chronic illness poses unique challenges for children.regardless of the type of chronic condition long-term management is required and the child's normal developmental milestones must be considered. educations and developmentally appropriate self management strategies tailored to the particular needs of the child and family are needed.
the current standard of care for children diagnosed with chronic conditions is to educate the child and family about the disease and the importance of adhering to the recommended treatment. however adherence to self-management remains low. education alone is not sufficient to ensure adherence. combining education with behavioral strategies improves treatment adherence. the contingency management model based on cognitive social learning theory is a behavioral model that show promise for promoting the adherence to recommended self -management behaviors. contingency management includes behaviors such as self-monitoring cueing tailoring reinforcing and contracting. such behaviors are aiso appropriate to the normal development of school-age children.