Publications

Parents’ adjustment to pediatric cancer can contribute to children’s disruptive behaviors. Caregivers often report challenges disciplining their child throughout/following pediatric cancer treatment. Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) can reduce children’s disruptive behaviors and improve caregiver self-efficacy. One previous case study examined PCIT viability for a child undergoing cancer treatment; however, no study has evaluated PCIT for a child in remission. We explored PCIT implementation for a 6-year-old Hispanic male acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor and his Hispanic mother. PCIT effectively mitigated the child’s disruptive behavior. We review steps necessary to promote mother’s engagement and skill acquisition and discuss future PCIT implementation directions.

Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with complications for mothers and children. Utilization of an alternative for opioid withdrawal, Kratom, has increased throughout the United States. No existing research examines childhood outcomes after exposure to Kratom in utero, despite the risk for the development of disruptive behaviors. This case study explores the use of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for a 4-year-old male, who was exposed to Kratom continuously in utero with his mother who is in recovery. The findings illustrate that PCIT effectively mitigated the child’s disruptive behavior, but the response to the parent-directed interaction phase was slower than expected.

Young children diagnosed as having a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience cooccurring sleep and behavioral difficulties that can persist for up to 24 months post injury and negatively impact family functioning. Given links between pediatric TBI, family functioning, sleep problems, disruptive behaviors, and the overlap in approaches used to intervene, interventions that target changes in parenting skills are a potential treatment option that can impact multiple outcomes simultaneously. This open trial examined changes in caregiver perceptions of children’s sleep problems following participation in a time-limited and intensive format of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Participants included six families (100% identified as White and Hispanic) of preschoolers (2 to 5 years old) experiencing elevated behavioral and sleep problems after sustaining a TBI (mild; 83.33%). Treatment consisted of sessions two times per week over five weeks. We hypothesized that participation in the time-limited and intensive intervention would be associated with reductions in caregiver reported sleep difficulties in preschool aged children post treatment and at the two-month follow up. Analyses indicated that children exhibited decreased sleep problems following treatment, with effects maintained at the two-month follow-up. The results of this open trial provide a preliminary framework for targeting domains known to be impacted by early childhood TBI (i.e., child sleep and behavior) and problems that often persist for years post injury. These results also provide support for utilization of a time-limited and intensive format of PCIT to improve outcomes for BIPOC families.

Autistic children occasionally experience disruptive behaviors. Caregivers occasionally experience distress surrounding their autistic child’s socioemotional functioning. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) reduces disruptive behaviors among autistic children and improves caregiver self-efficacy. No study has examined if PCIT has been implemented with an autistic parent. This case study explored the implementation of PCIT with an allistic Mother, an autistic Father, and their autistic 4-year-old son. Father was primary caregiver prior to and during treatment. Overall, both caregivers reported reduced disruptive behaviors for their autistic child after completing PCIT treatment. Directions relevant to PCIT implementation are discussed.