Experiences of Parents of Children With Cerebral Palsy Participating in an Online Parenting Course Grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Koa Whittingham, Tara Crandon, Catherine Mak and 4 others
PMID 40356592WHAT IT FOUND
Parents found the online ACT parenting course acceptable and flexible, regardless of their child's age or motor function.
However, confronting the gap between their values and daily life was distressing for some, and many struggled to apply the concepts without more support.
Key findings
01Parents reported that the ACT principles, particularly values and mindfulness, were acceptable and helpful for parenting a child with cerebral palsy.
02Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in course ratings based on child age or gross motor function, suggesting the intervention is appropriate across these subgroups.
03A barrier to implementation was that some parents found the self-directed online format difficult to navigate, with low uptake of offered phone consultations and uncertainty about applying strategies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study had a 75% response rate (50 of 67 families), meaning a quarter of the original RCT cohort did not provide feedback. Qualitative interviews were conducted by the project managers who delivered the intervention, which may have introduced bias in how parents reported their experiences. The study relies on self-reported measures of acceptability and does not provide evidence of clinical efficacy or changes in child outcomes.
Declared interests
Koa Whittingham and Jeanie Sheffield, two of the authors, developed the PACT intervention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high acceptability ratings or positive qualitative feedback as evidence that PACT improves child or parent outcomes. This study reports on the user experience of the course, not its clinical effectiveness, which was the subject of the separate RCT.