Affect pattern chart with children

• Development of the human emotional system by K. Dring, 2/24/97
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    • Affect Pattern Chart by Don Nathanson, 3/1/97
      
      

I would be happy and honored to report back my experiences using the affect pattern chart with children. Currently, I do not have a base of individual child therapy patients as I am in that limbo period of post-doctoral but pre-licensure. Currently, I am involved with pediatric neuropsychological assessments. In that capacity I have observed that the child's affective responses to the assessment process are as diagnostically important as the "objective" results of the assessment. Also, of significane is the parental affective responses to the child's distress, and difficulties, as well as the parental responses to the feedback from the assessment. On more than one occasion what looked "by the numbers" to be a classic case of ADHD, has been more precisely defined as a complex interaction between affective disruption and neurological disturbance (I find your discussion of affect theory and ADHD helpful in conceptualizing such cases).

Recently, I have contacted another member of SSTI, Tony Hite, and anticipate receiving supervision/consultation from him about affect theory. One of my goals in this supervision is to begin using affect theory with child therapy cases, specifically the affect pattern chart.

Thank you for your always enlightening comments. This forum has been a tremendous resource and energizer for me. Kathy

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