Children

 

Working with children requires a working knowledge of a child’s emotional, social, and learning characteristics as well as a sensitivity to and an understanding of their ability to communicate the challenges they face to others.   Distress in children often can be verbalized but in some and many young children is often seen in their behavior.  Our philosophy is that children would do what they are asked, if they could, unless they can’t or they have learned that their efforts to meet the expectations of the adults in their world do not meet with success.  What this means is that children’s behavior is often thought by others to be purposeful rather than many times the result of weaknesses within the way in which they are able to process information and manage the expectations of others.  Hence, our goal is to understand those strengths and weaknesses, the expectations that they are to meet, and create a plan based on those factors to support the development of a healthy child moving towards adulthood.  Working with children most often involves teaming with parents, family,  teachers, tutors, physicians and even clergy to help create an environment in which the child can thrive.  One of our goals is to support families in their efforts to facilitate the development of a “growth mind set” in their child.  The creation of  relationships built on a solid foundation composed of trust and a safe environment in which to learn are paramount to this process. We work very hard to develop relationships with other members of the team to create and/or participate in a care plan that works for the child and family.  Lastly, we attempt to stay abreast of the most recent developments in research that help to guide the strategies we teach and encourage both the children and adults to deploy as they attempt to meet the demands on an increasingly complex world.  All of this done with an awareness and respect for the moral and cultural framework of the family.