Treatment Phase 4
Phase 4 (4 months ~) Quarterly Feedback Sessions
In Phase 4, the treatment team provides a quarterly feedback session to parents on the clinical and psycho-educational progress the child has shown over the past 3 to 4 months, or a quarter term – Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. This feedback session takes place during the regular clinical session, and the primary clinicians review the initial treatment goals and explain how their Treatment strategies to achieve these goals have reduced the child’s problematic behaviors and improved his language or learning development over the past term.
Adolescents are invited to participate in the feedback session unless they have severe emotional behavioral problems. The quarterly feedback session requires both parents of the child to participate. In Korea, fathers still often take a passive position when it comes to parenting their child; however, we have recently observed more and more fathers begin to proactively participate in learning how to properly parenting their child, such as through the feedback session. To establish a consistent disciplinary system at home and reduce unnecessary conflicts within the household, both parents’ participation in the feedback session is necessary. The Treatment strategies built over a 3-month term of behavior observation and research are delivered to the parents and the clinicians learn other problematic behaviors the child shows at home from the parents so they can add those to the treatment plan. The quarterly feedback sessions are held a week before the end of the term, so the IPEP, including the treatment plan and consent from which must be signed by the parents, can timely be updated with and the child’s treatment continues in the following term.
Process of Generalization of Treatment Strategies Implemented in Clinical Setting to Home and School Environments
Process of Generalization of Treatment Strategies Implemented in Clinical Setting to Home and School Environments
- Educate and train the child’s parents and caregivers with the same treatment strategies which clinicians are implementing in sessions
Precautions for Parents and Caregivers
- During Phases 1 and 2, the treatment team identifies the most effective parenting method used by the parents or caregivers and tries to mold it in a consistent manner.
- Parents or caregivers may find it challenging to learn the treatment strategies and behavioral approaches developed by the clinicians, or a relatively busier one of the parents may not participate in the treatment process as actively as the other one.
- The treatment team and the parents must act as one team; parents’ active participation will help maximize the treatment effect.
Precautions when Building Partnership with International Schools
- Every school is staffed differently and has different policies about human resources and thus, there may be inflexibility in how much time school professionals can spend in adopting and implementing the suggested strategies.
- To maintain the partnership to work collaboratively, additional research and consultation time must be devoted not only by the school professionals but also by the treatment team, so both parties must recognize these limitations and collaborate on behalf of the student.
- When partnering with schools, a consent form for disclosure of information must be signed by the parents and caregivers, and they are strongly recommended to dedicate special effort and trust in all the professionals involved.
