Evidence-based behavioral treatment of dog phobia with young children: two case examples.
Graduated exposure plus stickers and praise wiped out dog phobia in two preschoolers in under 13 sessions.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two preschoolers with dog phobia got 10-13 sessions of graduated exposure.
They practiced each step while earning stickers and praise.
The therapist also showed how to pet and feed the dog first.
What they found
Both kids lost their phobia diagnosis.
They could walk up to and touch a live dog without crying.
Seven months later the gains were still there.
How this fits with other research
Madsen et al. (1968) first showed that feedback during exposure keeps progress going. Peters et al. (2013) add stickers and praise, proving the same rule works for little kids.
Guertin et al. (2019) used the same exposure style with preschoolers who had intellectual disability and OCD. Their study shows the method stretches beyond dog fear.
Labrecque et al. (2006) and Sasson et al. (2022) worked with adults. Their mixed or moderate results remind us that young children may respond faster and more fully than grown-ups.
Why it matters
You can erase a dog phobia in a preschooler in about three months. Use small steps, real dogs, and lots of tiny rewards. Track approach time and tears each session to see the slope drop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders, especially in children. Unfortunately, a paucity of literature exists regarding the treatment of specific phobia in young children, despite the knowledge that traditional techniques (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) may not be practical. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present two case studies that provide empirical support for the evidence-based behavioral treatment of specific phobia with young children (ages 4 and 5 years). Results indicated that following 10 to 13 sessions of graduated exposure therapy using reinforced practice and participant modeling, the children no longer met criteria for clinically significant phobias of dogs. Treatment effects were maintained at 7-month follow-up despite reported lack of practice and/or regular exposure to dogs in the children's daily lives.
Behavior modification, 2013 · doi:10.1177/0145445512458524