Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Case Study

The following describes a case of a young boy and his parents who sought treatment from the Parent-child interaction therapy clinic to aid with externalizing behaviors occurring at home and school. Bobby is a 5-year-old Asian-American male who has been very disruptive in class. He starts fights with other children and does not complete his work. His parents use an authoritarian parenting style to keep him in line at home. While several approaches could be taken to support Bobby and his parents, Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based approach (Weisz & Kazdin, 2017) designed to treat externalizing behaviors in young children and provide parents with behavior management strategies to promote positive behaviors.
Parent-child interaction therapy is based …show more content…
The authoritative parenting style is said to foster a secure attachment between the child and caregivers, which is seen as a necessary dynamic to create positive interactions between the child and their environment. Social learning theory informs practices of PCIT by helping to interrupt cycles of negative behaviors and maladaptive parental responses. The parent models prosocial behavior to their child and the use of props such as stuffed animals are used to teach the child about consequences for their actions. This intervention model is intended for children ages 2-7 with disruptive behavior problems and helpful for parents at risk for maltreatment. PCIT consists of two sequential phases, child-directed interaction followed by parent-directed interaction. PCIT has an average of 15 weekly sessions. The distinguishing feature of PCIT is the intensive delivery of direct coaching to the parent while they play with the child. Parents are taught to use PRIDE skills: praise, reflect, imitate, describe, enthusiasm to foster positive interactions with the child and reduce problem behaviors. Equal emphasis is given to