Success Week: Around 100 attend PMTO parenting skills annually
Parents are trained to see the positive in their children's behaviour using the PMTO approach. They experience greater cohesion in their parenting. The PMTO approach is one of the many tools used by the City of Hafnarfjörður to ensure the well-being of children.
Parental cooperation and unity increase
„Research shows that parents who have received PMTO services are very satisfied. They are strengthened in their parenting role and experience positive changes that can be crucial for the future of the child and the family,“ says Kolbrún Sigþórsdóttir, project manager of PMTO.
PMTO training helps parents support positive behaviour in their children and manage challenging situations. The main aim is to teach parents/guardians to use supportive parenting methods to improve their children's adjustment, behaviour and well-being, and to prevent the development of further problems.
What is PMTO?
PMTO parenting skills are an evidence-based treatment for parents of children with communication or behavioural difficulties, which has proven extremely effective both in this country and around the world. PMTO stands for Parent Management Training – Oregon.
Here in Hafnarfjörður, PMTO courses and individual therapy are offered, and just over 100 parents receive PMTO services each year, in addition to many schools benefiting from the school-based version of the method – SMT School Skills.
The PMTO philosophy is one of many tools used by the City of Hafnarfjörður to ensure the well-being of children.
„Increased willingness to cooperate, better communication, and the children's sense of security and well-being grows. It is also common for cooperation and solidarity among parents to increase,“ says Kolbrún, who considers this to be the success of the courses.
On average, five PMTO parenting skills courses and eight PMTO individual therapies are delivered each year. There is currently no waiting list for the PMTO courses, thanks to the dedicated PMTO therapists who deliver the training.
Success Week is underway
Well-being Week is currently taking place in the capital region. The aim is to draw parents' attention to the municipalities' new way of working, for the benefit of the children. Various specialists are now working together to ensure the children receive the right support at all times.
PMTO parenting skills is for parents/guardians of children aged 4-12. This service is applied for through the nursery and primary schools of Hafnarfjörður.
- PMTO parenting course (level one and two resource). The course is taught once a week for 8 sessions. Each group has 20 participants.
- PTC Group Therapy (a secondary resource, but can also be at primary and tertiary levels) PTC sent by Parenting Through Change. The course is taught once a week for 12 sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours. Parents are given homework, which is followed up on by facilitators in weekly phone calls. Each group has 16 participants.
- PMTO individual therapy (a third-tier intervention). The therapy takes place during working hours, once a week for one hour at a time, for 20–30 weeks. Parents are given homework, which therapists follow up on with weekly telephone calls.
