ABSTRACT
This chapter presents case studies of three childrens, namely, Mary, Trevor and Paula. The GP referred Mary, aged 4 years, for a psychiatric assessment because "in the last three weeks she wakes up in the night, screaming and then goes into a trance-like state; her teachers say she is disruptive and naughty at school. Mary's case is precious evidence for her belief that the help a child gets is entirely dependent on the particular professional who sees her. The doctor mentioned that one of Trevor's siblings was being assessed by the school educational psychologist because of behaviour problems and general lack of academic progress. Trevor was quite short, but his posture and demeanour suggested a mature boy, older than his 9 years of age. Paula found this transition very difficult and began to show signs of distress, which became increasingly severe, and eventually she refused to attend school.
