Kendra's life continued to fluctuate between somewhat stable and incredibly chaotic. At age 17, Kendra was looking at the inside of a detention cell. She thought back to how she got here, and a lot of it seemed to be a blur. There was the theft of a pair of shoes that got her community service and lots of therapy with that annoying woman that she tried to play - but the therapist was on to Kendra's games and didn't let her get away with her usual tricks. Annoying, but maybe a little helpful even if help was the last thing Kendra would admit to experiencing.
Then there was the fight at school - even thought Kendra was in classes for students with emotional/behavioral disorders, there were plenty of opportunities for her to get into trouble. When she was 15, somebody looked at her the wrong way, and she jumped on the student and started punching the student in the head. Luckily, two PE teachers were rounding the corner and were able to break up the fight. This, however, led to a manifestation determination hearing and, subsequently, placement at a "special" day school.
Kendra did OK at the school, but she was running the streets at night as her mother lost any degree of management and relationship that she might have had with Kendra at one point. It was just after her 17th birthday that she found her way into a heap of trouble with a group of so-called friends who provided the opportunity for her to get high. She was caught bringing drugs to school, and the local police were called.
1) What is a manifestation determination hearing? When is it used?
2) What do you think is the nature of Kendra's disability?
3) What are typical developmental milestones for a 17 year old young woman?
4) What are the outcomes for children involved in the juvenile justice system in Virginia? Provide statistical data.
NUMBER ONE:
ReplyDeleteAccording to Saint Paul Public Schools (2011), a manifestation determination is a process to determine if a student’s behavior problem was or was not a manifestation of the student’s disability. A school must conduct a manifestation determination hearing “when a disciplinary action involving a change of placement for more than 10 consecutive or cumulative school days in a school year is contemplated for a classified student, because he/she engaged in behavior that violated any rule or code of conduct of the district that applies to all children” (Manifestation Determination Review, 2005, para. 2). The IEP team must discuss the characteristics of the student’s disability, and this information should come from current data, observation and parent reports, as well as from the IEP, evaluations (ESR), teacher reports, discipline records, etc. (Saint Paul Public Schools, 2011). The basic intent of the manifestation determination IEP meeting is to insure school districts are not discriminating against students with disabilities.
NUMBER TWO:
After doing some research, we have decided it seems the nature of Kendra’s disability is Oppositional Defiant Disorder. According to WebMD (2012), the cause for this disorder is unknown; however, some theoretical causes included factors such as a dysfunctional family life and a family history of mental illness and/or substance abuse. From the time Kendra was born she has been exposed to a dysfunctional family life. Her parents have always argued and never seemed to have gotten along since her birth. Kendra also seems to have a family history of mental illness and substance abuse. Her mother has suffered from depression in the past. Her father has been abusing alcohol for many years. Kendra also seems to be experiencing symptoms similar to those of oppositional defiant disorder. These symptoms include frequent temper tantrums (seen when she was younger), active defiance and refusal to comply with adult request and rules (seen with stealing and not listening to therapists), often being touchy or easily annoyed by others (seen when started fighting someone after they looked at her the wrong way), and frequent anger and resentment (maybe felt towards parents for lack of relationship held with them) (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2011). After comparing the symptoms Kendra is experiencing with the symptoms of this disorder, we think this disorder is the nature of Kendra’s disability.
NUMBER THREE:
ReplyDeleteThe age of 17 is a time of changes for how teenagers think, feel, and interact with others, and how their bodies grow. During this time, teenagers in middle adolescence are making big progress both physically and mentally. Most girls will be physically mature by now, and most will have completed puberty, whereas boys might still be maturing physically. This is an important time period where teenagers are developing their unique personalities and opinions. Physically by age 17, many girls have completed the physical changes related to puberty by age 15 (Texas Children’s Hospital, 2011). Firchow (1998) states that usually at this time adult height is reached, and girl’s menstrual periods become regular. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), socially and emotionally, 17-year-old young women tend to have more interest in the opposite sex, and spend less time with their parents and more time with their friends. Girls at this age also seek privacy and time alone, and may feel some concern about their physical and sexual attractiveness (Texas Children’s Hospital, 2011). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) state that cognitively girls in this age group might learn more defined work habits, and show more concern about future school and work plans. Also, their decision-making skills improve and they begin to independently differentiate right from wrong, forming a conscience (Firchow, 1998).
NUMBER FOUR:
According to Thomas Blomberg (n.d) the juvenile justice population consists of youth under the age of 21 who are served in the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice. Of these individuals, forty-seven percent of the youth have been identified as students with disabilities, or special education students (Blomberg, n.d.). While in the juvenile justice system, youth do receive academic education. They are tested with appropriate testing when needed; such as GED testing, etc. Once released, a 2005 cohort study included a twelve month re-arrest rate of 49.5%, a reconviction rate of 36.7%, and a re-incarceration rate of 25.6% (n.d.).
References
ReplyDeleteAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2011). Children with oppositional defiant disorder. Retrieved June 17, 2012 from http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+with+Oppositional+Defiant+Dis order§ion=Facts +for+Families
Blomberg, T. (n.d.). Virginia juvenile justice education case study results. Juvenile Justice No Child Left Behind Collaboration Project. Retrieved June 17, 2012 from http://www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/p/nationalDataClearinghouse/State %20Structures/Virginia_Case_Study.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Teenagers (15-17 years of age): Developmental milestones. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html
Firchow, N. (1998). Child development: 13- to 16-year-olds. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/health-nutrition/870-middle-adolescence.gs
Manifestation Determination Review. (2005). Retrieved June 15, 2012, from http://www.spannj.org/BehavioralPresentation/BehavioralPresentation/IDEA's%20Legal%20Mandates/manifestation_determination_revi.htm
Saint Paul Public Schools. (2011). Manifestation determination. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://specialed.spps.org/manifestation_determination2
Texas Children’s Hospital. (2011). Normal development: Middle adolescence (15 to 17 years old). Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://www.texaschildrenspediatrics.org/15-17-Years/
WebMD. (2012). Oppositional defiant disorder. Retrieved June 17, 2012 from http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/oppositional-defiant-disorder