Dr Amy Finlay-Jones
‘Supporting Toddlers, Engaging Parents (STEPs) to address early regulatory difficulties: A Multiphase Optimization Strategy Approach’
University of Western Australia, WA
Awarded 2023
0-12 years Mental Health Research
“While there are many programs designed to help parents support their child’s self-regulation development, there is a need to optimize and tailor these programs to deliver the best outcomes for families with different needs.”
Researcher Profile
My primary research interests are translational research, neurodevelopment, and contemplative science. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at Telethon Kids Institute (FASD Centre of Research Excellence) and have an adjunct academic position at Curtin University. I trained at the Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), the UCSD Center for Mindfulness, and the Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches.
I am a certified facilitator of the Compassion Cultivation Training program, and am trained to facilitate the Mindful Self-Compassion and the Mindfulness–Based Compassionate Living programs. I am not a registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and I am not associated with AHPRA in any way.
Project Summary
Chronic self-regulation difficulties in toddlers such as extreme tantrums, crying and irritability can be a sign that a child is more likely to develop mental health problems at older ages. Supporting parents to help their toddler develop healthy self-regulation skills is therefore an important strategy for addressing emerging mental health concerns in young children and preventing mental health problems in later life.
After reviewing the evidence, we found many self-regulation programs that have been developed for toddlers and young children, and each of these different programs contains different components. However, it is not clear which components are most helpful for engaging families and promoting the best outcomes for parents and their children. Our aim is to trial many different components to work out which ones (and which combinations of components) lead to the best outcomes. We will work with Australian families who have a young child with self-regulation difficulties to ensure that all components are delivered in a way that is meaningful and relevant for them. We will also test whether different program components lead to different outcomes depending on the family’s needs.
Co-Investigators: Professor Valsamma Eapen, Dr Wendy Simpson, Dr Vicent Mancini, Daniel Lin and Lauren Wakschlag.