ASSESSMENT AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR AN HIV-INFECTED PRESCHOOL-CHILD

Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is becoming more c ommon. Moreover, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive status in multiple family members is common and complicates disease management. Practitioners treating these children are often unaware of the effect of the virus on the child's psychological, cognitive, and emotional f unctioning. In addition, children with AIDS frequently come from famil ies facing pressing social problems, including homelessness, poverty, and drug addiction. HIV-positive children thus confront such diverse i ssues as the deterioration of developmental skills, social ostracism, and the possibility of imminent death, placing them in a socioemotiona l crisis. This paper presents a comprehensive psychotherapeutic interv ention for such children.