Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Recent Work Experience
Yesterday I witnessed a horrific situation with a 2nd grade boy that I was unprepared for. The child was having a temper tantrum becasue he was asked to go into time out for excessive talking. The young man actually ran outside the building and was headed down the street before the school custodian caught him and brought him back. At first he was restrained by the principal in the front office because he kept trying to get out the door. Finally when he realized he could not leave, he flailed his arms and legs wildly as he rolled across the floor, all the while screaming and crying profusely. At one point he attacked me by punching me several times in the leg. I had to tell him if he didn't stop, I would have the School Resource Officer take him away. He stopped hitting me immediately. The child's mother was called and we waited for him to calm down. Aftere almost 20 minutes of this behavior he calmed down and crawled into a corner. He refused to look at any of us. This child was extremely angry and violent. The principal said he will need to be in self-contained and smaller sized classrooms. I concur. The boy's mother arrived and he still refused to talke. He nodded in response to her questions. When she learned how he had punched me she asked him to apologize. At this point he fell back onto the chair and rolled on the floor and began crying again. His mother stated that the child's doctor said he has a condition known as D.A.D. (Defiance Against Adults). I was shocked to hear such labeling because in my opinion all children hate to told "no". I felt really sorry for this mother whorepeatedly asked for prayer before she finally took her son home for the the remainder of the day. I was extremely concerned for both this child and his mother. I sensed she lacked any parenting skills, and is at her wits end.
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Sadly, I have encountered similar situations at my school. When a student is in this type of crisis you have to act quickly in order to avoid further escalation of the situation. It is remarkable that your school custodian was able to help and fortunately the statement about the school resource officer deterred further harmful behavior. When I was in a similar situation, I learned many helpful strategies. Anytime restraint procedures were used we documented the antecedent to the behavior and how long the student was restrained. We also always had another staff member in the room to ensure that there was a witness who made sure that the proper restraint protocol was followed. We always documented the process in case a parent ever mentioned pursuing litigation. Following any type of crisis situation we implement a crisis plan for the student detailing what we will do when the student returns to make sure that there is a plan that the classroom teacher can follow in class and when students are at recess to try to prevent another similar situation. Then, we make a referral to our district behavior specialist who comes in to help monitor students who demonstrate these behaviors to try to work with the student, parent, and teacher to prevent this behavior. If these behaviors persist on a consistent basis after we have implemented a consistent behavior intervention plan, we may make an SST (Student Support Team) referral to see if additional strategies will help the student or to see if the student qualifies for special education services. If the family is willing we also make referrals to outside counseling agencies that could provide additional supports.
ReplyDeleteOther than receiving punishment for the excessive talking, did anyone enquire to find out if other issues were affecting this young student? Was this his first time exhibiting this type behavior? However, that may not justify his reactions, apparently, to the punishment. Does the school have something in place for this student’s return to school? I am saddened for the child and the mother. The child’s mother has stepped outside of the situation and looks in as all of this happens around her. May she needs to get some parenting skills before it is really too late. This was quite an eye-opening experience for you. Situations like this happen at many schools. That is why the school systems employ School Resource Officers. It is really sad that School Resource Officers are needed at elementary schools.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a counselor at your school? Sadly, I think a lot of the schools with similar behavior issues also are lacking counseling resources. These staff members are working double-duty as counselors and testing coordinators. At my previous school in Durham, we had only two counselors for over 600 students. These two women wanted to push-in to classrooms, pull small groups, and counsel individuals. Unfortunately they didn't get to much of this because they were spread so thin. How much control do we have over this in our hiring? Can we add more counselors to our staff if we work in high-need schools?
ReplyDeleteWow. Is this his first year at your school ? Is he in the SAP process? (asked because of the separate setting comment) Lots of questions are running through my mind… is this typical behavior for him? What else happened in the classroom? What time of day was it?
ReplyDeleteLots of questions need to be answered to help serve this child. I think Amy asked a great question about counseling. Has he received any school based counseling? Sorry for so many questions, but I think answering these will help to develop a plan of action for this little guy. Of course the behavior cannot continue. Seems like there will be a long road ahead.
