Making the decision to become a child therapist is an admirable one. For those who choose to work within our nation’s schools, their efforts could be considered a calling. Understanding the impact a therapist can have when the work within the framework of our education system can make it easier to make the decision to enter this challenging, but very rewarding field.
Early Childhood Emotional Disorders
One of the ways a person pursuing a child therapy career can help is by working with children who suffer from emotional disorders. Today, there is a growing number of kids who need help dealing with disorders like Attachment Disorder, Active Attachment Disorder and a lot more. Childhood illnesses like these often respond well to a combination of medication and psychotherapy. As a child therapist working directly with a school system, you will have the ability to impact children on a daily basis – especially those suffering from emotional disorders.
Early Childhood Mental Disorders
Mental disorders also impact a growing number of children. A child therapy career at the school level puts you in the ideal spot to help manage the care of children suffering from mental disease or disorder. Depression, anxiety, and more severe emotional disorders and problems exist, even in younger school children. Again, a combination of therapies is often used. While these disorders are typically managed by a doctor, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, much of the day-to-day care is often handled at the school level.
Learning Disability
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the number of children suffering from learning disabilities. From Dyslexia to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), the children who suffer from learning disabilities need the support of a qualified therapist to help deal with the difficulties a learning disability presents. By some estimates, as many as 5% of all children suffer from ADHD, meaning there are millions of children that need help. Working closely with their educators, a child therapist can help by:
- Dealing with the pressure to perform
- Dealing with teasing or school bullies
- Developing a set of tools to help manage their disorder or disability.
Anyone interested in a child therapy career should consider working within the education system. There is a growing need for qualified individuals to assist school-aged children with a wide range of mental and emotional diseases. From simply someone to talk to, to kids in need of more advanced help, child therapists are there to help. It is a career that can make a big difference in the lives of our children.