without blame and adapt the task. Agree a realistic smaller plan, for example special time on 3 days instead of 7. Praise any attempt. Use the self-monitoring checklist, buddy calls and the weekly leader call.
- [synthesis] Do a spontaneous role play of the exact home moment where the skill broke down. Ask the parent to predict the next obstacle and plan for it. Check literacy, and offer record sheets with pictures or a phone photo log.
'It doesn't work' / 'Ignoring made it worse'.
- [source: OBT; BWH] Predict and normalise the worsening that comes before improvement. Check that ignoring is paired with praise for the positive opposite. Treat repeated misbehaviour as a need for more learning trials, and refill the 'bank account'.
- [synthesis] Ask for a concrete replay of the last episode (antecedent, response, outcome) to find inconsistent follow-through or attention given during ignoring.
Resistance to praise, rewards or child-directed play ('bribery', 'children should just obey', 'I wasn't raised that way').
- [source: OBT; BWH; GLC] Use a benefits/barriers brainstorm. Explain the difference between rewards and bribes. Use 'give to get'. Let other parents' experiences carry the argument (the group generates the principles).
- [synthesis] Validate the parent's values (respect, discipline) and frame the skills as a route to that goal. Never argue the point; ask the parent to run a two-week experiment and report back.
Parent pushes to learn discipline early ('just tell me how to stop the hitting').
- [source: TOTI; OBT] Explain the pyramid: the foundation reduces the need for discipline, and Time Out works because of the quality of 'time in'.
- [synthesis] For immediate safety, coach the lowest steps now: supervision, redirection, removing the child from the situation. Give a firm date for when discipline sessions start.
Role-play reluctance or shame.
- [source: GLC] Start with leader demonstration and pair practice. Assign roles thoughtfully. Scaffold success first. Take responsibility if a practice goes wrong, then replay it.
- [synthesis] Let the reluctant parent first play the child. That role is lower-risk and builds empathy.
Overwhelmed, depressed or angry parent.
- [source: ADV; OBT; PWS] Use the positive-cognition work (A11) and offer ADVANCE after BASIC.
- [synthesis] Screen for depression, substance use and domestic abuse at intake and when warning signs appear. Refer for individual treatment alongside the group rather than instead of it. If the parent cannot stay calm, delay Time Out.
Ruptures with the leader or the group (feeling judged, a conflict in the group).
- [source: GLC; OBT] Follow up neutral or negative weekly evaluations by phone. Leaders take responsibility for unclear teaching. Group rules on respect.
- [synthesis] Name the rupture privately and early ('I wondered if last week felt critical'), and apologise for your part. In group, return to the parent's own goals. Co-leaders debrief after every session using the process checklist.
Dropout and missed sessions.
- [source: OBT; PWS; BWH] Offer make-up sessions using the missed vignettes, childcare, transport, meals and incentives, plus weekly calls. Dose relates to outcome.
- [synthesis] Contact the parent within 48 hours of a first missed session.
Co-parents who disagree or are inconsistent.
- [source: ADV; OBT] Invite partners or other carers. Use ADVANCE skills (speaking up, Stop Action, adult problem-solving meetings).
- [synthesis] In BASIC, have both carers agree the rules list and the list of behaviours that lead to Time Out before discipline starts.
Time Out escalation (the child won't go or won't stay; the parent's anger rises).
- [source: OBT; TOTI] Follow the refusal sequence in B14. Avoid power struggles. Keep the child safe.
- [synthesis] If refusal escalates to physical struggle, stop and move to a privilege loss. Never physically restrain, lock in, or use Time Out with a frightened or hurt child. Review whether the child or family is ready, especially after trauma.
Children with ADHD, autism, developmental delay or trauma histories.
- [source: PWS; TOTI; BWH] IY trials included many children with ADHD. Persistence coaching suits inattentive children. The IY-ASD programme adapts the content. For trauma, adapt Time Out using clinical judgement.
- [synthesis] Match coaching to developmental age. Use visual schedules and supports. Coordinate with the child's other services.
Child-protection concerns during the group.
- [synthesis] Follow local safeguarding procedures. Tell parents about the limits of confidentiality at intake. Parenting groups are not a substitute for statutory assessment; the developers used extended dose and home visits in child-welfare trials [source: PWS].
Cultural mismatch with the vignettes.
- [source: GLC; PWS] Choose additional vignettes to fit the group. The 2.0 videos include more diverse families. Redirect objections about the 'look' of the video to the principle being shown.
- [synthesis] Ask the parent how the principle would look in their own family's language and customs, and role-play that version.
Pressure to shorten the programme (service constraints).
- [source: BWH; OBT] Do not go below 18 sessions for treatment groups. If you must, split the programme into two 8–9 session series rather than cutting core vignettes.

Sources

Sources:

[OBT] Online Basic Training rev 12.20, Presentation Handouts rev 1.21 (Incredible Years)
[BWH] Basic Workshop Handouts 4.20, online workshop (Incredible Years)
[GLC] IYS BASIC Parent Group Leader Checklist, Developer Version (EPIS, Penn State)
[ADV] ADVANCE program workshop handouts 2025 (Incredible Years)
[TOTI] Webster-Stratton, Time Out / Time In
[PWS] Piscitello & Webster-Stratton, Incredible Years chapter (in press), Handbook of Behavioral Parent Training, APA
[PYR] [Incredible Years Basic Parenting Pyramid (University of Washington)](https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Incredible Years Basic Parenting Pyramid.pdf). The text extraction was scrambled; the tier order was cross-checked with PWS.
[FDN] Foundations Guidebook: Incredible Years Preschool BASIC/ADVANCE info sheet
[GW] Incredible Years series overview
[T4E] Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse: Incredible Years Preschool Basic
[CAYT] CAYT/ADEPIS: Incredible Years Parent Programme
[SHOP] Incredible Years Preschool Parenting Program product page
[BLOG] Using Positive Reinforcement for High-Need Children: The Incredible Years Approach