Utilizing Smart Speaker Technology to Deliver Parenting Education Support to Parents of Young Children

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Children with externalizing behaviors and self-regulation difficulties as early as preschool are at elevated risk for socioemotional, behavioral, and academic problems throughout childhood, and for later psychosocial problems including substance abuse in adolescence. Behavioral sleep/wake problems play an important role in children’s long-term adjustment as well. Chaotic bedtime and morning periods frequently create conflict and stress in families, and children’s poor sleep quality and dysregulation at bedtime and in the morning have negative impacts on their school readiness, executive function, and psychosocial adjustment. In contrast, predictable, positive family routines improve children’s long-term trajectory for psychosocial and academic adjustment, especially in at-risk family environments. Evidence-based parenting programs have shown much value in addressing these problems, but the reach of parenting programs is limited by significant challenges in engaging and retaining parents. Technology-based parenting interventions have significant potential for bringing evidence-based parenting supports to parents, but the field lacks programs that bring these supports to parents on an in-situ basis, such that parents can receive experiential support in fostering healthy routines for their children. This proposed Phase II study will harness innovative smart speaker technology to complete development of a tool for parents, “Talk Parenting” (TP), that provides families with engaging, motivating in-situ support in building healthy family routines. Talk Parenting is an application, or “skill”, for the Amazon “Alexa” Echo smart speaker devices. In Phase I, a guided Bedtime Routine prototype was created and its feasibility, acceptability, usability, and initial efficacy established. Phase II will complete development of the TP program, by enhancing the prototype Bedtime Routine and creating a new Morning Routine and a Calming Down Mini- Routine. The Bedtime and Morning Routines will guide parents in creating positive bedtime and morning routines to foster healthy sleep/wake habits and provide experiential practice in self-regulation skills and a framework for positive parent-child interactions. The Calming Down Mini-Routine will supplement the Bedtime and Morning Routines, providing support for children’s and parent’s self-regulation during challenging moments. Families will access this in-situ support through hands-free simple voice commands and interactions with the smart speaker device. In a rigorous randomized controlled trial, Phase II will evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of the full TP program for improving parenting practices, parents’ self-efficacy, and stress, children’s behavioral and sleep/wake problems, and the parent-child relationship, against a usual-care waitlist control. A sample of 184 families of 3-5-year old children will be recruited through Head Start and other family support agencies. A stakeholder Advisory Board will also provide feedback on commercial feasibility. Establishing efficacy and acceptability of the innovative Talk Parenting program will have important implications for harnessing smart speaker technology to assist parents in-situ with key parenting challenges.