A qualitative evaluation of Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) for parents of children with learning or developmental disabilities

Background: It is difficult to reduce behaviours that challenge once they have emerged and become engrained. The current study qualitatively evaluated the piloting of a recently developed support programme called E- PAtS (Early Positive Approaches to Support). E- PAtS is an 8, 2.5- h session programme for carers who have a young child (0–5 years old) who has a learning or devel-opmental disability. It is co- produced with and co- facilitated by family carers and aims to support wellbeing and resilience for car-egivers and positive development for their children. This paper described the programme development and the early qualitative evaluation.Method: 33 family carers were invited to take part in focus group and individual interviews post- intervention. A semi- structured for-mat was used to explore participants’ experience of the group, any changes following attendance, and suggestions for future develop-ment of the programme.Results: Themes included: Saying the unsayable; You have to have been through it; Knowledge is power; Feeling better and Gaining skills.Conclusions: Themes related closely to the underlying mechanisms and processes targeted by E- PAtS. Providing early support to par-ents provides positive outcomes. Results informed our understand-ing of the logic model and future developments