Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report

We report the case study of a school-aged child with autism whose repetitive behaviors were treated with a modified version of a technique routinely used in cognitive behavior therapy (i.e., exposure response prevention) to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. A trained behavioral therapist administ...

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Main Authors: Brian A. Boyd, Cooper R. Woodard, James W. Bodfish
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Psychiatry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/241095
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author Brian A. Boyd
Cooper R. Woodard
James W. Bodfish
author_facet Brian A. Boyd
Cooper R. Woodard
James W. Bodfish
author_sort Brian A. Boyd
collection DOAJ
description We report the case study of a school-aged child with autism whose repetitive behaviors were treated with a modified version of a technique routinely used in cognitive behavior therapy (i.e., exposure response prevention) to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. A trained behavioral therapist administered the modified ERP treatment over the course of an intensive two-week treatment period with two therapy sessions occurring daily. The treatment was successful at decreasing the amount of child distress and cooccurring problem behavior displayed; however, the child's interest in the repetitive behavior eliciting stimulus (i.e., puzzles) remained. The case study demonstrates specific ways that exposure response prevention strategies can be adapted to the unique kinds of repetitive behaviors that present clinically in autism. A larger clinical trial is needed to substantiate these findings.
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spelling doaj-art-3ea35d519bda4d69a3c1abadc04aa0f22025-08-20T02:08:23ZengWileyCase Reports in Psychiatry2090-682X2090-68382011-01-01201110.1155/2011/241095241095Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case ReportBrian A. Boyd0Cooper R. Woodard1James W. Bodfish2Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2050 Bondurant Hall, Campus Box 7122, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7120, USAClinical Services and Training, The Groden Center, 86 Mount Hope Avenue, Providence, RI 02906, USACarolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Campus Box 7255, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USAWe report the case study of a school-aged child with autism whose repetitive behaviors were treated with a modified version of a technique routinely used in cognitive behavior therapy (i.e., exposure response prevention) to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. A trained behavioral therapist administered the modified ERP treatment over the course of an intensive two-week treatment period with two therapy sessions occurring daily. The treatment was successful at decreasing the amount of child distress and cooccurring problem behavior displayed; however, the child's interest in the repetitive behavior eliciting stimulus (i.e., puzzles) remained. The case study demonstrates specific ways that exposure response prevention strategies can be adapted to the unique kinds of repetitive behaviors that present clinically in autism. A larger clinical trial is needed to substantiate these findings.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/241095
spellingShingle Brian A. Boyd
Cooper R. Woodard
James W. Bodfish
Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
Case Reports in Psychiatry
title Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
title_full Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
title_fullStr Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
title_full_unstemmed Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
title_short Modified Exposure and Response Prevention to Treat the Repetitive Behaviors of a Child with Autism: A Case Report
title_sort modified exposure and response prevention to treat the repetitive behaviors of a child with autism a case report
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/241095
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