Munchausen by proxy: presentations in special education.

Munchausen by proxy is a disorder in which a child is victimized through a form of child abuse called pediatric condition falsification (PCF). PCF has been documented for psychological and psychiatric conditions including one such form presented here in which educational disabilities are the focus of falsification. Parents meet their own self-serving needs through "impostering" as good mothers. This maternal mental disorder is called factitious disorder by proxy. This article presents a series of cases in which children have PCF that primarily consists of educational disabilities. Characteristics of the children, their mothers, and their families are outlined and outcomes for the 9 children in the sample are discussed. Guidelines for identification of children with PCF in educational settings are provided, and special guidance is offered in differential diagnosis.