Abstract

This easy-to-use tool provides an observation checklist which enables staff to identify behavioural patterns in children with social and emotional difficulties, analyse the underlying emotional difficulties and establish what kind of help and support the children need.

Behavioural responses are categorised within clearly outlined topics, including:

* behaviour and relationship with peers
* attachment behaviours
* emotional state in the classroom
* attitude to attendance

Checklists and diagrams identify different 'styles' of relating, to help school staff to respond appropriately to the individual needs of each child. A range of handouts include activities designed to provide emotional support, to focus and regulate behaviour and enable the child to develop important social and emotional skills.

Suitable for use with children aged 11+, this tool will be an invaluable resource for teachers, teaching assistants, learning support staff, school counsellors and educational psychologists.

This is a long awaited book and I am so glad that Kim and her team have invested their time, energy, and wisdom into producing it. It was well worth the wait...
From the Foreword by Louise Michelle Bomber
This wonderful book focuses on the use of a comprehensive observation checklist for these students. However it provides so much more! It includes the development of well-informed action plans based on the detailed information obtained by the checklist as well as a thorough understanding of the complex difficulties shown by these adolescents. It also helps us to understand the services and programs needed by them, along with the characteristics of the adults and schools which these youth desperately need if they are to successfully proceed with their social, emotional, and behavioral development. This will serve as an important resource for educators even if they were never to use the checklist, though I would strongly encourage them to include it in their knowledgeable efforts to best meet the needs of these students. Observing Adolescents with Attachment Difficulties in Educational Settings is an excellent addition to the earlier works and checklists by Golding and colleagues for preschool and school age children.
Daniel Hughes Ph.D., Psychologist, Author of Attachment-Focused Family Therapy Workbook and Brain-Based Parenting, and Founder of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), USA
The needs of vulnerable children in education are becoming much more prevalent and more resources are needed to assist educators as they support these children. This observational tool is a necessity for any secondary school looking to build strong children; both physically, emotionally, socially and academically. As a trainer in this field and a parent of a child with an avoidant attachment style I am encouraged to see the blight of these under the radar young people being addressed, as well as the other styles of attachment. This is a must-have resource for anyone looking to increase the chances for secondary school children in our educational system.
Nicola Marshall, Attachment Training Specialist and Author of The Teacher's Introduction to Attachment
Kim S. Golding is a consultant clinical psychologist with a special interest in parenting. She was involved in the setting up and evaluation of an inter-agency project in Worcestershire, UK, which is now part of the Integrated Service for Looked After Children (ISL). She is author of several books including Observing Children with Attachment Difficulties in School, Observing Children with Attachment Difficulties in Preschool Settings, Creating Loving Attachments (co-authored with Daniel A. Hughes) and Nurturing Attachments. Mary T. Turner is a qualified Business and Economics secondary school teacher who specialises in working with SEN and inclusion students. Helen Worrall is a support teacher for ISL, with over 10 years' experience of teaching children with special needs. Jennifer Roberts supports young people, schools, foster carers/parents/grandparents to meet the needs of young people. Ann E. Cadman retired in 2014 after 40 years working with children and the adults and professionals who helped support them.