This letter is to update you on Allison, Jason and Brooke. I would still like to speak with you in person on the subject, as it would help me if I understood your own interactions with the children. In the meantime, these are my observations.
Some good news to start: none of the children are overly fixated on Violet's death. I see no signs of trauma or risk factors for problematic behavior.
Each of the three have adopted their own coping strategies. Jason has had the hardest time dealing with the death, but he has also been very open about his feelings. I believe that he is reaching out, and not merely to me. From his own account and what you have told me, he has become much more gregarious and is seeking to make friends. While this could potentially become a problem, for the moment it is something to encourage.
I had expected Brooke to have a more difficult mourning period, but she is very well adjusted. She is a very goal-oriented person and is dealing with the death, as she deals with most of her problems, by taking active steps to work through them. Again, we can encourage this behavior for the time being.
I do have my concerns about Allison. I know that she wasn't particularly close to her mother, but her response seems very muted. She insists that she has reached some sort of closure and tends to become defensive when pressed on the issue. I am worried that she may be in denial. There are steps we can take to help her through this period, but I don't want to make any recommendations until we've had a chance to talk and I can better understand her behavior outside of a clinical setting.