Strengthening the reflective functioning capacities of parents who have a child with a Neurodevelopment disability through a brief, relationship-focused intervention.

This randomized controlled trial examined the reflective functioning capacities of caregivers who have a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder between the ages of 2 years 0months and 6 years 11 months. Children with a neurodevelopmental disorder receive a range of diagnoses, including autism; however, they all exhibit social communication challenges that can derail social relationships. Forty parent–child dyads in Barbados were randomly assigned to either a developmental individual-difference, relationship-based/floortime(DIR/FT) group (n = 20), or a psychoeducational (wait-list) group (n = 20) with parental reflective functioning measured before and after a 12-week DIR/FT treatment intervention. Results revealed significant gains in parental reflective functioning in the treatment group, as compared to the psychoeducational (waitlist) group, after the 12-week relationship-focused intervention.