Exercise 5: Step 2

Relevant ... or not?

During Exercise 4 you may have thought 'OK I see what you're getting at but I'm not sure why the writer was recording any of that information anyway? . . . It is impossible, of course, to say categorically that any isolated piece of recording is or is not relevant; to do that we would need to know more about the circumstances.

Begin by reading the next example and make a list of some of the situations when you might think the information is relevant and then critically analyse some of the problems about the way it is written.

Identified needs

Mother is Iranian but has cut all ties with Iran. Wants son to be brought up to be English. Confused little boy. Intense relationship with mother. Abusive relationship with father - no further contact with father as he has returned to Iran - no extended family ties. Delayed development, little English, basic Arabic. Exhibiting behaviours that may be associated with sexual abuse and/or autism.

Now compare your answer with ours