Working with children

Assessments

Often when caregivers need to have psychological testing done for their child, it can be very difficult to explain this to the child. Michaela often uses the comparison of a sports coach. The coach is seen as someone who supports you to achieve your goal, no matter what sport you play. The coach supports you in training, to gain the skills you need to win. And last, but not least, the coach supports the whole team, regardless of their level and skills. This analogy can eliminate the stigma and the feeling that there is “something wrong”, or that they are “different”.

It is important that you, as a caregiver, have a discussion with your child about this, so that they are prepared. When booking an assessment, we will go through all the appointments and you can choose to bring your child along to all of them, or only the ones that are necessary. This will depend on the child’s age and level of insight. 

During the assessment, a caregiver needs to be present. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it can reduce the child’s anxiety. Secondly, it helps to provide feedback to the therapist about the child’s presentation. And thirdly, it aids in the feedback process, as the therapist will be able to point out specific situations that occurred during the assessment, that the parent would also have observed.

Where possible, it is beneficial for both caregivers to attend at least one of the assessment sessions, to provide different points of view.

When Michaela meets the child for the first time, before any testing is done, there is an informal setting to build rapport and reduce anxiety. This may be in the form of play, or having a chat about what’s going to happen. This is also a space to ask questions.

Each assessment is different, but mostly it is a set of specific tasks or prompts. Different devices may be used, including an iPad.

Treatment

There are some similarities between children’s assessments and treatment, when it comes to explaining it to them. However, an assessment is mostly a one-off meeting, whereas treatment involves several sessions. In most cases, it is important that the caregiver attends the sessions with the child and engages for the duration of the session. At times, especially with children who have NDIS funding, some of the sessions may be completed at school. In these cases, Michaela provides a summary of what was discussed and what is being worked on, to help the caregiver implement strategies at home. The child’s age will be a factor in the format of treatment, and will be discussed by Michaela at the beginning of the treatment.

Michaela uses a play therapy approach with children, to help address the child's presenting difficulties with activities such as: sand tray, painting, playing various games including board games and imaginary play, bibliotherapy, arts and crafts and some physical exercises.