Chapter 10 ACT with Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents AMY R. MURRELL, LISA W. COYNE, AND KELLY G. WILSON In contrast to the growing empirical support for ACT interventions with adult problems and populations, ACT applications with children, ado- lescents, and their parents are in relatively early stages of development. Our preliminary data, and data from other sites, suggest that ACT and its components can be successfully adapted for children in developmentally appropriate, therapeutically beneficial ways. Evidence suggests that ACT can be useful to parents dealing with the challenges children present. As with any new intervention, conceptualizing and using this approach is a trial-and-error process. Keeping this in mind, clinicians using the adapta- tions suggested in this chapter should be committed to measuring progress through the use of ongoing assessments. ASSESSMENT AND CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION The ACT formulation of suffering and distress for children is really no different than it is with adults, but the form it takes and the complexity of the child's context can be different. The key variables in the equation are the excessive use of emotional control! avoidance strategies, based upon cognitive fusion with unpleasant content, and the child's resulting inability 249 S. C. Hayes et al. (eds.), A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2004