Children now come with a manual

Edward Christophersen, PhD, and Susan Mortweet, PhD, have answered every parent's wish by creating a book that helps mental health professionals and pediatricians recommend proven and effective strategies for dealing with the most common behavioral problems affecting children.

With "Treatments That Work With Children: Empirically Supported Strategies for Managing Childhood Problems" (APA, 2001) the authors do not advocate a particular perspective or treatment. They simply compiled the leading empirically based theories and treatments answering the questions, what do we know works and what do the new studies teach us?

"This volume can be used as a reference book, a training tool, and a resource to share with other mental health practitioners and primary-care providers," says Christophersen.

Each chapter separates the different aspects of such behavior problems as anxiety, bed-wetting and poor sleeping habits. The authors begin by defining the disorder or problem and then describe the causes, the methods of diagnosis, the most effective and empirically supported treatments and recommendations for research. Although the book was written for psychologists, the authors say it is also "enormously useful to pediatricians who want the latest information on behavioral treatments that really work" because it emphasizes practicality. The authors explain, in lay terms, the charts and questionnaires used to diagnose an illness, including DSM-IV criteria.

Readers can also expect to find a well-rounded analysis of the pros and cons of each psychological perspective discussed. The authors encourage readers to use the book as a starting point from which to explore all aspects of problem behavior.

Christophersen and Mortweet note the importance of not just counseling the child but also counseling the parents and teachers involved and ensuring that they have the information they need to recognize when a child needs help.

The final chapter deals with a topic many psychologists say is the most critical aspect of treatment: compliance. The chapter guides professionals in helping children and parents adhere to treatment regimens.

"The time is right for this book," says Philip C. Kendall, PhD, of Temple University. "There is widespread and growing interest in the identification and application of treatments that have received empirical support, and the authors have been diligent and successful in pulling together the information with regard to empirically supported treatment for psychological disorders in children."