Counselling Children With Special Needs

This essential text for those working with special needs children offers practical advice to the care professional on helping children communicate their emotional needs and develop their personal skills. Counselling children with special needs requires particular skills and knowledge to help the child overcome physical or developmental problems or, using the model of bereavement, deal with emotional difficulties such as anger, grief, guilt, denial or depression. This key text defines strategies for dealing with specific problems using recognized methods of communication including simple signing, Bliss and VOCA, and applies these strategies to practice. Sensitive issues are addressed, including speech and language difficulties, sexuality, race and culture, and death. The role of directed play and other techniques is discussed and numerous case studies are used to clearly illustrate the problems involved. The book provides a framework of skills for counseling children with special needs on a short term or long term basis, whether in hospital, school or community setting, enabling each professional to build on the therapeutic relationship. This book is a valuable resource for all those involved in the social and emotional welfare or special needs children including counselors, social workers, therapists, doctors, nurses and teachers. Key features of the book Considers the specific requirements of children with special needs Directly addresses the development of counseling skills Firmly based on knowledge of disability and of good counseling practice