| 80% of teacher training tends to be on content, with | | | | turnaround deeply troubled families. In your spare |
| only about 20% of training focusing on the "human | | | | time, you probably will not be able to get that mom |
| factors," those minute-to-minute problems with your | | | | to finally stop drinking, or that dad to suddenly |
| youngsters that dominate each day. Whether you | | | | recognize the importance of your service. Instead, |
| are a teacher, counselor, social worker or | | | | we recommend that you discontinue or reduce your |
| psychologist, there are days that you run out of | | | | repeatedly unsuccessful efforts with the adults, and |
| answers. | | | | devote all or most of your energy to helping the child |
| Here is your chance to get the answers you need | | | | succeed without family support. The ideas shown |
| for your most challenging youth problems. Eavesdrop | | | | above, on helping even young children attend your |
| on the questions posed in our Live Expert Help area | | | | site without family aid, are an example of what we |
| of our web site, and perhaps your question will be | | | | mean. Yes, this is tragic, but you can still succeed |
| answered. Have a question for Live Help? Click on the | | | | with the child even though you may never succeed |
| Live Help icon at our site, | | | | with the parents. The child is your real target, and |
| Q: Do you have any ideas how to get young children | | | | where the best hope for success may lie. |
| to show up at our site when no parent seems willing | | | | Q: We are seeing more and more kids who are |
| to assist the child to attend? | | | | incredibly mean and violent, and it seems like |
| A: We believe in the ends justify the means in this | | | | absolutely nothing I do makes them behave. What |
| area, meaning that unless it violates your site's rules | | | | can I do that would work better? |
| or policies, then do it if it will help the child to attend. | | | | A: This is one of the most frequent questions we |
| Your service is just that important, that you should | | | | get. 11-15% of your population are conduct disorders. |
| do whatever it takes to get the child in. Actions can | | | | That is a mental health term that a mental health |
| include waking the child by phone, picking up the child | | | | professional can apply to some extremely hurtful kids. |
| in the morning, or securing an alarm clock for the | | | | The way you work with conduct disorders, and kids |
| youngster to use. You can also use our popular | | | | you believe might be conduct disorders, differs |
| "Countdown to School (or Agency) Schedule" or | | | | dramatically from conventional approaches. |
| make a facsimile of it. The "Countdown to School | | | | Conventional approaches will consistently fail with this |
| Schedule" lists times for the child to perform the | | | | portion of your kids. You have to use a different set |
| actions needed to get ready for school. It | | | | of tools, or else you will continue to feel that virtually |
| compensates a bit for the lack of vital family | | | | nothing you do yields any useful results. We have a |
| supervision. | | | | good resource for you on this. Go to our site, where |
| BONUS INTERVENTION: | | | | some of the basics on conduct disorders are spelled |
| If you work with young children, you know that | | | | out. If you need it, our "All the Best Answers for the |
| many can't tell time and may not reliably know | | | | Worst Problems: Conduct Disorders and Anti-Social |
| numbers, so put a piece of tape under the place | | | | Youth" books can give you more than the |
| where the numbers will click in on a digital clock. On | | | | introductory information in the article. |
| the tape, write the time you want the child to get | | | | Q: Can you explain to me what Aspergers is? And, |
| up. So, you might put a "7" on the tape, and teach | | | | what should I do? |
| the child to get up and go when the number on the | | | | A: Aspergers is a constellation of symptoms that |
| clock matches the number on the tape. It is sad to | | | | varies from child to child. It may be related to autism, |
| have you taking over the family's job, but if you | | | | and is not fully understood. Only a counselor or |
| have been unable to engage the family, this may be | | | | medical professional can diagnose it. Some common |
| an option worth considering. | | | | symptoms are inappropriate social behaviors, |
| BONUS INTERVENTION: | | | | distractibility, developmental delays, and repetitive talk |
| For very young children, just teach them to "get up | | | | or actions. It's more common in males. Unlike autistic |
| and go," and wait a bit before adding in other less | | | | children, language and cognitive functioning may not |
| crucial tasks like washing the face, for example. Once | | | | be as significantly delayed or impaired. Also, this |
| the child masters the basics, you can add on more | | | | disorder may be identified later, or occur later than |
| tasks. In the meantime, you may want to have a | | | | autism. It is often misdiagnosed. We suggest that |
| few snacks, some sweatshirts, etc. to fill in the gaps. | | | | you not let the terminology confuse you-- even |
| Whether an older youth, a younger child, a cold or | | | | though many professionals are understandably |
| hungry kid will have difficulty benefitting from your | | | | confused by this diagnostic term. Instead, focus on |
| service. Be sure to also expose the child to plenty of | | | | the specific problems you see in the individual child, |
| motivation-makers; there are a few on our site, and | | | | then prioritize the concerns and work on them |
| hundreds in our books A child who believes that your | | | | systematically. We suggest you focus on three areas |
| service is incredibly important, may work harder to | | | | at a time. |
| arrive. | | | | BONUS INTERVENTION: |
| Q: I am so frustrated trying to get some parents to | | | | If you have developed good methods to work with |
| do their job! What ideas do you have to get parents | | | | ADD-affected children, some of those methods will |
| to do what they are supposed to do? | | | | work well with Aspergers- affected youth. For |
| A: By the time you run into a troubled family, the | | | | example: for problematic verbal interactions, you can |
| problems have been in that system for a long time. | | | | teach your ADD- or Aspergers-affected child how to |
| We actually do not recommend that people who are | | | | make Opening, Middle and Closing Lines, as a way to |
| not family therapists continue to spend large amounts | | | | give them essential everyday conversational skills. |
| of time working to engage parents who never seem | | | | Opening Lines initiate the conversation, Middle Lines |
| to improve. If you are a teacher with 30 in your | | | | continue it, and Closing Lines terminate it. |
| classroom, or a school counselor with a caseload of | | | | WANT MORE ANSWERS TO YOUR WORST "KID |
| 500, for example, it is not realistic that in your brief | | | | PROBLEMS? |
| seconds of "spare time," you somehow magically | | | | |