Question

Giselle is ready to start school and is excited about this new change in her life.

Her mother, Gert, is feeling nervous and worried about how Giselle will cope at school. She is concerned that the school will not be able to manage her behaviour effectively and that Giselle will lose access to valuable skills.

Patrice meets with Gert and makes sure that Giselle is invited to come in for part of the meeting too. Together they talk about the positive aspects of starting school and Patrice shows Giselle a simple picture book about getting ready for school. She provides Gert with brochures and fact sheets about what to expect during the first few weeks and then, while Giselle is busy reading her new book, they make a list of Gert’s concerns and talk about how they can be managed. They also write down some information from Giselle’s behaviour plan to share with the school so they will be able to implement the same strategies at school as home.

Gert suggests some positive strategies such as distraction, regular breaks, quiet times and being alert for triggers, which can all help avoid behavioural difficulties arising as a result of Giselle becoming confused or tired during the day. They write an action plan document to help the school plan for any behavioural difficulties that might arise during the first few weeks.

Patrice invites Giselle to come back and sit with them while they write down and draw pictures to show who Giselle would like to invite to the school to see her in her first assembly on the last day of the first school week.

Giselle draws pictures of both her grandmothers, and her mother suggests they also invite her big sister and Giselle’s best friend, Becky, from next door to attend.

Patrice also asks Giselle to talk about what helps her most when she is feeling tired or cross, and Giselle suggests that taking her teddy with her in her bag would be a good idea as she can cuddle it if she is worried or upset. She says that she often talks to Becky about problems and that Becky is a good listener. Patrice smiles and says that she thinks it would be great to invite Becky to come over for a play after the first week so they can talk about her week at school.

a. What strengths-based solution could patrice use to respond to the possible difficulty of giselle having trouble separating from gert on the first few days of school?

Answer 1

Patrice can suggest that Giselle brings her teddy as a comfort object to school and arranges for her best friend Becky to be present during drop-off, utilizing existing positive relationships to create a reassuring environment and empower Giselle.

Step-by-step explanation:

Patrice can use a strengths-based solution to address the potential difficulty of Giselle separating from her mother, Gert, during the first few days of school. One effective strategy could be to utilize Giselle's strong bond with Becky, her best friend from next door, and her affection for her teddy. Patrice could propose that Giselle bring her teddy to school as a comfort object and arrange for Becky to be present during drop-off times for additional support.

This approach leverages existing positive relationships to create a familiar and reassuring environment for Giselle, in turn enhancing her confidence and aiding in a smoother transition.

Encouraging Giselle to share her feelings with her teddy and to talk to Becky about any problems she encounters can also be part of the action plan, which would provide a personalized coping mechanism for Giselle that empowers her to manage her own emotions and behaviors at school.