This book provides practical guidance for a wide range of professionals working with parents and families, answering common questions such as 'How can parents facilitate their child's transition to secondary school?' and 'How can families best communicate about alcohol?'. Drawing on the findings from years of applied research projects carried out by the Trust for the Study of Adolescence, each chapter focuses on a particular area of parenting young people – from monitoring and supervision to support for foster families – and each highlights the implications of research results for policy and practice. This book presents a range of approaches to working with parents and families, and discusses the effectiveness of techniques such as parent mentoring and involving young people in parenting programmes. Working with Parents of Young People provides a strong set of evidence-based guidelines for best practice and will be a key resource for all those working to support the parents of teenagers.
This international collection provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) by well-known experts in the field, stressing the importance of early diagnosis and a good working relationship between parents and professionals. The contributors cover a wide range of aspects of ASDs, from early assessment techniques, neurodevelopment and brain function to language development, executive function and genetic research. They explore how individuals with ASDs think and give evidence-based guidance on how to handle difficulties with social interaction and language development using appropriate interventions. New Developments in Autism will be of great interest to professionals, researchers, therapists, parents and people with ASDs.
This book is a guide to understanding the important issue of stigma – `associated disadvantage' – which affects not only those who are excluded from society, but also family members and friends. Social Work and Disadvantage explains the impact of stigmatization on siblings, families and workers in the caring professions and its consequences for the people it affects and for society as a whole. Contributors provide evidence from research and professional practice on transferability of health and social problems in, for example, dementia care patients, drug users and looked after children. Providing key messages for practice, they outline a range of protection measures to reduce the risk of stigma and victimization. Social Work and Disadvantage provides valuable advice and guidance for social work and health care practitioners, educators and students.
This book is an examination of recent developments in the areas of youth justice and child protection. It investigates how well young people and the societies in which they live are served by judicial and service systems. Consideration is given to those in care – in young offenders' institutions, foster families and residential homes – as well as those living with their families. A broad range of international experts discuss the largely segregated youth justice and children's legal and service systems in England and Wales, other parts of Western Europe and the US, and compare these with Scotland's integrated system. The implications of these arrangements are considered for the rights of children and parents on the one hand and society on the other. The contributors also provide insights into the rationale for current and proposed policies, as well as the efficacy of different systems. This book will be an important reference for policy-makers, social workers, lawyers, magistrates and equivalent decision makers, health professionals, carers, and all those working in youth justice and child protection. It is highly relevant for academics and students interested in children, citizenship, youth crime, child welfare and state-family relations.
Art Therapy and Social Action is an exciting exploration of how professionals can incorporate the techniques and approaches of art therapy in their work to address social problems. Examining the expanding role of art practitioner as social activist, leading art therapists and other professionals show how creative methods can be used effectively to resolve conflicts, manage aggression, heal trauma and build communities. The contributors provide examples of innovative programs on a range of topics, including those designed to address gun crime, homelessness, racism and experiences of terrorism, among others. This timely book provides new techniques and successful models for art therapists, counselors and mental health practitioners working directly with the challenges of modern society.
The use of creative writing as a route to personal development is a powerful therapeutic tool – a fact that is recognized in the growing numbers of workshops and writing groups within professional contexts, including clinical, health and criminal justice settings. Writing Works is a guide for writers or therapists working with groups or individuals and is full of practical advice on everything from the equipment needed to run a session to ideas for themes, all backed up by the theory that underpins the methods explained. Experienced practitioners in the field contribute detailed illuminating accounts of organizing writing workshops for a wide range of different clients, together with examples of their outcomes. This book will be an invaluable start-up reference for arts therapists and professionals working across the health, social care and caring professions, and one that will be referred to again and again.
Disorganized children' may display a range of behaviours symptomatic of, for example, ADHD, autism and conduct disorders, but they often fail to meet all the criteria for a clear diagnosis. In this book, psychiatrists, speech, family and occupational therapists and neurodevelopment specialists present a range of behavioural and psychological strategies to help disorganized children improve concentration and performance in the classroom and deal with a variety of behaviour and social interaction difficulties. The authors also provide information and interventions for dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD and schizophrenia, among others. The combination of information, exercises and case studies makes this a valuable tool for use by parents, health care and teaching professionals, and the authors provide an insight into the mind of disorganized children and practical guidance on how best to help them achieve their full potential.
Services for families and children are rightfully the focus of intense scrutiny and debate, and there is a clear need to establish a knowledge of which services work well. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of research evidence from the UK and USA on the effectiveness of selected child welfare interventions. It addresses the challenges of measuring effectiveness in child welfare and explains the policy context for child welfare service delivery. Leading international contributors summarize the evidence of effectiveness in each core area, and consider the impact on children's development, parenting capacity and the wider community. Critically, the book also draws out the implications of the evidence for policy, practice and service delivery as well as for future research. This book is essential reading for policy makers, practitioners and commissioners of services in child welfare as well as students and researchers.
Family support is an increasingly important strategic approach to welfare services for children and families. This invaluable resource for all professionals engaged in the development and delivery of these services is underpinned by reflective practice values and structured around four themes: * conceptual frameworks and vocabulary (defining) * policy and organisational structures and processing (planning) * tools for creative practice (doing) * approaches to evaluation (measuring). Contributors from around the world provide international perspectives on core issues in family support. These include the importance of community, the role of statutory and voluntary agencies, youth advocacy, culturally appropriate family support, child protection, disability services and effective means of evaluation. Providing a combination of clear theoretical frameworks and practical guidance, with clear 'how to' messages and a strong emphasis on evaluation, this book will be of interest to social workers, care staff, teachers, community development and police officers, students, policy-makers, evaluators and all those working in all areas of family support.
This important text shows how child development theory applies to professionals' working practice. Considering theories of development throughout the lifespan from the early years through to adolescence, and transitions to adulthood, this resource is essential reading for a range of professionals including social workers, teachers, and health and mental health professionals. The authors build up an integrated picture of the developing world of the child, looking at genetic and biological influences alongside individual psychological, interpersonal, familial, educational and wider community domains. The final part of the book looks specifically at issues for practice, including chapters on communicating with children exercising professional judgement, and planning, interventions and outcomes in children's services.