Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically supported treatment for young children with disruptive behavior that emphasizes parent training in behavior management. Although researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of PCITinmultiple settings and with various subgroups of children, few have documented the application of this intervention with maltreated children or with children who live in foster care environments. Two foster children with severe maltreatment histories were identified as appropriate candidates for PCIT. Both children presented with various forms of problembehavior, including tantrumming, noncompliance with parental commands, aggressive behavior toward peers, and sexualized behavior. Also, prior to initiating PCIT, both foster parents adhered to several inappropriate and ineffective parenting methods. We highlight several barriers to successful treatment that are not uncommonwith maltreated children and foster families; several such barriers surfaced with this case, including some that we were unable to circumvent.
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