Treating Somatic Symptoms in Children and Adolescents

Sara E. Williams, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she is Clinical Director of the Functional Independence Restoration (FIRST) program for inpatient pediatric chronic pain rehabilitation. She is also Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Williams specializes in assessing, treating, and researching pediatric chronic pain conditions. Nicole E. Zahka, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Her practice includes children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions and anxiety disorders, with a specialty in assessment and treatment of conversion and functional movement disorders, as well as syncope and gastrointestinal disorders.

I. Understanding Somatic Symptoms
1. Treating Children with Somatic Symptoms
2. Describing Somatic Symptoms
3. The Biopsychosocial Model of Somatic Symptoms
II. Assessment and Education
4. Assessment
5. Education
III. Intervention
6. Level One: Physical Factors
7. Level Two: Emotional and Behavioral Factors
8. Level Three: Cognitive Strategies
IV. Collaboration
9. Parents and Community
10. School
11. Health Care Colleagues
12. Summary, Challenges, and Successes
Appendix. Reproducible Materials
References