Ecomaps as Visual Tools for Deconstructing Reciprocal Influences: Triage with Disruptive Students at an Alternative School.

Abstract

Ecomaps are diagrams that depict an individual or a family within a societal context, demonstrating the energy, supports, and resources necessary to main-tain specific relationships. Genograms are family trees that identify emotional relationships and intergenerational family patterns. When combined, practi-tioners can synthesize the information to demystify the intricate web of social systems and the tension and strain between families and other systems such as schools. For the purposes of this paper, ecomaps will portray genograms in the center to symbolize a family system, as a sort of snapshot in time. This pa-per illustrates six typical yet successful cases at an alternative school in which ecomaps were used as an interdisciplinary method of communication among systems when working with families in the school community. The ecomap provides a common language and understanding of problem-saturated families by depicting families and students as participating members of the school com-munity who have feelings, emotions, and relationships that may influence the students ’ ability to perform in school and become productive citizens.