Collaborative problem solving as part of the inclusion process in ordinary schools

In Denmark an increasing number of school children with relational difficulties involving developmental disabilities are to be included in mainstream classrooms in the future. Some will have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), others will have related difficulties without having received a diagnosis. If they are to thrive and learn it is crucial that their individual abilities are recognized and that a mutual adaptation process can take place.

A very diverse mixture of challenges is to be handled by staff without special training. In order to act professionally they will need a relatively simple but also versatile and flexible methodology that can be used safely independent of the exact nature of the individual’s combination of strengths and difficulties.

Drawing from the experiences with disseminating child psychiatric knowledge in the municipality of Aarhus this project will focus on Collaborative Problem Solving as the most promising of such interventions to be used in an ordinary school setting. The method provides a way to elucidate the child’s point of view before attempts are made to solve possible recurring problems.

The method is rooted in the same insight and pragmatic approach as modern child psychiatry and used together with the short questionnaire SDQ it may also be expected to facilitate inter-sectorial collaboration when needed. Funding is sought for a pilot study where both tools are introduced in the daily work at three ordinary schools as preparation for a planned, randomized controlled study.