In human services, there is an adage that directs us to work with the individual in an effort to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.  In crisis situations, anger, fear, confusion, apprehension, depression, despair, and so forth are interpreted as temporary weaknesses.  They have welled up in the individual, temporarily overpowering his reasoning, thinking, and planning strengths.  Our faith in people leads us to the belief that no matter how upset and overwhelmed the individual feels he has more than enough strength within him to cope with his situation.  Understanding and using communication color leads to reducing and minimizing the temporarily disabling effect of crisis color.  Understanding and focusing on communication content directly enhances the individual’s capacity to deal with his world.

Mrs. M, age twenty-nine has eight children.  The oldest child is fourteen, and the youngest is seven months.  Six of the children are normal and have no particular physical, emotional, social, or adjustment difficulties.  Her twelve-year old however, has a chronic kidney disease, requires regular medical treatment, and has to have her activities carefully supervised and regulated.  The seven-year-old is in the second grade, is mildly retarded, and has been diagnosed as a hyperactive child.  Mrs. M deals quite well with the mild retardation, but to her, the hyperactivity roughly translates into a walking disaster.  The little boy has an extremely short attention span, cannot sit still, is always into everything, seems unable to follow directions or accept limits, still wets the bed and occasionally messes himself during the day, and seems to require more time and attention than all of the other children put together. …

Please press play to continue.