Sometimes I want to smack them, other times I just sit back and sigh. Or laugh.
If you choose as your life's work any of the psychology based social service careers, one of the first truths you are taught is that the success rate is very low. It seldom matters how much effort you put into your job, the facts are as follows:
35% of the people will not accept your evaluation. Something along the lines of if they don't see it/experience it, it doesn't exist.
20% will accept your evaluation but do nothing about it. They are frightened by either the diagnosis or the treatment, or both.
40% will accept your evaluation, make an honest attempt to implement changes, but stop before they achieve success.
And a mere 5% will accept your evaluation, jump into the work, and stick with it until the optimum conclusion.
I've always accepted these statistics as fact. Until recently. Three months ago I started working in a friend's family therapy practice. Every Saturday, for 3-4 hours, I test, evaluate, and try to help families whose children have developmental issues. Based upon a mere three months experience, I've but together my own statistics:
20% of the people will not accept what you have to say. I've sat across a desk from parents who told me straight to my face, "we don't see this at home. What else do you have?"
15% will accept your evaluation, but expect you to fix their child for them. They absolutely will not raise a finger when it comes to home assignments. "Isn't that what we pay you to do?" is a common remark out of their mouths.
55% will accept your evaluation, work hard in the beginning to implement changes, but stop when the work becomes too overwhelming or stressful for them.
10% will accept your evaluation, give you a heartfelt hug, thank you for your hard work, and never follow through on any of your recommendations. They are frightened and/or overwhelmed by the diagnosis, or just plane lazy; incapable of putting their child's best interests ahead of their own.
You will notice my statistics do not include a percentage showing success. I've yet to see it, but hope to one day soon.
At the end of my Saturday assignments, as I'm sitting at the computer entering information into a client's file, I will on occasion wonder to myself why I even bother. Why invest so much time and energy (both physical and emotional) into something that has a slim at best chance of success?
I do it because I know that a little something is better than nothing.
I do it because I believe if you have knowledge that can help another human being, you are required to share that knowledge.
I do it because these children did not ask to be born with these issues, or have them foisted upon them due to family or cultural circumstances. They are innocent victims.
I do it because I don't know how not to do it. And I am proud of that fact.
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