Integration of Wait Training and Graduated Exposures to Treat Medical Anxiety

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate an alternative treatment to distraction for a child with disruptive behavior and medical anxiety. Method: Behavioral skills training and parent management training were used to address disruptive behavior, as a measure of distress tolerance, of a typically developing, 4-year-old white male, LeRoy, who presented with dysfunctional elimination syndrome and vesicoureteral reflux. A changing criterion single case design was used to evaluate the effect of procedures on rates of disruptive behaviors and seconds of appropriate waiting during exposures. Results: Results suggest LeRoy mastered an ability to appropriately wait for 150 s. Rates of disruptive behavior decreased by 94.61% during delayed gratification as well as 83.33% and 54.17% for his two medical procedures, respectively. Conclusion: The current procedures were successful in treating the patient’s disruptive behavior and medical anxiety. The procedures pose a potential alternative treatment to distraction techniques for children who require frequent medical procedures that evoke disruptive behavior.