Flying Solo

With Iulia on vacation this week I was left to my own demises.  Obviously this meant that the children did not participate in their small group activities and no caregiver meeting took place; this further delays the progress we hope to see, but is part of the nature of life.  While I think the children appreciated the break from organized activities, they still continually queried when we will resume playing together.

The "therapy" room

I took advantage of the free time (both mine and the children's) by inviting 4 children each day to come play with me individually for 45 minutes.  This first time together I simply observed their behaviors and emotions.  Most of the children relished this escape from the world (a few declined, preferring to ride a bicycle or rollerblade).  Even having made a schedule of times with their corresponding names the children seemed not to grasp the notion of taking turns and wanted to come with me each day.  Because I will only be able to meet with each child individually 4 or 5 times I'm not fully convinced of the impact this time will have on their behaviors when transferred to a large group.  However, I am glad that I can provide them with a temporary gift of solitary time, one I know they definitely cherish. [On a side note, one of the sisters (the head cook whom I have developed great rapport with) approached me to congratulate me after my individual session with one of the children.  She said another sister commented on how much better adjusted the girl was during the remainder of the day.]

During our time together many of the children were initially overwhelmed with making a choice to play a game/complete an activity.  Most seemed very disorganized in their selection and did not stick with an activity for longer than 10 minutes.  Several were eager to learn how to play new games ("Trouble", "Memory Match", "Go Fish") and truly enjoyed the one-on-one attention in a quiet place.  The majority didn't say much during the session; I'm not sure whether this was out of choice or because they know my communication skills are limited.  But my newly acquired Italian skills came in very handy, and I am making much more progress in comprehending and speaking this language-- it's definitely an answered prayer.  It was also very clear from the sessions that the children vie for attention by displaying immature or inappropriate behaviors.  They also continually looked to me for approval and wanted to see my reactions to certain actions.  Subsequent sessions I will utilize therapeutic strategies to address the concerns I found while still allowing them their independence in choosing activities.  I am also happy to report that one of the sisters asked to see my therapy notes at the conclusion of my time here so she can present them to the teachers and volunteers in Italy in order to track the "evolution" of the children.  At least I know she values my clinical judgement and my work with the children (even if she isn't willing to change her behaviors).

Another major task for the week was creating large posters of the rules developed by the caregivers and children last week.  Several of the children helped by coloring pictures, cutting various items, and gluing things onto the posterboards.  They (and I too, admittedly) were very proud of the final products.  This upcoming week Iulia and I will review these rules with the children, make sure they understand what each rule means, and then post them in their respective places to be seen on a daily basis.  We'll see how well they follow through with complying to the rules and how well the caregivers do with helping them comply.



Rules for bedtime





Rules for mealtime



Yesterday a second group of Italian volunteers arrived with several days worth of activities planned for the children (they leave on Wednesday, I believe).  My diligence in studying Italian has definitely paid off, allowing me to communicate with the volunteers on an elementary level.  I can also participate more in their activities and continue to utilize my strategies with the children.  On the other hand, their arrival puts another cramp in the schedule of activities and individual time I created.  This also means the reintegration of several children who have been in Italy for the past two weeks, as well as several other children leaving for Italy.  While I understand the value of being flexible, I must also bear in mind that I only have 9 weeks left with the children.  So many unexpected barriers!  It will definitely be interesting to see what September brings regarding measurable results, especially with such inconsistency.