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Intensive, Short-Term Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of OCD-Like Behavior With a Young Adult With Williams Syndrome

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, bklein{at}uwm.edu

Anne Marie Albano

Columbia University, NY

In contrast to the application of applied behavior analysis principles in autism and developmental disorders, there is a general paucity of research examining effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions with individuals with mental retardation and even less with mental retardation of a specific etiology. The authors present a case study of cognitive-behavioral treatment for emotional and behavioral difficulties in a young man with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by developmental and psychosocial impairments. Following a functional assessment, an intensive intervention was designed and implemented to address social skills difficulties, obsessions, and compulsions. Results suggest that cognitive-behavioral interventions may be promising with this population. Obstacles encountered and lessons learned are discussed.

Key Words: Williams syndrome • cognitive-behavioral therapy • developmental disability • mental retardation

References

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Clinical Case Studies, Vol. 6, No. 6, 483-492 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1534650106296370


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Klein-Tasman, B. P. Articles by Albano, A. M. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?