BRIEF PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS
Brief psycho-educational assessments are available on a needs basis for learners, should these be indicated. These assessments may be completed to assist with diagnostic questions, to assist in developing learning, in scheduling treatment and intervention plans for improved academic performance. The purpose of this service is to screen for a variety of conditions and to determine whether more in-depth assessment is warranted. Often, the screenings are sufficient to identify the factors that are contributing to the difficulty, and to make helpful recommendations. Brief psycho-educational screenings are most often conducted on prospective new learners wishing to join the school.
Parents can work together with therapists to improve wellbeing and functionality in their children and families. Therapy and treatment for psychological conditions in children has proven to be effective, but sometimes treating the child is not enough. Many parents find that they need some professional guidance to assist them in their role as parents. We offer parent consultations as a way for parents to stay informed about their children’s progress in therapy and to provide support and advice to help parents better guide children who are dealing with emotional issues and behaviours. Parent consultations are not therapy sessions but rather are a means to promoting effective parenting. All consultations are personalised for each family so that we can best meet their needs and goals.
Psychotherapy provided by a Psychologist refers to a variety of techniques and methods used to help children, adolescents and young people who are experiencing difficulties with their emotions and/or behaviour which may influence their learning and development. Although there are different types of psychotherapy, each relies on communications as the basic tool for bringing about change in a person's thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Psychotherapy helps children and adolescents in a variety of ways. They receive emotional support, resolve conflicts with people, understand feelings and problems, and try out new solutions to old problems. Goals for therapy may be specific, for example in behaviour (improved relations with friends or family), or more general (less anxiety, better self-esteem). SAHETI Psychologists work from a short-term / brief-therapy approach allowing for eight to twelve sessions of individual psychotherapy.
Subject choice assessments are aimed at assisting Grade 9 learners select appropriate school subjects for Grade 10-12. As subject choice at this level impacts on future study options and career choice, this assessment provides valuable insight and information in order to guide informed subject selections. The assessment includes cogntive, aptitude, personality, values, study habits and interest assessment. Individual subject choice meetings are also scheduled to assist the student to make an informed choice of the subjects they wish to choose in the Further Education and Training Phase (Gr 10-12).
Often the choice of a particular career path is considered an innate or "given" factor for many people and, consequently, something which they shouldn't have to think about especially hard. This assumed attitude of "I should already know" can cause a great deal of anxiety for an individual, especially if they are uncertain of their career path, their aptitudes or their personal employment preferences. The importance of career assessment and vocational guidance cannot be overstated and, considering recent data, it seems that although assessment and guidance are not the norm, they really should be. Therefore, career assessment is intended to assist individuals of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers. At SAHETI, Grade 11 students are provided with an opportunity to participate in career assessment and individual career planning sessions, to chart the way towards their future careers.
Learning support is all about providing resources and instructional strategies that give students the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual support needed to learn. Learning support my therefore focus on study skills, utilizing assistive technology, learning styles and many other strategies which can enhance learning.
APPLICATION FOR CONCESSIONS & ACCOMODATIONS
Some children, adolescents and students with barriers to learning need to be provided with assistance and additional support in the classroom and when taking examinations. In this regard, an assessment is highly recommended to establish the nature of the concession(s) and/or accommodation(s) to be made. The aim of granting a special concession is to minimize the impact of the candidate’s barrier during the writing of the examination and during school-based assessment throughout the school year. The granting of concessions aims to place such candidates on par with other candidates and not to give them any additional advantages. Learners who experience barriers to learning can be granted concession early in their school careers. In other words, a concession is for learners with specific learning difficulties, not those learners working in a second language or having low cognitive functioning. Learners may apply for an examination concession for example requesting extra time if they meet the criteria given by the respective educational authorities (IEB). Accommodations are alterations in the way tasks are presented that can allow a learner to complete the same assignments as other learners. Accommodations do not alter the content of assignments, give students an unfair advantage or in the case of assessments, change what a test measures. They do make it possible for students with learning challenges to show what they know without being impeded by their difficulties. At SAHETI, we provide assistance in the application process and guide parents and students along the way.
Group workshops are held wherein participants work together on a developmentally relevant theme/concept. Groups assist learners to work collectively on topics, collaborate on ideas and come to joint decisions and conclusions. They also allow the Psychologist to work pragmatically to reach as many learners psycho-educationally as possible. Experiential learning and sharing with other group members challenges participants directly to develop their self-awareness.
Teacher and parent workshops are also conducted which address a variety of topics within the field of Child Psychology and Education. The aim of these workshops is to equip teachers and parents with the necessary skills, attitudes and knowledge pertaining to learning and psycho-educational development.