The Fatherhood Institute and leading experts from US and UK universities say a 'game change' is needed in the commissioning, design and evaluation of parenting programmes, to get fathers more involved and thus improve child outcomes and value-for-money.

Research shows clearly that fathers have substantial impact on child development, well-being, and family functioning. But a global review of evidence by researchers at Yale University and the Fatherhood Institute in London, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, found that they are largely ignored by parenting programmes in the UK and elsewhere.

Parenting programmes rarely attempt to engage with fathers or evaluate their impact on key outcomes for both parents, such as parenting and co-parenting quality, family functioning, parental stress or depression, or a range of child health outcomes, the researchers found.

Cost-effectiveness analysis is also rare, but some studies suggest parenting interventions can produce a healthy return on investment and research shows clearly that programmes work best where both parents are engaged, so well-designed, father-inclusive programmes should be more cost-effective.

Read more here: http://www.fatherhoodinstitute.org/2014/fatherhood-experts-call-for-game-change-to-make-parenting-programmes-more-effective-and-less-wasteful/

The second ASfAR Conference will be held at La Trobe University, Melbourne on 4th & 5th December 2014.

Registration is free but you must be a member of ASfAR to attend. If you are not currently a member, please submit a membership application form.

A free Public Event: The Menzies Symposium on Early Identification, Diagnosis and Intervention for ASDs will be held on Wednesday 3rd December.

Information at http://asfar.org.au/

Here are some of the best. 

Are you guilty of any of these? Or have you been at the receiving end of the awkwardness? Please spill the beans!

Visit: http://www.buzzfeed.com/shaf/10-things-not-to-say-or-do-to-a-blind-person-w2af