Premium
A behavioural programme for the modification of encopresis
Author(s) -
DAVIS HILTON,
MITCHELL WILLIAM S.,
MARKS FRANCES
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.1976.tb00250.x
Subject(s) - encopresis , toilet , behaviour modification , psychology , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , psychiatry , enuresis , pathology
SUMMARY This paper describes a behaviour modification programme for the treatment of encopresis. The programme, which is carried out by the parents over a relatively short period of time in the home setting, aims to make the child aware of internal cues prior to elimination and to rearrange the contingencies for appropriate use of the toilet. To date, seven of eleven children, both continuous and discontinuous encopretics, have been treated successfully and have remained clean for up to 7 months regardless of other problems in the child and his family. From a relatively detailed analysis of those treated it can be concluded that a behavioural approach is effective with chronic encopretic children, many of whom had been previously treated unsuccessfully by both physical and psychotherapeutic procedures. The failures suggest, firstly that careful assessment of each child and the motivation of the parents is required, so that the standard programme can be modified to suit each individual case. Secondly a maintenance programme must follow the intensive treatment procedure to ensure that parents continue to handle the child consistently.