Praxis School Counselor (5422) Practice Exam

A student's noncustodial parent arrives at an elementary school to talk with the student. The school counselor should do which of the following?

1. Politely ask the parent to leave and inform the custodial parent about the situation.

2. Contact the authorities and report the situation.

3. Allow the noncustodial parent to talk with the student but report it to the custodial parent.

4. Allow the noncustodial parent to talk with the student unless there is legal documentation prohibiting contact.

The correct answer is: Allow the noncustodial parent to talk with the student unless there is legal documentation prohibiting contact.

The noncustodial parent has the right to talk with their child unless there is a court order prohibiting contact. Option A is incorrect because the noncustodial parent has a legal right to see their child. Option B is incorrect because involving the authorities may not be necessary in this situation. Option C is incorrect because the school counselor should not have to report every interaction between a noncustodial parent and their child. Therefore, the best course of action is to allow the noncustodial parent to talk with the student unless there is legal documentation prohibiting contact.