1. How to Code with the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System
DPICS
Abbreviated and comprehensive coding manuals are available at

2. Purposes of Coding in PCIT
Quantifies the quality of parent-child interaction
Determines coaching goals for each treatment session
Enables therapist to give feedback to parents on weekly progress
Determines when parenting skills are mastered

3. Setting Up a DPICS Observation
Playroom set-up
Toys
Appropriate toys
Inappropriate toys
Standard instructions
Bug-in-the-Ear
Room
Simple table
Two chairs at table
Time-out chair in corner
Additional room selected at time-out room
Toys should be placed out of containers (4-5 age appropriate toy sets in room
2 toy sets on table, one set scattered in each corner of room (for CU)
Toys should be constructive toys that pull for quiet creative play
No board games with rules
No story books
No toys that pull for active (balls)or violent (guns) play
No messy toys (paint, sand)
Bug in ear
Checked (battery etc.) before session
Instructions for each situation (in DPICS manual)
If not memorized, should be available to read

4. Three Coding Situations
Child-Led Play
Low demand
Parent-Led Play
Moderate demand
Clean Up
High demand

5. Category Definitions You Need to Know to Conduct PCIT
7 Parent Categories
Labeled Praise
Behavioral Description
Reflection
Direct Command
Indirect Command
Question
Negative Talk
3 Child Categories
Compliance
Noncompliance
No Opportunity to Comply

6. Praise
Praise expresses a positive evaluation of the child’s behavior, activity, or products
Unlabeled Praise
—tells child the parent likes something, but not specifically what the parent likes
Labeled Praise
—tells child specifically what the parent likes

7. Which are Labeled Praises?
1. You are using pretty colors.
2. Good girl!
3. Thank you for sharing!
4. Nice work.
5. Your drawing is nice.
6. My drawing is wonderful!
1, 3, and 5

8. Reflections
Reflection repeat what the child has just said using the same or similar words
Have same meaning as what child said
May elaborate on what child said
Reflections do not change the meaning of the child’s statement or interpret unstated ideas

9. Which Parent Responses are Reflections?
Child says: “I like these yellow blocks”
Parent says:
1. “You like the yellow blocks”
2. “I like the yellow blocks too”
3. “The yellow blocks are your favorite”
Answer is 1
Child says: “The big car is red”
Parent says:
4. “The big car is blue”
5. “The big automobile is red and fast”
6. “It’s big and red”
Both 5 and 6

10. Behavioral Description
Describes what the child is doing
The subject of the sentence is the child
“You are drawing a tall tree.”
The verb describes the child’s current or immediately completed behavior

11. Which are Behavioral Descriptions?
You are putting the cow in the barn.
Now the cow is in the barn.
It must be the cow’s bedtime.
You are closing the barn door so the cow can sleep.
You are smart to know the cow was sleepy.
You look sleepy too.
You are pretending to be asleep.
1,4, and 7

12. Question Questions ask the child something
They have the sentence structure of a question or a questioning voice inflection
Are you going to use the yellow crayon?
What color do you want?
Yellow?
It’s really yellow, isn’t it?
Do you really want to use yellow?
Why are you drawing it all yellow?
These are all questions

13. Negative Talk
Statements expressing disapproval of the child or the child's attributes, activities, products, or choices
Criticism is Negative Talk
Sarcasm is Negative Talk
Examples
That yellow was not a good choice
That’s not the right color for a lake
Stop being silly
Don’t use any more yellow
Your drawing is ugly
I want you to stop that
Can’t you hear?
These are all Negative Talk

14. Command A direction to the child Direct Commands Indirect Commands
The child (“you”) is the stated or implied subject
A verb tells the child to do something
Direct Commands
Indirect Commands

15. Direct Command
Declarative statement that contains an order or direction to the child to perform a behavior
Examples
Give me the round block
Please sit in this chair
Put the block in the box
Sweetie, hold my hand
Tell me what this is, please
Point to the biggest one

16. Indirect Command Command implied or stated in question form Examples
Let’s put away the yellow crayon
We’re going to draw with the red crayons
Here’s the part you need to color
Will you hand me a red one?
Could you put that yellow one away?

17. Child Responses to Commands
Compliance
The child obeys, starts to obey, or tries to obey a direct or indirect command within 5 seconds
Noncompliance
The child does not obey or try to obey within 5 seconds
The child stops trying to complete the task before 5 seconds end
No opportunity to comply
Behave!
Be careful
Listen carefully
Remind me tomorrow

18. Neutral Talk Statements that do not fit into other categories
That’s a blue block
I’m building a tower
Your coat is by the door
His name is Barney
This is fun
Okay

19. Want to Try Coding CLP? (indirect command)
I will be the mother
Dr. Funderburk will be the child
Take a minute to look at your coding sheets
When we start, make a tally mark in the correct box for everything I say
I might be a nice mother or a not-nice mother!