Enhance your practice with this essential CPD talk on enuresis and encopresis, tailored for South African psychologists. Ashley Jay provides a deep dive into diagnostic criteria, aetiologies, and evidence-informed treatments for these common childhood elimination disorders, offering practical insights for confident and compassionate management.
This essential professional development talk by educational psychologist Ashley Jay explores the often-misunderstood conditions of enuresis (involuntary urination) and encopresis (involuntary defecation) in children. These conditions are frequently misdiagnosed or mishandled, leading to unnecessary distress for children and families.
Ashley provides a comprehensive overview of both disorders, beginning with definitions and diagnostic criteria, and moving through physiological and psychological aetiologies, comorbidities, and the interplay with other developmental and emotional challenges. She discusses evidence-informed treatment approaches and the roles of professionals in multidisciplinary care.
Drawing from clinical experience in private practice, Ashley shares practical insights, case observations, and management strategies that help psychologists approach these sensitive presentations with confidence and compassion.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
Define and differentiate enuresis and encopresis according to diagnostic criteria
Understand the physiological and psychological underpinnings of each condition
Identify common comorbidities and how they interact with elimination disorders
Recognise the importance of accurate diagnosis and the consequences of mismanagement
Apply effective, multidisciplinary approaches to treatment and support
Improve collaboration with families and other healthcare providers in treatment planning