Parents Plus Special Needs programme (PPSN) is a solution-focusedtrauma-informed and evidence-based course that builds on parent strengths. It can be delivered over seven sessions to groups of parents or to individual families.

The Special Needs Programme is suitable for parents who are raising an older child or adolescent with a mild, moderate or severe intellectual disability, and who may also have a diagnosis, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or a physical disability. 

The PPSN was launched in September 2020. You can view recordings of all the speakers here.

By attending our training to become a facilitator for this programme, you will learn how to support parents of an adolescent with special needs to:

  • understand and connect with their adolescent
  • manage behaviour and emotional concerns
  • understand puberty, sexuality and relationships
  • reduce their own stress as parents
  • support sibling and parent relationships in the family
  • build self-esteem and well-being
  • advocate for their child needs 
  • prepare their child for adulthood and future transitions

Watch our seminar on how professionals deliver the PPSN

Studies in secondary schools and mental healtOur Special Needs programme is strongly evidence-based and was developed in partnership with 13 Disability teams, and in consultation with 97 parents who participated in focus groups. 

In 2019/2020, in a large randomised controlled trial involving 23 services and 277 parents, were randomly assigned to treatment as usual or to attend the Parents Plus Special Needs Programme (PPSN).

Parents attending the Parents Plus Special Needs Programme reported significant improvements in:

  • Parenting practices
  • Problem behaviours
  • Parental satisfaction
  • Parental self-efficacy
  • Personal goal attainment

The ‘treatment as usual’ group remained the same on all primary outcome measures.

The research was published in the prestigious Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities in 2023

Download research
slides here.

Read the full research paper here

You can learn more about the impact of this programme, and all our other programme here

Programme Materials


Our Special Needs Programme materials include:

  • A comprehensive facilitator’s manual, with detailed guides to plan and deliver each session, including how to structure group discussion and exercises.
  • Two colourful parent books, containing all the programme handouts and worksheets for participants.*

When running subsequent courses, trained facilitators can purchase additional parent books at cost price. Trained facilitators are also licensed to copy worksheets and handouts from the parent books, as an alternative.

Who Will Benefit from Parents Plus Facilitator Training?

The Parents Plus Special Needs Programme facilitator training is suitable for a range of professionals.

  • NHS and HSE Primary Care Teams (e.g., Psychologists, Public Health Nurses)
  • Family Resource Centres
  • UK Family Hubs
  • UK Family Support Workers
  • Family Practitioners
  • Early Years Educators
  • Parenting Leads/Teams
  • Early Help Hub Teams/Coordinators
  • Family Hubs Teams/Managers
  • Parenting Support Teams/Team Managers
  • Teachers/Educators
  • Early Intervention Coordinators
  • TUSLA Parenting Support Champions Project
  • Social Care Workers
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • TUSLA Child and Family Agency Child Protection Teams
  • Progressing Disability Teams
  • Area Based Childhood Programme (ABC)
  • HSE Sláintecare Healthy Communities
  • GP Services
  • Children and Young People’s Services Committees
  • Family-focused Charities (e.g., Barnardos, Focus Ireland)
  • Regional Parent Support Networks
  • County Childcare Committees
  • Family Liaison Officers
  • Preschool Teachers