29th & 30th August Assignment 1 By ~ Mrs Nahid R Shaikh

Assignment 1
Week 1_Child Psychology

Q1. What are the different areas of Child Counselling. Elaborate any
one area which interests you.

Response/ Answer:
Counselling deals with different problem which varies from person to person, which
may be both failure and successful. Following are the areas where the child needs
assistance or help.
i. Experiences at home: At home the child experiences the unjust treatment
given by his/ her parent by being jealous when more attention is given to
the siblings or any other person in the family.
ii. Experience at School: In the preprimary stage to cope up with others or in
group. Whereas when the child reaches the secondary level facing
academic difficulties, personal differences between students, etc.
iii. Social Adjustment: It’s like while playing on the ground with other people it
gets quite difficult to adjust according to everyone, for instance the child
might get limited opportunities to play amidst the others.
To add, the social media exposure and learning to channelize the information load is
many a times challenging for the child.
The area which I find interesting is counselling in school. The aim is to provide
psychological aid for children. Children in school face many problems like
competitiveness, bullying, social exclusion, racism, family crisis, sibling rivalry,
abuse, peer pressure, etc. As schools are primary and essential homes for children
which is supporting, nurturing and facilitating educational, moral & social
development amongst them. The school also must play a role in identifying,
managing & preventing mental health problems in a child. Earlier the problem is
identified, it is easier to prevent serious behavioral problems in a child.

1
29th & 30th August Assignment 1 By ~ Mrs Nahid R Shaikh

Q2. Mention some qualities of a good Child Counsellor?

Counselling is a study where a person is well trained in many kinds of problems in a

child at home or in a society. Children experience problems in their daily lives that
can affect them emotionally, physically & academically. Hence to help a child to find
solutions to their problem and to improve is quite essential. This will lead them to
grow in positive and developed manner.
Qualities of a good Counsellor:
i. First the Counsellor should understand the child and respect him/ her and
show interest.
ii. He should develop a good rapport with the child.
iii. He should have good communication between him & the child.
iv. Tone of voice, facial expressions, gesture & posture should be of
welcoming nature. A counselor should gather thorough knowledge about
the child and prepare himself to guide the child.
v. He should gather thorough knowledge about the child and should be
prepared to guide him.
vi. He should be flexible and adjust when needed.
vii. He should be a moral support to the child, which is a must.
viii. He should show empathy towards the child.

2
29th & 30th August Assignment 1 By ~ Mrs Nahid R Shaikh

Q3. Write about Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development.

Response/ Answer:
In Piaget’s cognitive and development theory he says that as children’s thinking
development is from one stage to another, so as their behaviour also changes.
Hence the stages in this theory follows a specific order where each stage occurs
after one another.
In Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development, we find four stages & and their
appropriate age:
Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years.
Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 Years
Concrete Operational Stage: 7 to 11 years
Formal Operational Stage: 12 to Adulthood.
Piaget proposed that intelligence grows and develops through a series of stages.
 Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years.
This is the earliest stage of cognitive development. Infants and toddlers
acquire knowledge through sensory experience and manipulating objects.
The infant tries to know the surroundings through movement and sensation.
In this period, they not only perform physical action such as crawling, walking,
touching, grasping/holding, but also develop language from the people in
their immediate environment. They develop tastes, smells, identify familiar
similar surroundings and faces of family members such mother, father,
siblings, etc.
 Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 Years
In this stage, major development takes place. The start thinking symbolically
and learn to use words and pictures. Kids learn through playing however still
struggle to use logic & understanding.
 Concrete Operational Stage: 7 to 11 years
The child begins to think logically. They begin to understand the concept of
conversation. Thinking becomes more organized but very unclear. In this
stage the child becomes less egocentric and thinks how other people might
think or feel. They also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to
them and it is not necessary to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions.
 Formal Operational Stage: 12 to Adulthood.
In this stage, young adults become capable of saying multiple potential
solutions to problems and think more scientifically. They think more about
moral, philosophical, ethical, social & political issues which require theoretical
and abstract reasoning. This is how they plan their future course of action.

3
29th & 30th August Assignment 1 By ~ Mrs Nahid R Shaikh

Q4. A 12-year-old girl having concerns like experiencing low self-

esteem, not able to concentrate in school, academic performance
dropped, etc. and has walked into your clinic for counselling.
a. How would you initiate the conversation with the client?
b. What are the points to be kept in mind while initiating?

Response/ Answer:
Considering her age group and the concerns as a counsellor, I will initiate my
conversation with an intention to make her comfortable and wanted. For instance, I
will elicit from her details such as her name, her family, likes & dislikes, her equation
with her friends, her fondness of the neighbourhood, her hobbies, her favourite
cuisine, her favourite movie, characters. I will ensure that I gather enough
information about her school, her study schedule and routine, her screen time, her
rapport with all the school friends and staff. Post this session I will diagnose and
analyse the various aspects of her concerns and call for another sitting.
In the second sitting, I would try to find out her areas of discomfort. While suggesting
any solution I will keep in mind her age and the natural physical cycle of hormonal
change as it plays a vital role in mood swings. As a mindful counsellor I will be an
active listener. I will try to guide in the best way possible and gain her trust. Gaining
her trust is a pivotal stage for both as she will be able open up freely and without
any inhibitions. I will take utmost care to ensure that her confidential information will
not be shared with anyone else. Further, I will give her the sense of freedom to
choose and will not be biased and judgmental towards her choices. I will seek
necessary consent from the guardians for further consultations and solutions.
To add, if at all I am unable to reach any progress with the child, I would direct her to
another opinion and be honest enough to provide justice to my client.

4
29th & 30th August Assignment 1 By ~ Mrs Nahid R Shaikh

Q5. What is the role of a School Psychologist/ Counsellor?

Response/ Answer:
A School Psychologist/ Counsellor plays a role of assisting children, families,
educators & community members in understanding & resolving long & short-term
problems. They are trained so that they can be a help to children & adolescents to
succeed in life. The work of a psychologist is to work with students & their families to
improve academic achievement through collecting & interpreting student’s and
classroom data, consulting about student’s classroom behaviour. Where a
counsellor can adorn the role of a remedial teacher, a special educator, an
invigilator, or an advocate apart from the assessment duties.
A counsellor might not need as much education as a psychologist because,
psychologists are more likely to be tasked with psychotherapy, than a counsellor.
Psychologists must conduct scientific research to understand and treat mental
health issues and improve education. They also aid in understanding how the mind
and the body function harmoniously. They help in decision making and avoid stress.
A school counsellor can provide education, prevention and intervention service
which integrate into all aspects of student life. Apart from social and psychological
help, they provide academic follow up and early identification of special needs.