In some instances, you will decide that it is not in the best interest of a student to allow them to decline your touch. When you must touch a child or adolescent, it is important that you acknowledge what they are feeling and explain to them why you must touch them. Read the scenarios below, and brainstorm what you would say to help these students understand why you must touch them.

1. Quentin, a kindergarten student, stuck a bead in his ear during art class. He told the teacher what happened, and says that it is hurting. Quentin is refusing to let anyone look at it or touch him.

   The art teacher calmly explains that the nurse has a special tool he can use to look inside ears. When the nurse assesses Quentin he says, “I know you don’t want me to touch you, but I want you to feel better and need to take a look with my light so we can see if I can use one of my tools to get the bead out.”

2. 阿米尔,一个三年级的学生有发展德尔ays, very recently learned to toilet train. When a teacher joins Amir in playing trains, the teacher notices an odor indicating that Amir did not do an adequate job with his hygiene after having a bowel movement.

   The teacher quietly pulls Amir aside and says, “Amir, I think you could use some help cleaning your bottom. Let’s go in the bathroom so I can help you.” Amir is resistive to this idea and begins to throw a fit. The teacher says, “I know you don’t want to stop playing, but we have to make sure your bottom is clean. If it stays dirty, it can make your skin hurt. After you are clean, you can play with the trains again.”

3. Joy is a sixth-grade student with seborrheic dermatitis, a skin condition, on her scalp. This causes Joy to have itchy, flaking skin that distracts her from school. She will sometimes scratch so much that it leaves flaked skin all around her desk. Joy is due to have an application of a prescription ointment after lunch, but she refuses and argues about it with the school nurse.

   The nurse says, “I know it hurts and you don’t want me to apply the medicine, but if we use it like your doctor asked your scalp will heal faster and you won’t be so itchy. What do you think about doing it in front of the mirror, so you can watch what when I put it on?”