ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates a principle of enormous importance: the need for flexibility in deciding how best to help a child. No therapist is likely to describe his approach to psychotherapeutic work as rigid. And yet, we do have professionals who apply the same technical parameters to every patient they take on. A recent development in the public health field is the issue of over-specialization. This can be seen with particular clarity if we focus on surgeons. There is a similar division between doctors who will always prescribe the same (medical or surgical) intervention and others who are known to be more flexible. The usual pragmatic manner of describing this is the reference to some doctors as having their prescriptions totally predictable. Ideally, the initial evaluation of a child's problems should establish a careful assessment of the ideal therapy for that child.
