be interpreted as “shouting” and may seem aggressive. The same happens when using several exclamation marks together!!! Basically, the use of punctuation and other symbols to develop communication is very dependent on context and personal style. The tendency is for the counsellor to try to adapt to the child’s style, although in a way that illustrates that the counsellor is not a child but an adult with a professional role in the conversation.
8.4 SPELLING ERRORS, GRAMMAR AND WRITING SPEED In order to increase the pace of the conversation, it’s best to write short, simple sentences. Spelling mistakes are often not corrected until the sentence has been submitted. This is predominantly done by chatters who then subsequently correct their mistakes by writing the correct spelling and adding an asterisk (*). However, the counsellor may also use this method, especially if they have sent a sentence which could be misunderstood because of spelling or grammatical errors.
Child: I am very sory Child: *sorry
If you find it difficult to achieve a good balance between pace of writing and quality of writing, you might consider whether chat counselling is the best way to use your skills.
8.5 ASK, ASK, ASK Normal responses in oral communication -- such as nodding, mimicking or other facial expressions -- are all lacking in chat conversations. Thus it can
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CHAT COUNSELLING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH