Helping a child | Imamother

amother

Lemon

Tue, Dec 27 2016, 9:56 am

I have a child in my class who comes to school looking a bit disheveled (messy hair and sometimes dirty clothes) and shows signs of real anxiety in my opinion. I actually afraid that she is being abused. Her parents don't want to give her any therapy which In worried she needs in order to deal with her anxiety. What else can I do in order to help this child?

mummiedearest

Tue, Dec 27 2016, 10:13 am

how old is the child? my child goes to school with messy hair at times because she resists, and I don't always get to it in the morning. another child has curly hair and is learning to care for it herself, so it looks messy until she becomes a pro. as for dirty clothes, some children spill breakfast on themselves regularly and don't have time to change. younger children sometimes insist on wearing clothing even if it's dirty. some of these things can be a sign of parents choosing their battles. especially if a child is anxious, they may be relaxing certain things.

what can you do? realize that therapy for a child often involves huge costs out of pocket for parents. is there a school counselor you could have the child see? would it be possible for you to push a board of ed eval (if the boe offers counseling in your area)?

are there signs of abuse beyond the clothing and hair? is the child fed regularly? you may want to discuss this with your school principal.