Although PNES is rare, the high morbidity and long-term psychiatric, psychological, and medical implications for untreated youth underscore the need for early diagnosis and treatment to stop the episodes and, most importantly, to treat the underlying psychopathology. This treatment guide has provided you with the most relevant clinical details needed to correctly diagnose, give feedback, and thoughtfully and sensitively treat children and adolescents with PNES. Armed with this knowledge, you are ready to start working with these patients and their parents. The experience you acquire through your work will help you acquire expertise in the treatment of youth with PNES.

A Always remember to ask the child, “How does/did that make you feel?”

B Behavioral approach effectively controls NES symptoms.

C Cues, care/careful, clarify, coping, and CBT are important C techniques.

D Distress in the child and parents due to episodes needs to be explored.

E Empathy helps the child and parents talk.

F (+) Feedback facilitates communication between the child-you, parents-you, and child-parents.

G Generate and tailor strategies that encourage the child to talk about (−) emotions, stressors, problems, and difficulties.

H Humor helps facilitate communication.

I Incrementally and gradually work on linking stressors, (−) emotions, and NES symptoms.

J Judgment about information child or parents share with you can cause resistance.

K Know how to prevent resistance by well-timed and sensitive interpretations of (−) emotion-stressor-NES symptom link.

L Little by little you will achieve long-term treatment goals.

M Model how to express (−) emotions and problem-solve.

N Normalize experiencing stress and (−) emotions, having problems or difficulties, and the challenges of problem-solving.

O Obtain the child’s permission to share information with the parents.

P Premature linking of stressors → (−) emotions → episodes and will cause resistance.

Q Question to understand before reaching conclusions and making premature interpretations.

R Rapport with the child and parents is essential.

S Storytelling is a great technique with younger children.

T Time when you make interpretations wisely.

U Understand and help parents and child prevent and undo communication breakdowns.

V Validate information the child shares using (+) feedback and clarification of what the child says.

W Work on understanding the child and parents’ verbal and nonverbal cues.

X Xerox (copy) these ABCs for your therapy tool box.

Y Your willingness to work with these children and their parents fills an important treatment gap for a highly morbid disorder.

Z Zoom ahead using sensitive treatment skills.