How to Coach Yourself and Others Empowering Coaching And Crisis Interventions | Page 79

This book is in B&W, not color - Print page in Grayscale for Correct view! You are the person who decides what services and supports your family and child need. Include your child in decision making whenever possible. You child needs to be an active participant in the services you receive. Every child is different, yet there are children similar to yours. You are not alone. Other families have faced similar problems and shared the same experiences. Getting connected to other families who are willing to help you can make all the difference. You need to begin asking the following questions: • • • • What do I need to know and to do to help my child? What agencies in the community have programs or services that can help my child and other members of my family? How do I get services from them? How will my child’s health, growth and development, social interaction, and ability to learn be affected by the problem we face? What has helped other children like mine? In the context of your interactions with children, always: 1. Look through the child’s eyes: Consider the world from the child’s point of view. What joys and challenges exist for this child each day? What is their level of abili ty and support to meet their challenges? Who are their friends? Is the child’s life basically happy or full of considerable stress and loss? Too often as adults we view the child from the adult lens thinking about how the child’s behavior affects our work or our day. Instead, remember what it was like to be very young and consider what daily life is like for this young child. When you truly understand the needs of the child then you have a much stronger ability to assist this child with your professional skills. 2. Look for the positive: Develop an extensive list of the skills, interests, motivators, and personality attributes of this child. This becomes essential information when you develop positive action plans to help the child address challenges in their life. Regardless of age, we all are much more effective in responding to difficulties when personal strengths are identified and utilized to address needs. 3. Meet at the child’s level: Develop professional plans that start at the child’s level of comfortable functioning. If required skills are above the child’s functional developmental level then the child will not be successful. Since children are unique, it is normal for there to be variation in developmental levels across the developmental domains (cognitive, social, emotional, behavioral, and physical). Assessment should include evaluation of each of these domains independently and is critical for a thorough understanding of the child’s strengths as well as challenges. 4. Plan Success: Interventions and strategies should be designed with success in mind. Don’t create a plan if there is a question about the child being able to accomplish the goal. Behavior plans should include positive incentives which will encourage increased self-esteem and motivation for change and growth. 5. Child as expert: At an early age we all find ways to communicate our likes and dislikes in life. Gifted caregivers learn to recognize these communications and respond to them. Be sensitive to the child’s communication and find ways to include the child in intervention planning. Even small children can choose their own rewards and acknowledge simple rules. As the child grows, increase their participation in all decision processes about them. For [email protected] Property of Bookemon, do NOT distribute 79