Highlights from the 2023 Mentor Meeting

After 3-4 years of Covid isolation it was so great to re-connect and share in person all that has been accomplished during this time. It is impressive how mentors have been courageous, brave, committed and very productive at reaching out to parents and teachers in so many countries and evaluating their on-line work. There was a lot to cover to get caught up with everyone’s work.

Carolyn introduced our newest Incredible Years Mentors-in-training to the group:  Lisa Christensen, New Zealand, for the Teacher Classroom Management Program, Lucy Gregory, New Zealand, for the Basic Parent and Autism Parenting programs, Morten Haaland, Norway, for the Classroom Dina Program, and Sandra Pickering, New Zealand, for the Teacher Classroom Management Program.

Six mentors received their mentor accreditation certificates:  Bjørn Brunborg in the Baby program, Lee Taylor-Burt and Sheila Russell in the Teacher Autism program, Ty Rivå and Emily Haranin in Basic Parenting, and Dianne Lees in the Autism Parenting program.

Carolyn also announced the mentors who completed accreditation, but were not able to attend the meeting: Catherine Millard, USA, who was awarded Mentorship in the Classroom Dina program in March 2022, and Kärt Kase, Estonia, who completed Mentorship in Basic Parent in October 2023; and introduced mentors-in-training Michelle Wood, New Zealand, Nina Simola, Finland, and Sue Howson, England, all mentors-in-training in the parent program.

Carolyn presented positive evaluation data worldwide on on-line IY parent, teacher, and child program delivery. 50% of trainings are now delivered on-line and 50% in person.  Carolyn presented an overview of the new Basic Parent program vignettes.  She also summarized new research underway evaluating IY programs, and research that has been published in the past 3 years.

Many of our incredible mentors also shared presentations with updates and outcomes from their work! Here is a summary of what was covered with links to view their presentations.

• Maria McAleese presented outcomes from her study of the IY Autism Parent program in Northern Ireland
• Dianne Lees presented Autism Parent program outcomes in New Zealand
• Sheila Russell & Lee Taylor-Burt presented Teacher Autism program outcomes in New Zealand
• Lisa Herewini presented her work using the IY Basic program with Māori families and group leaders in New Zealand
• Jeanne Gordon presented outcomes of her online IY program delivery to parents of children with ADHD in England
• Bjørn Brunborg presented on using IY with parents of children with ADHD in Norway
• Dean Coffey presented outcomes delivering Basic plus Advance programs online with Filipino parents of school age children in Los Angeles
• Marie-Josée Letarte presented her study of the IY Toddler program delivered remotely, in collaboration with daycare centers in Quebec
• Micah Orliss & Emily Haranin presented their experiences and outcomes with online Basic Parent and Small Group Dina program delivery at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles 
• Oddbjørn Løndal presented his study with IY TCM implementation in kindergartens in Norway
• Sue Evans presented outcomes delivering the Incredible Beginnings Program online in Powys, Wales 
• Stephanie Shepard presented outcomes Incredible Beginnings program delivery online, and together with her colleague Minerva Ortiz, presented their work delivering the IY Teacher Autism program with early years caregivers in Rhode Island.
  

Best wishes to all and thanks to everyone for all their contributions. I feel personally honored to have such an incredible team delivering these programs in such a quality way. Thank you!

Carolyn