Fecal incontinence, also known as encopresis, is an evacuation disorder that causes losses in the organic and psychosocial development of children and adolescents, which requires attention and care from parents and health professionals. In the broad context of treatment of encopresis, psychotherapy is an important resource, and behavior therapy identified as one of the most promising and effective modalities for the treatment of difficult elimination. This article presents a study about the effects of behavioral management of fecal incontinence in an adolescent attended in school-clinical psychology in the state of São Paulo for 14 months. From the theoretical and technical tools of behavior analysis, behavioral strategies were developed in the context of psychotherapy with the client as well as guidance for the parents, seeking gradual extinction of encopresis. During this process, the client had significant behavioral acquisitions of regular use of the bathroom and proper toilet training, monitored weekly, which enabled the full dissolution of soiling, and the effect was evaluated in follow-up conducted three months after the end of this intervention.
Fecal incontinence; Adolescents; Clinical psychology; Behavior therapy
