Adolescence is the most sensitive age in a child's growing years. They need to be sedulously handled during this period. The child's development is likely to be characterized by distressing , turbulent and unpredictable thoughts feeling and actions. Therefore it is high time that the society understands that their problem and offers them a more emotional benevolent atmosphere.

Expressions, The School Based Pilot Project on Holistic health, is the first of its kind in the country that has successfully completed workshops in over 80 schools in and around Delhi. Started initially as a program to stimulate teachers, parents and students about the adolescent behavioural problems, it has now grown into a comprehensive medium of innovative strategies of outreaching programmes.

Their sole emphasis is on the welfare of the adolescent. Their objective has been to make the adolescent perceive the relevant pyscho-social issues pertaining to their age, how it affects them and teaching them how to deal with it. It endeavours to maintain a communication channel between students, parents and teachers, regarding the psycho-social adaptation in a constantly changing society.

Expressions achieves this through conducting various interactive workshops. One of the important feature of Expressions is to work on a comprehensive school mental health programme. It holds various workshops to convey its point across to the people. The School Based Pilot Project on Holistic health, is divided in two parts:
1) Primary and Middle school section
2) Adolescent section

According to various workshops it has been analyzed that in the first case, there was a communication gap between the parents and teachers, though both were aware of the behavioural problems. Also it has been observed that most of the teachers expressed the need for more methodical classroom management strategies.

Concerning the Adolescent Section, it has been contrived that adolescents felt the need for more stronger family interaction and felt burdened by excessive criticism and comparisons. For academics and career there is a need for vocalization of education. Also they expressed their fears about heterosexual attractions and that co-education could lead to more healthy socialization.

The commonly faced behaviour arduousness by the adolescents are more of emotional. It has been observed that girls have been facing more emotional difficulties than boys. Over 50 percent of the students have reported wide communication gap with parents.

Expressions does not offer instant remedies, but tries to evolve a philosophy and management programme for adolescents for each kind of set up.

- Avni Sood