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FeedFamily Dynamics
Can’t figure out your kids? Chances are the Child Study Institute can.
(page 3 of 3)
Today, parents in affluent areas like the Main Line want to be proactive. And children and teenagers are less tolerant of stress and discomfort. They’re asking for help more often.
Likewise, schools are better at identifying problems. They provide CSI with numerous referrals. “Because we’re not psychiatrists, we’re not seeking the role of churning out diagnoses,” Rescorla says. “We’re not shrinks. We evaluate strengths and weaknesses based on tests. We’re not diagnosis-driven.”
Krauss adds, “A lot of times we talk a diagnosis down.”
One of Rescorla’s young clients has anger outbursts—so much so that an aid accompanies the child in school. “In the time I’ve seen her, we’ve cut the aid’s time in half,” she says.
Today, there’s also less of a stigma attached to deficiencies. Functional dyslexics, for example, are more willing to admit it. The openness has been fostered by media coverage—mostly of celebrity plight—plus self-help books, online sites and movies.
There’s also more research-based treatment evidence, plus more validity and scientific justification. There’s less mystery surrounding various disorders, and more general access to resources to investigate and locate help. “In a child-centered society, parents will do anything to help their children be happy, successful and functional,” Rescorla says.
To learn more about the Child Study Institute, visit brynmawr.edu/csi.
