Mental Health in Youth - Questions and Answers

1001 Words3 Pages

For the sake of this assignment I will have to use the term “client” very loosely for this population. One interaction I can think of is with D.B. an 8 year-old girl who has been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD as described in our text, is characterized by a pattern of defiant, hostile, and negativistic behaviors (Lambert, 2005; AACAP, 2009). For D.B, she would often display behaviors towards others that were vindictive and spiteful in nature, she would through temper tantrums at a drop of a dime, frequently act out inappropriately by deliberately doing things that annoy others and persistently test limits, as well as be hypersensitive or touchy in regards to others feedback to her. Her behaviors have disrupted her performance day-to-day functioning in various contexts, specifically in her home environment, interacting socially with peers when playing, and in an educational setting.

If I were an OT working with D.B there would be intervention strategies I would focus on due to her unique needs, along with noted strengths and interests. One strategy I would use would use for D.B. would be incorporate a therapeutic board game as the one discussed in our text “ The Talking, Feeling, and Doing Game” (Lambert, 2005). This game would focus on a skills development format that would include structure though predetermined set rules, have an outlet for unexpressed feeling, begin to establish a sense of trust in regards to sharing information with others, and promotes discussion of appropriate problem solving. Another strategy would include observation and interactions in her home environment, where a play would be more parent- child focused, observation would be made regarding their dynamic and interactions with the environment. As an OT working with D.B. in her home environment suggestions on adaptive strategies can be recommended in efforts to improve D.B.’s maladaptive behaviors and to increase parental interactions by providing suggestions for setting limits, modeling, and structure and routine.

2. Based on your readings identify 2 "play activities" that provide age appropriate outlets for feelings and thoughts in children. Reflect on your experiences to date working with pediatric clients. Have you seen those types of "play activities" being used in therapy? Did you feel that the goal was for the child to express feelings/thoughts? Write a long-term goal of your own for what you might work on with children who demonstrate behavioral issues.

More about Mental Health in Youth - Questions and Answers

Open Document