Work as a Remedy Good Practices Book EN

“The IQ test shows a very high level; Amalia’s internal motivation is strong, the family’s involvement is appropriate and consistent, and the therapeutic program being followed is suitable. These are the elements that will save little Amalia,” the Mental Health Specialists we worked closely with told us. And so it was. The struggle continues. At the age of five, she spoke all the letters clearly. She communicated properly and then some... she wouldn’t stop talking... she always had something to say, and she enjoyed it! Her father didn’t agree to have her repeat kindergarten to be emotionally stronger for first grade. I was very anxious about whether she would manage. Amalia desperately wanted to go to first grade with her friends. And so it happened. When she brought home her first test with an A, I cried, and she said, “Why are you reacting like this? Didn’t I tell you I’d be top of the class?” But the school system is more demanding and tougher. In higher grades, she studied and studied, but the time she spent studying (which was a lot) did not correspond with her expected performance or desired grades. “Why do I keep getting 7s and 8s when I study so much?” She often had disappointments with her friends. Her relationships were highs and lows. “How could she concentrate on studying if we didn’t first resolve her emotional issues?” Mom was always by her side, sometimes with great patience, other times with a little less. I studied anew! I left the paramedical field I worked in and focused on Social Work, specifically in the field of mental health. For many years, Amalia and I “danced the Tango,” as I like to say. Her needs determined my choices, and I tried to ensure my choices had a positive impact on her development. I was both her educator and counselor. I read with little Amalia throughout primary school in a hands-on way. I supported her in middle and high school, organizing creative projects together, as she had an aptitude for technological applications, and I showed her a more functional way of studying for life. I encouraged her to participate in extracurricular activities (ballet, basketball, theater workshop, pottery lessons) and in school group activities (e.g., choir, theater group). Amalia also studied English, German, and music. I was always beside her, observing how she could respond to each teacher’s teaching method. The language lessons naturally took the form of private tutoring. Each time, we discussed with the respective teacher how to differentiate her teaching. Some teachers could not adopt more alternative teaching methods, so we changed teachers… not many... thankfully. We changed one teacher in English and one in music, and with that change, Amalia switched instruments (from piano to guitar).