Prof Helene Loxton

Qualification: MA, MA (Couns Psych), STD (Stell), DPhil (Stell)

2012 National Research Foundation Rated Researcher (C-3 category: established researcher) Registered as Counselling Psychologist: Health Professions Council (PS 0039519)

Post: Associate Professor

Lecturing specialization: Developmental Psychology (undergraduate ) Child Psychology (post graduate)

Research specialization: Childhood fears, anxiety and coping mechanisms Early childhood development.

Current research projects:

 Developing cognitive behavioural therapy-based programs for anxious South African Youth.  Development, implementation and evaluation of a CBT-based intervention programme for the management of anxiety symptoms in South African children with visual impairments.  Behavioural inhibition and anxiety symptoms in South African preschoolers.

Service delivery: Trustee member of Stellenbosch Early Education Trust (SEED TRUST) Consultant to various Preschool Communities Babin preschool development project.

Selected publications:

Visagie, L., Loxton, H. & Silverman, W.K. (2015). Research Protocol: Development, implementation and evaluation of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based intervention programme for the management of anxiety symptoms in South African children with visual impairments. African Journal of Disability 4(1), Art. #160,10 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v4i1.160 Visagie, L. & Loxton, H. (2014). Child-friendly procedures and accommodations for the use of a self-report fear survey with children who have visual impairments: Reflections on a South African case study. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 32(3)179-190. Visagie, L., Loxton, H., Ollendick, T.H., & Steel, H. (2013). Comparing fears in South African children with and without visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 107(3)193- 205.

Burkhardt, K., Loxton, H., Kagee, A. & Ollendick, T.H. (2012). Construction and initial validation of the South African version of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children: An exploratory factor analysis. Behavior Therapy, 43, 570-582. Zwemstra,P., & Loxton, H. (2011). Fears of South African children affected by HIV/AIDS. Aids Care, 23(7), 859-865. Loxton, H. (2009). Monsters in the dark and other scary things: South African preschoolers' self- reports. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 21(1), 47-60. Loxton, H. (2009). Young children's self-reports of coping with fears and perceived effectiveness of coping strategies in the South African context. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 22(3), 361-370. Mostert, J., & Loxton, H. (2008). Exploring the effectiveness of the FRIENDS programme in reducing anxiety symptoms among South African children. Behaviour Change, 25(2), 85-96. Muris, P., Du Plessis, M., & Loxton, H. (2008). Origins of fears in middle childhood children: a South African study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22, 1510-1515. Burkhardt, IK-E. & Loxton, H. (2008). Fears, coping and perceived efficacy of coping mechanisms among South African children living in children's homes. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 20(1), 1-11. Dunn, M., Loxton, H. & Naidoo, A.V. (2006). Correlations of scores of the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration and Copying Test in a South African multi-ethnic preschool sample. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 103, 951-958. Loxton, H., Mostert, J. & Moffatt, D (2006). Screening of intellectual maturity of South African preschoolers' Goodenough-Harris Drawing test scores and teachers' assessment. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 103, 515-525. Muris, P., Loxton, H., Neumann, A., Du Plessis, M., King, N. & Ollendick, T. (2006). DSM-defined anxiety disorders in South African youths: Their assessment and relationship with perceived parental rearing behaviors. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(6) 883-896. Lotz, L., Loxton, H. & Naidoo, AV (2005). Visual-motor integration functioning in a South African middle childhood sample. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 17(2) 63-67. Burkhardt, K., Loxton, H. & Muris, P. (2003). Fears and fearfulness in South African children. Behaviour Change, 20 (2) 94-102. Faure, S., & Loxton, H. (2003). Anxiety, depression and self-efficacy levels of women undergoing first trimester abortion. South African Journal of Psychology, 33 (1) 28-38. Burnett, M. & Loxton, H. (2008). Middle childhood fears: reports by children and parents from a South African farming community. African Journal of Psychiatry, 11(2) 143. Hartley, C.G., & Loxton, H. (2007). A pictorial measure to assess DSM-defined anxiety disorder symptoms in Southern African children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19(2) 172. Zwemstra, P., & Loxton, H. (2007). Anxiety, fears and coping of HIV/AIDS-affected children and their caregivers. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19(2) 211. International Conference Presentations Loxton, H., & Wege, A. (2014). Anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in young South African children. Presentation at the 9th International Conference on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 14 - 16 July 2014, University of Roehampton, London. Loxton, H., Burkhardt, K.,& Ollendick, T.H. (2012). Construction of the South African version of the Fear Survey Schedule for Children. Paper presented at the 30th International Congress of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa, 23-27 July 2012, Cape Town, South Africa. Loxton, H., Visagie, L.,& Ollendick, T.H. (2012). Assessing the fears of children with varying degrees of visual impairment. Paper presented at the 30th International Congress of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa, 23-27 July 2012, Cape Town, South Africa. Loxton, H. (2011). It’s Never Too Early for Anxiety: Assessment, Prevention, and Evidence-Based Treatments for Early Childhood Anxiety – a South African perspective. Paper presented as part of symposium at the 41st EABCT Annual Congress, Reykjavik, 31 August – 2 September, 2011. Benoit, K.E., Ollendick, T.H., Loxton, H., & Muris, P. (2009). The relationship between parenting style and childhood anxiety in an ethnically diverse South African sample. Paper presented at the 29th Annual Conference Anxiety Disorders Association of America, New Mexico, 12-15 March, 2009 (not present). Loxton, H., & Du Plessis, M. (2009). Tracing the origins of children’s fears: building strengths in communities through knowledge. Poster presented at the 2nd Applied Positive Psychology Conference, University of Warwick, UK. April 1-3, 2009. National conferences Loxton, H.,& Bensch, L. (2009). The fears of children with visual impairments: the present South African research picture. Poster presentation at the 15th Annual Congress of the Psychological Society of South Africa: Cape Town, 12 - 14 September 2009. Loxton, H.,& Le Roux, J. (2009). The fears of children with and without hearing impairments: a South African perspective. Poster presentation at the 15th Annual Congress of the Psychological Society of South Africa: Cape Town, 12 - 14 September 2009.