Esther
has finally moved out. She got the job at the museum, but only for part –time
employment. Esther took Kendra and Marsha to Philadelphia to l live with her
sister. Esther and the kids have only
been there two weeks and they are over-taking Esther’s sister’s house. There is
barely enough room for all of them to eat at the same time. The sister has made
it very clear that Esther can only stay three months until she finds a
full-time job and support herself and the kids alone.
Art
on the other hand is furious! He knows exactly where Esther and the kids have
gone but he has decided to wait to act legally until his large contract is
finished. He never calls or emails Esther and the kids. The kids even believe
that Art doesn’t love them at all.
In
addition, Art’s company has just gotten sued and is on the verge of shutting
down only causing more financial problems and stress for the family.
Since
Kendra moved to Philadelphia, things have only gone downhill. Often she hears her mom and dad fighting on
the phone when they do talk and her parents plan on getting divorced. Now this means a long custody battle that she
is going have to go through. Kendra
seems depressed by withdrawing from activities in school and at home. But the simplest things still agitate her,
where she kicks, bites, and screams when she is angry or anxious all the
time. She hasn’t received much therapy
because of the changes going on and feels neglected.
Her
doctor and psychiatrist don’t want to directly diagnose her with bipolar disorder
just yet as she is still young where she would have to take medications. They have told her mother that she has child
attachment disorder which likely stemmed from the fighting that occurred at
home between her mother and father all the time. She also displayed symptoms like not smiling
and rejects any attention her mother tries to give her to calm her down. Esther thinks that her job at the museum is
taking away even more valuable time from caring for Kendra but it’s her only
option right now to be able to support the family as the moved down the street
into a small apartment from her sister.
Her
lack of interest in school doesn’t have too much effect on her as she does
average for her grade level but her mother thinks that the school can do more
for her as Esther believes school is the best option for Kendra to get help. She has progressed normally to each grade as
she is currently in 3rd grade now but has only 1 friend and teachers
often don’t want her in class because she is very disruptive. Third grade has proven to be very difficult
for her as her social and emotional problems have taken over her life and her
mother fears that she won’t pass the 3rd grade.
11) Is it too late for the school to develop
an IEP for Kendra? Develop some goals and objectives that would most likely be
on her IEP.
22) What help should Kendra be receiving for
child attachment disorder? If she were to receive the correct help what would
be the outcome of it?
33) What are common problems that usually
result from divorce and custody battles?
How will this affect Kendra?
44) Would it be beneficial for Kendra to be
put in special education classes? Why or why not?
1. “Attachment is the deep connection established between a child and caregiver that profoundly affects your child's development and ability to express emotions and develop relationships” (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2012, para. 1). Children with attachment disorders have problems connecting with others and managing their emotions. This tends to result is stress, lack of trust and self-worth, anger, and a fear of getting too close with anyone. Reactive attachment disorder and other attachment problems can occur when children have been unable to consistently connect with a parent or primary caregiver (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2012). This could happen for many reasons, one being if a parent, such as Esther, became emotionally unavailable because of depression. “Treatment for reactive attachment disorder usually involves a combination of therapy, counseling, and parenting education, designed to ensure the child has a safe living environment, develops positive interactions with caregivers, and improves peer relationships” (Smith, Saisan, & Segal, 2012, para. 29). While medication may be used to treat other associated conditions such as depression or anxiety, your pediatrician may recommend a treatment plan that includes: family therapy, individual psychological counseling, play therapy, special education services, and parenting skills classes (Smith, Saisan, &Segal, 2012). The outcome of Kendra receiving help from these services will result in a more positive attitude, behavioral changes, and a stronger relationship with her family.
ReplyDelete2. As long as a student qualifies for special education, a child can receive an IEP. The IEP must be regularly maintained and updated each year up to the point of high school graduation, or prior to the 22nd birthday. In Kendra’s situation, she has not been evaluated for special education services, and therefore cannot receive an IEP just yet. Kendra is showing signs of behavioral problems and anxiety, which could be a cause of possibly having bipolar disorder. However, Kendra is not showing signs of having problems in school, but her behavior issues are keeping her from reaching her full potential in her academics. By having an IEP, Kendra could receive special services in school that cater to her behavior and personality. If Kendra were to receive an IEP, a possible goal and objective that would most likely be seen on her IEP would be, that Kendra needs to learn how to manage her behavior problems in social settings and refrain from biting, kicking, and screaming. One way the school could accommodate her when she is feeling nervous or stressed, is to provide her some sort of calming technique that she can turn to when she becomes overwhelmed. Also, Kendra could use a tutor to help her with her homework in order to keep her caught up with the rest of the class, and move on to the fourth grade. To help Kendra’s social problem, the school could get her involved in after school activities that would ease her into playing and learning to trust the others around her. These possible goals and objectives could help Kendra with her development in and out of school!
3. According to Lesley Foulkes- Jamison, a child may experience multiple stressors while their parents are going through a divorce. Some of these stressors include being “emotionally needy,” having fears of abandonment, being frequently distressed, displaying acting out behaviors, experiencing intense grief, or experiencing anger towards one or both parents. Jamison also claims that girls and boys experience different reactions to a divorce between their parents. Girls are typically more anxious and withdrawn and have more difficulty adjusting while boys are typically more aggressive and disobedient.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Kendra is experiencing many of these stressors resulting from the arguments between her parents. She also seems to be feeling the sense of abandonment since her father has not made much effort to be in contact with her. We think that Kendra will keep becoming more aggressive and stressed if she does not receive help. It would also be beneficial for her parents to try to not argue around Kendra or her brother. This would help eliminate stress they may feel from listening to them argue.
4. We feel that Kendra would benefit from being placed in a few special education classes but not all of them. We think she can benefit from the interaction involved in her regular classes. However, being placed in a few special education classes will probably help her concentrate better on her learning.
References
Foulkes-Jamison, L. (2001). The effects of divorce on children. Clinical Psychology Associates. Retrieved on June 10, 2012 from http://cpancf.com/articles_files/efffectsdivorceonchildren.asp
Smith, M., Saisan, J., & Segal, J. (2012). Attachment and reactive attachment disorders: Warning signs, symptoms, treatment, and hope for children with insecure attachment. Retrieved June 10, 2012, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/parenting_bonding_reactive_attachment_disorder.htm