American Academy of Pediatrics Resources:

a.  Practice Guide: Effective Discipline
http://www.aap.org/sections/scan/practicingsafety/Modules/EffectiveDiscipline/EffectiveDiscipline.pdf

This resource offers helpful tools for the pediatrician when working with parents to assess discipline techniques.  Appropriate developmental expectations are stressed, giving the parent a better understanding of what kinds of behavior to expect from their child and to develop age-appropriate responses and discipline techniques.

b.  The National Survey of Early Childhood Health: Parents’ Views on Preventive Care for Infants and Toddlers
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/nsech0604.pdf

NSECH conducted this study to determine parents’ views of topics most and least covered during well-child visits.  Notably, discipline was identified as an area of concern that was most often unmet during well-child visits.  This was also an area where pediatrician and parent perceptions differed; pediatricians reported greater coverage of this topic than parents did.  These findings indicate a need for more discussion of effective discipline techniques.  NSECH also found that parents’ use of spanking increased as children grow older and that teenage parents were more likely to use spanking and less likely to use yelling and explanations when disciplining their children.  This suggests that intervention targeted at teen parents to prevent spanking and to offer alternative techniques is especially critical.  

c.  Guidance for Effective Discipline
AAP Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/101/4/723.pdf

Abstract from the authors:
“When advising families about discipline strategies, pediatricians should use a comprehensive approach that includes consideration of the parent–child relationship, reinforcement of desired behaviors, and consequences for negative behaviors. Corporal punishment is of limited effectiveness and has potentially deleterious side effects. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents be encouraged and assisted in the development of methods other than spanking for managing undesired behavior.”