The Environment

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is an evidence-based program designed to help parents and children build stronger relationships and manage challenging behaviours. The therapy relies heavily on observation, communication and real-time coaching. In a PCIT session, the parent and child interact in a treatment room while a trained therapist observes and coaches the parent from a separate observation space.

Because of this, the AV system was not just a standard school technology installation. It needed to support clinical observation, clear communication, discreet monitoring and reliable recording between the treatment room, observation room and backup/time-out room. 

The Solution

The technology had to allow therapists to observe parent-child interaction clearly, hear the session accurately and communicate with the parent in real time without disrupting the therapy process.

For this project, the AV system needed to support:

• Clear video observation from the treatment room
• Reliable audio capture using microphones
• Audio communication between rooms
• Monitoring from the observation room
• Recording capability for review and supervision
• A practical setup for school staff and clinicians
• Neat cabling and equipment integration within the finished clinic space

The Audio-Visual Design 

The AV design brought together a carefully selected mix of audio capture, wireless communication, video monitoring, recording and network infrastructure to support the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy environment.

The system included three PoE dome cameras to provide visual coverage of the treatment room and backup/time-out room, allowing clinicians to observe sessions from a separate space. A Wisenet SPD-152 Network Video Decoder was included to support video monitoring, while a Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio HD Mini and 1TB SSD provided recording capability for session review, supervision and documentation.

For audio capture and room communication, the design included an Audio-Technica ATDM-0604A 6-channel Digital SmartMixer and three U853RWU ceiling microphone kits, supporting clear room audio from the therapy spaces. A MIPRO digital bodypack/lapel microphone package was also included to support discreet communication and coaching.

The communication system was further supported by MIPRO 5.8GHz in-ear monitoring equipment, including the MI58T stereo IEM transmitter, MI58R digital bodypack receiver, single-sided earphones, disposable ear-pads, antenna cabling and a desktop charging station. This allowed audio to be monitored clearly and practically within the observation environment.

The system also included a PoE network switch, compact studio monitors, an HDMI to SDI 6G mini converter, structured cabling, connections and fixings. These components were installed, commissioned and engineered as a complete AV system designed for reliable day-to-day use by school and clinical staff.

The Result

1. Accurate audio capture Ceiling microphones help capture speech clearly within the treatment room, allowing therapists to hear instructions, responses and interaction detail.
2. Clear observation Cameras allow therapists to observe body language, interaction patterns, parent responses and child behaviour from the observation room.
3. Staff supervision and training Recording and monitoring capability can support supervision, clinical review and staff development where required by the program

Conclusion

It is always rewarding to see AV used in a way that directly supports people — in this case helping create a practical, discreet and reliable environment for therapy, observation and real-time coaching. A project like this should remind us that good audio-visual technology is not just about screens, cameras and microphones. It is about making the space work better for the people using it.