Q I am concerned for my pre-teen child who has sniffed a chemical and apparently has been brain damaged. Medication has been given to assist her to function. She is frus-trated, as she does not like to take medication. We are beside ourselves. What can we do?

A I recommend that your entire family goes to a child psychiatrist as quickly as possible to get treatment for the child and the family. Some of the issues that the psychiatrist will discuss are the reasons why the child chose the particular chemical substance, access to the chemical, how the family is coping and the effects of medication on the child. Allow the child to feel comfortable and to ask as many questions as possible. The psychiatrist may work in collaboration with a psychologist who has specialised in working with youths with chemical dependency problems.

Q My five-year-old son is very small for his age and is constantly teased at school. I encourage him as much as I can but he comes home upset most evenings. The doctor says that he does not have a medical problem. He is doing average work in school but I think he can do better. How can I help him?

A Encourage your son to do the best he can. Is there a special interest that he has? If so, encourage him to get involved in some extra-curricular activity that he loves. You can also ask the school's guidance counsellor to conduct a session with the students in his class on how they should treat others regardless of how they look. Put in place a structured homework plan and reward him when he does well.