This program is designed for a comprehensive mental health assessment and intervention at the school level. It includes the child, parents and family, school and teachers and the result of the interactions between these three areas.
This would be at the time of the admission of the child to the school. This includes
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A detailed meeting with the parents individually as well as together. A history of the parental attitudes towards the child, the structure of the family and the history of the child prior to admission to school would be collected. This includes birth history, breast feeding, milestones, caretaking, any neurological illnesses including seizures, developmental lags and life events can be noted. The nature of the relationships between each family member and with the child can be noted. The parents would be assessed for individual psychopathologies which would affect the interaction with the child.
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A meeting with the child and the parents focusing on the interactions between them.
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Child observation and play therapy with the child for 2 sessions.
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Psychological tests to be conducted
For parents
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Family attachment and changeability index
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Family awareness scale
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Family beliefs inventory
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Family emotional involvement and criticism scale
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Family problem solving communication
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Family responsibility index
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Index of parental attitudes
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Parental nurturance scale
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Parental tolerance scale
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Parenting scale
For children
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Children’s cognitive assessment questionnaire
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Children’s loneliness questionnaire
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Impulsivity scale
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Self-esteem scale
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Self-concept scale for children
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A regular follow-up with each child once every month
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A regular follow-up with the parents once every two months including assessment of behaviour at home, life events and development
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Regular parent counseling sessions in groups once every month including various topics like discipline, role of television, sibling interactions, effect of parents quarrels, normal development
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A one day seminar on child psychopathology including attention deficit disorders, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, mental retardation, specific learning disabilities, separation anxiety disorders, nocturnal enuresis.
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Evaluation of emerging patterns from the child’s behaviour at school and home.
For the teachers
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A clinical interview to assess psychopathology and attitudes towards children and education
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Regular individual meetings once a month to discuss problems in classrooms, problems with particular children and the patterns of interactions in classrooms.
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Guidance regarding the handling of children with psychological problems.
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A one day seminar on child psychopathology including attention deficit disorders, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, mental retardation, specific learning disabilities and the remedial interventions
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Supervision of interactions with parents and children on an individual basis.