The child may act impulsively seeking attention and self-satisfaction.
Biological and somatic factors, such as thirst and hunger, influence children’s emotions. Thus they may have a low frustration tolerance when they are hungry.
His knowledge about himself and his goals for himself are not well formed.
A young child cannot feel empathy.
4. DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION: It is clear that children are different from adults. What then are the differences in communication patterns and abilities between children and adults? Schoeman et al (1996) suggest the following:
The child does not have well-developed sense of verbal language. They communicate non-verbally through play. Thus it is important to have props available in order to work with children.
The child does not usually respond well to questions and does not understand statements.
The child’s ability to identify and verbalize feelings is difficult.
The use of language may shift between simple childlike language, and sophisticated words or language, which are picked up from adults.
The characteristics of children create challenges for the therapist, particularly in work with sexually abused children where the consequences of disclosure impacts on many more than just one individual.
Helping the Traumatised Child - Counsellors Training Course © Edith Kriel
13