A Customised, Intensive Parent–Child Interaction Therapy for Children With Down Syndrome: Findings From a Real‐World Pilot Effectiveness Study

What is already known about this subject Individualised and intensive intervention has been found to be more effective for children with Down syndrome than more diluted services but is rarely available. This is particularly true of the Irish context where SLT services are under-resourced for children with disabilities. This study aimed to determine if it was possible to implement an intensive PCIT intervention for children with Down syndrome in Ireland and to determine whether it was effective and acceptable for the families and clinicians involved. What this study adds to the existing knowledge JEMT + Sign has been shown to be effective for children with Down syndrome in the US when delivered under controlled research conditions, but has yet to be tested in 'real-world' clinical contexts. This study examined whether it could be implemented by trained clinicians in an Irish context, measured the effectiveness for parents and children and gathered the views of those taking part. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Clinicians working in a specialised service for people with Down syndrome valued the intervention. They found it effective for families that they had an established and trusting relationship with and whom they knew had the capacity to engage with the demands required. They found the structured coaching protocol to be beneficial for wider aspects of their work. Parents learned the skills and could apply them to the required accuracy criteria. The children in general increased their language and/or communication skills, although this cannot yet directly be attributed to the intervention. Further research is necessary to determine if JEMT + Sign can be delivered in other contexts, the long-term effects of the intervention and whether it is effective for wider groups of families.