Media

The Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education (CAISE) of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will introduce a six-week intensive Parent Training Programme called "I Can Do It: Building Young Children's Positive Behaviors". The programme aims to empower parents in fostering positive behaviours in children with special educational needs (SEN).

The upcoming Parent Training Programme, conducted in Cantonese, is scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoons from April 27 to June 1, 2024, at HKU. Parents will be able to gain a comprehensive understanding of their children's behavioural, social, and emotional needs. Experienced instructors will set specific targets and teach parents practical skills, enabling them to train their children in developing positive behaviours through games. Over the past five years, this annual programme has shown promising progress in children and improvement in the parent-child relationships. Instructors and mentors will provide individualised feedback on parents’ implementation of techniques at home to ensure correct application. Parents will also learn how to set targets for their children to enhance sustained progress.

To increase accessibility for more parents, CAISE launched a fundraising scheme to seek public support in subsidising participants who require financial assistance. HKU CAISE extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Regencell Foundation Limited which generously provided 1:1 match for donations received under this scheme, and HKU alumni and other kind-hearted individuals who support families in need. With these contributions, the subsidised parents will pay only half or attend the workshop for free.

CAISE strongly advocates for early intervention and aims to empower parents with a solid understanding to effectively support their children. This training programme is designed for parents of SEN children ranging from pre-school to lower primary school age. This evidence-based programme helps alleviate problems faced by children, parents, families, and even schools. In the long term, the programme can help children develop enhanced self-regulation skills, including learning behaviours.

The "I Can Do It" empowerment campaign began with an online public seminar titled "Be a Smart Trainer at Home" on November 25, 2023. The seminar featured Mrs. Kit Chan, an experienced instructor and lecturer at the Faculty of Education, HKU. Mrs. Chan provided practical insights into understanding children's functional behaviour and showcased successful examples of using reinforcement, applied behavioural analysis, and other visual strategies to address challenging behaviours. The seminar was well-received by 130 parents and educational practitioners.

For more information about the parent training programme, please visit:
https://caise.edu.hku.hk/positivebehaviour2024chi/

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Virginia Cheung of CAISE, Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel: 3917 5828 / E-mail: caise@hku.hk).