In Sivas Central Ibn-i Sina Community Health Center Healthy Life Center, development assessment, monitoring and consultancy services are provided free of charge to children at risk and their families who show typical and atypical development.
Fermude Bilen, Child Development Specialist at Ibn-i Sina Community Health Center Healthy Life Center, gave information about the services they offer for the developmental processes of children. Stating that they support families in many issues such as bedwetting, sibling jealousy, school adaptation process, breastfeeding termination and behavioral problems in the child development unit, Bilen said, “We provide counseling services in areas where families have difficulties. At the same time, we work on strengthening parenting skills.”
“We utilize the healing power of play in these children”
Bilen explained their work on the example of selective mutism. Explaining that selective mutism is a condition in which children speak in environments where they are comfortable and completely stop communicating in environments where they are anxious, Bilen said, “We benefit from the healing power of play in these children. We observe improvement in children with properly directed games. With this method, one of our children has reached the level of being able to recite a poem in front of the school.”
“Listen calmly to your children”
Stating that the problems in children's subconscious may be caused by trauma or anxiety, Bilen said that they overcome this habit with counseling services, especially in cases such as nail biting, and that they apply rewarding or extinguishing methods.
Bilen also gave important advice to families and said, “Listen to your children calmly. In general, children are looking for ways to express themselves, they want to talk, but families do not listen to their children due to workload. Negativities in the family are reflected on children. In the families who come here, we first strengthen parental relations and then work one-on-one with the child.”
İHA Haber Kodu: 20241027AW316902