Helping Children to Help Themselves: A Case Study of Enuresis and Nail Biting

Abstract

Objective: The Self-Control Dual Intervention Model, which is based on cognitive self-control principles, is presented. Method: In the first stage, the client is taught self-control skills and how to apply them to the referred problem, and in the second stage, the client is encouraged to independently apply these skills to another problem with minimal guidance from the therapist. The authors describe how SCDIM is used with a 10-year-old boy whose referred problem was enuresis and the other problem was nail biting. Results: While being treated for enuresis, the child was taught by the therapist self-control skills, which he later applied to resolving his nail-biting problem with minimal help from the therapist. Conclusion: The case study demonstrates how self-control training can promote children’s independent functioning via the ability to apply learned skills to other, future problematic areas.