Exposure therapy has been studied both in-person and remotely, with positive results! What there is less evidence for is for which kinds of kids and families benefit most from in-person vs. remote vs. a combination. By doing this study, we hope to have clearer recommendations for kids and their families on what kind of delivery is most effective for whom.

Exposure therapy is not dangerous! Bravery is a skill that we all develop through practice. Your providers will work with you and your child to develop small, safe steps that make it easier for your child to do the things they are afraid of. Your child will never be forced to do anything that they are not ready for!

Unfortunately, we cannot control whether families receive the in-person, remote, or combined condition. If there is a reason that one of the conditions is challenging for you, we encourage you to let us know and we can try to problem-solve. If you are assigned to a condition that becomes too challenging, you can choose to not participate in the study at that time.

In addition to receiving exposure therapy, you and your child will be asked to take part in assessments to understand your child’s anxiety better. These assessments help us understand your child’s anxiety and track any progress while they are in treatment. Assessments will take place at the beginning, twice in the middle, and once at the end. You will also be asked to participate in two assessments after treatment is complete to understand if any progress is maintained after you finish therapy. The study team will compensate you for participating in these assessments.

Participation in the study is completely voluntary, and you do not have to participate if you do not want to. If you do not want to participate, it will not affect your ability to receive the services your child needs here.