Mom needs some help, maybe contact the social worker about programs that she can participate in. This family obviously needs help. Maybe getting a hold of the doctor’s report mom referred to could be helpful. Getting permission to disclose information back and forth with the doctor may help too. I know you all are working on it, but there definitely needs to be a plan in place for this little guy…
There are many underlying issues that cause children to react as they do. Just last week I had to deal with such a problem with a Kindergartener. The student was defiant and threw tantrums with the teacher and assistant. Well, we called the mother for a conference and from the way she talked about the young man in front of him I could see where much of the problems lie. The young man's father was killed in an automobile accident last year. The child had not received any counseling. The mother said the child was "BAD" and that he was always "acting-up" everywhere they went. She told us he was diagnosed with ADHD and that he needed medicine. I share this with you because sometimes a child's environment can cause them to behave as they do. This may not be the case with the young man at your school, but there may be something in his life that causes him to behave as he does. Has any strategies been put in place to deal with his defiance disorder? I know it is impossible for the child to continue in the classroom in such a disruptive manner, but has the child been brought before student services or has the guidance counselor or behavior coach provided any strategies or support? Just a few things to think about. I would love to hear how things are going with the child.
ReplyDeleteBeing that he is a second grader, does he have any prior history of such behaviors? Since the Principal mention the student needs to be in a separate setting, does this mean the student has some EC services, SAP referral/process, etc...? I am quick to get annoyed with comments made regarding a separate setting, such as what the principal said. I hope he did not say that in front of the student or other staff members. The student needs a lot of interventions/services/ support team. I also agree with Amy and Anita, a counselor is needed as well as the social worker. An emergency meeting should be scheduled with everyone involved in the child’s life to figure out the problem and what to do in the mean time while support systems, referrals, and evaluations are being made.
ReplyDeleteThere are many children that we serve in the field of education that have difficulty with controlling their behavior. I agree with the other individuals that responded, there may be some underlying issues with the child. Prior to looking at the separate setting, has anyone tried utilizing a behavior plan, or intervention? The county in which I work use interventions for students with difficult behavior. There are many programs being used, but a new program that was chosen is Go Leaps. It is a new program that is being implemented in the county. I work with students that display similar behavior on a daily basis. Sometimes the parents don't know what to do. They struggle with the child at home and school. I find that parents are sometimes at their wits end, and really need assistance in the home as well. Changing a child to the separate setting is not always the answer. Especially, if the focus is on changing the student’s behavior. I am not saying that a separate setting is negative, but the needs of the child should be very important. If the child is placed in a separate setting, what interventions will be utilized to promote a change in behavior? I think it would be necessary to develop a crisis plan to outline the necessary steps if a child demonstrates similar behavior. I think that appropriate training to all necessary staff is important. There has been an increase of antisocial behaviors displayed by children in the school setting. I do believe that today’s children have to endure many things that their mind is unable to comprehend. I would really explore many options to assist the child in being successful despite the setting.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder what went on before this child was sent to time out for talking. Was there a person or event that triggered his behavior, other than being sent to time out? I also wonder if he is receiving any kind of small student group support from the school counselor? I'm also concerned about the principal stating that the child needs to be in self-contained classroom. I'm assuming there's a history of this kind of behavior for those kind of conversations to be happening. I agree with Eve, the student appears to need a lot of interventions and support in place to be successful in school. A positive is that the parent seems willing to take advice and work with the school to help her child be successful. Hopefully counseling and support will be provided for the student and parent.
ReplyDeleteWould it be appropriate for a school counselor to request a meeting with this parent to determine if the doctor who made the diagnosis of D.A.D. has recommended some type of intervention program? If the doctor has not suggested any type of intervention ,could the conuselor suggest something or is the child's situation to severe for solely parent and school counselor? intervention?
ReplyDeleteThat was and interesting moment, although being at and alternative school I have witnessed this type of occurrence on several occasions. In cases such as this we normally call the Mobile Crisis Unit who is associated with the local Durham Access Center, they will come out to your school and interview the student while also engaging with the parents, and they are trained licensed professional counselors and psychologist. It has been known that parents and doctors come to different diagnosis but as an LPC I have not ever diagnosed a child with a D. A. D. and viewing the current DSM IV I haven't encountered this condition. I would definitely look into some mental health resources that are applicable to your area and find out more information on this condition.
ReplyDeleteFerguson, Neill A.
