The following adolescent case study, with names changed, has kindly been provided by a Teacher in a secondary school.

“James was seventeen when I first started working with him, and he was struggling with how to be comfortable and confident in group activities. I noticed that he seemed to prefer being with adults rather than with his peers, and he seemed over-dependent on his teachers and parents. He was very sensitive to the adults around him and how they were feeling, and needed a lot of reassurance. He found it difficult to join in activities and to share resources with his group, which was holding back his learning.

“I used the Thrive assessment process to make an Action Plan for working with James. My first priority was to give him a consistently positive sense of himself as a unique and valued individual. Secondly, I wanted him to have a good experience of being dependent and then encourage him to develop the confidence to move away from adults, make new relationships and try new activities. It was also important that James learned how to cope with changes in routine.

“We started to work together using Thrive-based activities, and this was continued at home with his parents. It wasn’t long before significant changes became evident in James’s behaviour. He seemed noticeably more relaxed around his peer group and really enjoyed the praise he received in doing things well and being noticed for his contributions to the group. We worked together on helping him to identify when he was feeling anxious, and how he could calm himself down. He now seems happier, more socially confident and has developed a sense of self-esteem that supports him in his learning.”