Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G A Walco.
The present study employed a graded practice procedure to teach a 13-year-old leukemia patient to swallow pills. Progressively larger chunks of ice were used as stimuli in order to keep gagging and choking to a minimum. The criterion was reached after two sessions and generalization to a variety of pills and capsules occurred. Treatment effects were maintained at 8 months follow-up.
PURPOSE: Dance/movement therapy is introduced as a holistic approach to children's health issues, incorporating an array of medical, psychological, social, and spiritual issues. OVERVIEW: Dance/movement therapy, with its unique emphasis on nonverbal communication in assessment and treatment, is presented as an innovative therapeutic approach to address the comprehensive needs of children and adolescents with cancer. Dance/movement therapy assessment and intervention strategies are discussed in the context of cognitive, emotional, and social developmental processes, as well as models of stress and psychological adjustment in pediatric cancer. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The inclusion of dance/movement therapy as part of the interdisciplinary team addressing the psychosocial needs of children and adolescents with cancer facilitates greater integration of factors related to coping. By its very nature, this modality offers constructs that promote holistic approaches to cancer care.