Very unfortunate situation. I think the child is acting out for several reasons. The first move is to find out what the child's triggers are and the antecedents to the behaviors that is being observed. Mom can be helpful in identifying some of the barriers and I would get behavior support involve to collaborate healthy positive techniques to use in the classroom environment.
ReplyDeleteThis is a horrible situation for such a young child and his mother seems to be at her wits end and that in itself can be a horrible situation to be in. I hope that she is able to receive some sort of assistance to help her at home to deal with her son and his aggression.
ReplyDeleteAt school it is so hard because educators are placed in so many roles that times we can be overwhelmed as well. It is so important to get that young man the services that he needs as well as those who educate him so that all parties are benefited. Those above gave great suggestions: counselor, doctors, social worker all who can help this young man. I hope that he gets the assistance that he needs.
That situation does sound awful. I wonder what kind of support this child and mother have at home. It may be helpful if your school's social worker got involved with this family. They may be able to help this parent locate some free services such as counseling, therapy, mentoring or other services for the child.
ReplyDeleteI too had never heard of this condition called D.A.D. I am concerned about the over-labeling of "new" syndromes and conditions. It seems that many diagnosed conditions such as autism, Asperger's, and ADD are on the rise in recent years. Is this because we are better at detecting them, or is it because not all diagnosed cases are genuine? Many resources go into helping the children with these conditions. If some cases are "inflated" it seems we're wasting valuable resources. Perhaps my student colleagues with Special Education experience can help us out with this one. Advice?!
ReplyDeleteI am very familiar with this kind of behavior. Although it is not widespread in our student body, there have been several students who have exhibited such behavior. This single digit, if not single hand, number of students are the ones who needed support and compassion more than any other one of our students. It is not their fault. The adults around them or something in their body is the problem. What bothers me is how long it takes to provide these students with the effective help they deserve. I am critical of this from both the parental and the school perspective. In both cases, the adults are usually more preoccupied with there own discomfort or inconvenience than with how terrible the uncorrected condition is for the child. Another thing that gets to me is how unfeeling and unempathetic teachers and administrators can be with such deeply troubled students. Don't get me wrong, I know what it is like to be tired of perpetual misbehavior and meltdowns. But I also have to remind myself that this is happening to (and with) a child. If we can't feel for children, especially the ones who are clearly outside the scope of "well adjusted", then ours is an ice cold professional community.
ReplyDeleteThat said, this child needs all the help that the school community, the district and the local community can muster and implement. Begin with the child's teacher doing the process to qualify them for assistance, but don't wait for the paperwork to clear before classroom and school-wide interventions are put in place. For example, is the teacher aware of what they may have done or said to contribute to the episode? Can this student be given more latitude to respond and comply with instructions? Are the adults who will be working with this student aware of how to de-escalate student-teacher conflict and is there a crisis plan in place to ensure the safety of this child and others in case there is another meltdown (and usually there will be other meltdowns with students who exhibit the kind of behavior you describe). All of this converges to accomplish two things: immediately begin supporting the student with local and classroom interventions and get the process underway to navigate the bureaucracy and layer even more intensive support on top of the classroom and school-level support. Our students cannot survive the old "wait-to-fail-enough" approach. If they came from families with the means to get help no matter what, that would change much about the urgency of our support. But since many students have modest or inadequate means, the urgency increases for these growing human beings.
The situation you encountered has probably happened before with this student. The other term used to describe this is ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) One to sixteen percent of all school-age children and adolescents have ODD. The causes of ODD are unknown. How ironic, I was just reading some information on ODD for a study I am doing. It was suggested that a complete comprehensive exam be administered.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marcus, we can not wait for our children to fail especially in this situation. Studies have shown that behavior like this when left untreated can later turn into "conduct disorder" Like others that have posted, I am cocerned and wonder if the family has been involved in counseling to deal with the disorder and if there is professional development training for teachers. I read that some of the symptoms can be aleviated with medication.
Wow This is a great way to start your internship. I would find out from a real therapist what his problems could be and go from there. I would have also taken the free prayer. Good Luck
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad situation. I would guess that there are more deep rooted problems which affects this child. There is more than meets the eye. I would suggest some counseling for the child. I am not sure the self contain class will work any better. It is a smaller setting but ..... It is still worth a try. I look forward to hear what interventions were implemented and what worked.
ReplyDelete