Working with Parents

Parents are the key to the child's improvement. Communicating and working with parents is essential for successfully helping a child. In general, I work regularly with parents whenever I work with a child. Some parents benefit from work with a different person than their child works with. Thus, I also see parents without working directly with their child In those cases I stay in contact with their child's therpist as needed.

My work with parents can include

• parent-child play therapy or family therapy
• helping parents design a home program or "floor time" (as Stanley Greenspan has called it) for them to work with their child at home
• understanding a child’s behavior and development
• recommendations for school placement and educational needs
• helping parents advocate with schools or other providers for their childdren's needs
• attending meetings at school with parents for support and advocacy
• recommendations for behavior management and education issues
• behavior charting for home or school
• planning for the next stage of development

Some problems can best be helped by seeing parents and children together. Parent-child play sessions are possible, as well as parent-child problem-solving through negotiation of limits or behavior management. Family sessions in the playroom can help siblings with their relationship, and can help parents and children understand each other. 

Sometimes parents and children can benefit from "coaching;" for example, when there are conflicts over homework, it can sometimes be helpful for the parent and child to bring homework to a session and work on the problem. 

I have also done many home and school visits, when additional observation is needed.