Parent Consultation for Behavioral Problems
Parenting is a complex and often unexplored part of people’s development. The arrival of a child changes the relationship that the couple has developed by adding a nonverbal, needy and dependent new family member.
Most people use the parenting strategies that they learned from their own parents. This can become problematic when two parents have very different styles and experiences, especially when they have a child with behavioral difficulties. Parenting consultation is an opportunity for parents to discuss the similarities and differences in their views of their roles and styles of dealing with children.
Behavioral parent management training can help parents (including divorced parents) develop a common and consistent approach to their children. This training can run from one to eight sessions and focuses on providing parents with specific skills and strategies to address their child’s behavior problems.
Parent Consultation for Learning Problems
School issues are another frequent problem that parents encounter. These may include:
- Attention Deficit
- School Interventions
- IEP Reviews
- School Meetings
Consultation services can assist parents in their approach to their child as well as to the school. Often parents feel intimidated by meeting with teachers and administrators, unsure of their and their child’s rights and uncertain about the most useful approach in order to assist their child or adolescent.
Meeting with a professional who can review the educational information can help the parent develop a variety of approaches and a plan for implementation. Often a professional from Delta Consultants can accompany a parent in order to help facilitate discussions of school interventions and to help advocate for the child.
The process of school interventions becomes even more daunting when a child is found to have a disability and is eligible for special education and related services.
At that time, a team of people will gather to talk about what special instruction and services your child needs. This team includes the parent. The team reviews the information available about your child, which may include classroom work, teacher and parent reports as well as achievement test results. It may also include the results of individual evaluations of the child, whether conducted by the school or private practitioners. This information is used to determine how your child is currently doing in school and what special needs he or she has. Recommendations are then made and formalized in a document called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
It can be helpful for the parent to consult with a professional who is acquainted with the rules and possibilities that could be negotiated with the school in order to assist their child in the learning process. Often a professional from Delta Consultants can accompany a parent in order to help facilitate discussions of school interventions and to help advocate for the child.
A learning disability is a biologically-based developmental difficulty. Children with learning disabilities are generally as smart as their peers, but they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways.
For some people with learning disabilities, strong feelings of frustration, anger, sadness or shame can lead to psychological difficulties such as anxiety, depression or low self-esteem, as well as behavioral problems such as substance abuse or juvenile delinquency.
Delta Consultants works with the individual and with the family in order to help them cope with the impact of having a learning disability. Educational support and coping strategies are often important for the individual to cope more effectively in school or work.
Families also need guidance in order to understand the impact on daily functioning that a learning disability can have. They too can benefit from tools to assist them in coping with their own frustrations and reactions.