Children's Problems Revealed In Art

(SECOND IN SERIES) When a child is ill, a stethoscope may help with the diagnosis. When he is emotionally disturbed, sometimes crayons help. "A young child's drawings of square - and - triangle houses, yellow suns, smiling stick figures, usually reflect a normal happy outlook," says Mrs. Gustina Hunter, a school social worker. "Falling bombs, ing ships, etc., may indícate difficulties in social adjustment." Art is one of the supervised play techniques used in identifying the source of some children's social or personal problems. Mrs. Hunter deseribed the drawing of a small boy who exhibited learning diffifulties: "It was a tree - full of multiple lines, very detailed. He threw away sheet after sheet before really getting started. Apparently, he is a perfectionist," s h e said, "with a disproportionate fear oí failing." The Ann Arbor School District has a staff of 15 school social workers who provide service to the 24 elementary, three junior highs, one senior high- and the local non-public schools. Two social workers are assigned full time and a third approximately three-fifths time to Ann Arbor High. Each junior high also is assigned a social worker for three-fifths time. In the remaining time, these persons service the elementary and non public schools. Mrs. Hunter estimates that a school social worker may see as many ás 50 pupils during a school year. This figure is only an approximate one because some children may be seen on a short-term basis, the case closed, and another c h i 1 d ladded. Some children may require long - term treatment, land may be continued the following year. Mrs. Huntcr emphasizes that school social work referrals cannot be equated to a social agency's "case load.'" In fact, as a liaison between the child, his parents, teacher, school officials and others, it is often the school social worker's function to help arrange for intensive help through a community agency. In 12 of the Ann Arbor elementary schools, there is an additional resource person to work with some children with special needs. This is the helping teacher. Dr. Hazel M. Turner, director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Ann Arbor public schools, explains: "The factors that determine placement of a helping teacher in a particular school may include, but are not limited to, whether the school has a significant number of children with learn- ing or other disabilities, as well as a staff member jtffe has exhibited an unusual M ity to work effectively with such children." "The helping teacher, also called a "crisis teacher," works with children at scheduled times during the day or week. His or her role includes individual counseling, remedial instruction and consultation with teachers. The helping teacher sees children individually and in groups of two or three. "The helping teacher consults with the child's regular classrOom teacher on the child's academie work, his behavior and progress. She and the school social worker discuss the possible factors that may be contributing to the child's problems, and make tentative plans for helping the child,'" Dr. Turner said. She described .the teacher as one who provides a service to the child with learning disabilities that a regular classroom teacher might provide if she had the time and facilities for such a relationship. The posi-j tion receives the same salary as teachers with similar training and experience. The role is a supportive one to the regular classroom teacher." The Michigan School Social Work Service Manual groups the nature of ref erráis into problems of adjustment to: school, home, peers, himself. Poor attendance, low achievement, lack of interest in school, are among possible school adjustment problems. Lack of a sense of responsibiliity, cheating, stealing, def i anee and lack of friendsi might suggest social adjustment problems. Aggressive tendencies, day-dreaming, emotional immaturity, nervousness, unhappiness and fears are grouped as personal adjustment problems. These are only some of the reasons a child may be referred to the school social worker for fcpecialized help. The nature of some of these symptoms suggests that if diagnosed and treated early, such symptoms may not grow to proportions which will later require institutional or in-patient hospital care. Ann Arbor piloted the helping teacher program in the state approximately eight years ago. The staff of school social workers here exceeds the number reimbursed by the State Department of Education. These factors suggest a genuine commitment by the school administration and Board in providing extended service for all students, it has been observed. "Still," Dr. Turner contends, "no program is adequate as long as priorities of children to be served must be made," she says. "We have an excellent staff, and seem to be keeping 'on top' of most of the major needs exhibited at this point." She emphasizéd that the staff of Pupil Personnel Services are; "part of a team working with the teacher, principal, other school staff, so that each child! may make f uil use of his learning potential. The Pupil Personnel Staff includes, in addi-j tion to school social workers andj helping teachers, teachers ofl the mentally retarded, school diagnosticians, nurses, speech therapists, counselors at tha secondary level, teachers of tha emotionally disturbed. "We don't log our successea in terms of 'saving 9 out 01 10,' " the director said. "We'rJ not manufacturing a product we're providing a service - anj extensión of the classroom."