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“Very well organized and extremely easy to follow and understand....Barkley achieves his goal of providing a useful, concise manual for conducting parent training. This book is a valuable resource for professionals in the field of child psychology as well as for graduate students who are learning to do parent training.”

—Journal of Clinical Child Psychology


“I would recommend this book strongly as a thorough and clear exposition of fundamentals of behavioral parent training.”

—Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review


“Because the manual is written so that the information and materials contained in it can be passed on to parents, it is easy to understand....One strength of the material is that alternatives are always provided for when the inevitable occurs—the child misbehaves and the current strategy is ineffective.”

—Journal of Pediatric Nursing


“The format in each session covers specific content items and leaves ample time for review of homework assignments (with each session) and free discussion (always well appreciated by the parents)....An excellent step-by-step manual ”

—Canadian Child Psychiatry Review


“Defiant Children, Third Edition, reviews the current state of knowledge about disruptive behaviors in children. As in the prior editions, Barkley provides straightforward, useful instruction to clinicians on how to implement his parent management training program. Both seasoned practitioners and budding clinicians will find much to like in this volume.”

—Robert J. McMahon, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Director, Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence, Simon Fraser University, Canada


“Defiant children are extremely challenging for parents to raise—and for clinicians to treat. Barkley walks clinicians through effective parent training interventions. One clear exercise at a time, parents learn how to move from a troubled, conflict-ridden relationship with their child to one that is calmer and more positive. The book is well organized and user friendly. Clinicians who specialize in treating children and their families should have this third edition in their libraries and should use it as a guide at every step along the way toward building better parent-child relationships.”

—Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, Director, Chesapeake ADHD Center of Maryland


“The third edition of this classic treatment guide outlines a state-of-the-art approach to treating childhood conduct problems from a master researcher and clinician. Barkley provides all the information needed to implement his evidence-based parent training approach. He combines clear, practical instruction on the use of effective assessment tools and therapeutic techniques with helpful advice on dealing with parents and children, developed from years of clinical experience. The up-to-date overview of research on the causes of childhood conduct problems will be very helpful to clinicians in communicating with parents about their children’s behavior.”

—Paul J. Frick, PhD, University Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans

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Table of Contents

Introduction

I. Prerequisite Information for Using the Program

1. The Rationale for the Program

2. Clinical Assessment of Defiant Children

3. Practical Considerations in Parent Training

4. An Overview of the Parent Training Program

II. Guidelines for Therapists in Conducting the Program

Step 1. Why Children Misbehave

Step 2. Pay Attention!

Step 3. Increasing Compliance and Independent Play

Step 4. When Praise Is Not Enough: Poker Chips and Points

Step 5. Time Out and Other Disciplinary Methods

Step 6. Extending Time Out to Other Misbehavior

Step 7. Anticipating Problems: Managing Children in Public Places

Step 8. Improving School Behavior from Home: The Daily School Behavior Report Card

Step 9. Handling Future Behavior Problems

Step 10. Booster Session and Follow-Up Meetings

III. Assessment Materials

Form 1. General Instructions for Completing the Questionnaires

Form 2. Child and Family Information

Form 3. Developmental and Medical History

Form 4. Home Situations Questionnaire

Form 5. School Situations Questionnaire

Form 6. How to Prepare for Your Child's Evaluation

IV. Parent Handouts

Parent Handout for Step 1. Profiles of Child and Parent Characteristics

Parent Handout for Step 1. Family Problems Inventory

Parent Handout for Step 1. Diagram of Oppositional Defiant Intervention

Parent Handout for Step 2. Paying Attention to Your Child's Good Play Behavior

Parent Handout for Step 3. Paying Attention to Your Child's Compliance

Parent Handout for Step 3. Giving Effective Commands

Parent Handout for Step 3. Attending to Independent Play

Parent Handout for Step 4. The Home Poker Chip/Point System

Parent Handout for Step 5. Time Out!

Parent Handout for Step 7. Anticipating Problems: Managing Children in Public Places

Parent Handout for Step 8. Using a Daily School Behavior Report Card

Parent Handout for Step 9. Managing Future Behavior Problems

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About the Author

Russell A. Barkley, PhD, ABPP, ABCN, before retiring in 2021, served on the faculties of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Barkley has worked with children, adolescents, and families since the 1970s and is the author of numerous bestselling books for both professionals and the public, including Taking Charge of ADHD and Your Defiant Child. He has also published six assessment scales and more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, executive functioning, and childhood defiance. A frequent conference presenter and speaker who is widely cited in the national media, Dr. Barkley is past president of the Section on Clinical Child Psychology (the former Division 12) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. He is a recipient of awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the APA, among other honors. His website is www.russellbarkley.org.

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Audience

Child clinical and school psychologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, and psychiatrists.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 1997
ISBN: 9781572301238

First Edition, © 1987
ISBN: 9780898629200

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New to this edition:

• Reflects 15 years of research advances and the author's ongoing clinical experience.
• Fully updated model of the nature and causes of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
• Revised assessment tools and recommendations.
• The latest data on the program's effectiveness.
• Spanish-language versions of the parent forms are available online for downloading and printing (www.guilford.com/p/barkley4).