How to Cope with an Eccentric Kid at School - Case Study Example

BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF CHILD B AND MAIN CONCERNS This report is about Child B, whose behaviours have been observed to be in need of assessment, as he is having difficulty in socialization and communication with others. His teacher reports that he struggles to make and maintain friendships and prefers to be with adults and older children. At seven years of age, a child normally enjoys being with his peers, even if he only establishes a friendship with just one or two other children. Another observation regarding his social skills is that he does not like changes in routines and becomes disruptive when he cannot sit in his usual place. This may cause a conflict with the teacher’s plans for the class especially if the teacher is the type who engages the children in various hands-on activities that require them to move around. Since Child B does not seem comfortable with change and prefers a predictable routine, he may not be cooperative when sudden changes occur during his school day. This might pose as a problem, since at Year 2, young children’s curriculum involves a variety of experiential learning that is not restricted to the four walls of the classroom. Another key issue in the case is Child B’s communication skills. He has been observed to be reluctant to speak and in the few instances that his voice is heard, he merely echoes what has just been said. For other children, it may be difficult to understand why Child B behaves this way and may feel offended that he does not communicate back to them or worse, may think he is teasing them when he repeats everything they say. This may be frustrating for children and it is likely that they would just avoid Child B. Other people may also wonder if Child B understands what they tell him because he may not give the appropriate communicative response expected from him. It is also alarming that he is incapable of expressing what he needs or wants. Child B’s cognitive, social and language development delays put him at risk of social alienation and school failure. If nothing is done to help him, he will be at risk of more developmental delay and not be able to perform well in school. His difficulties in socialization and communication will also remain and may render him to be unproductive and this may affect his self-esteem. According to Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of development, children aged 7-12 fall under Industry vs. Inferiority stage. They have gained enough skills that make them perform well in school. They become industrious to make their families and friends proud of their achievements, but if they fail, they may develop a sense of insecurity and inferiority (Brewer, 2001). POSSIBLE REASONS FOR CHILD B’S BEHAVIOURS: Assessment and identification of problems entail looking into possible causes of behaviour. The following reasons may be explored when dealing with Child B’s case so appropriate measures may be taken to help him: 1. Resistance to be in school. Under this can be a host of other reasons such as: feeling too attached to his parents that he does not want to leave them: Attachment issues may develop if as an infant, a child has been abandoned or did not have a secure attachment with his parents. Bowlby (1988) claims that the capacity to establish healthy, close relationships with others may affected by one’s early attachment experiences in childhood. If Child B did not have a healthy attachment earlier in his childhood, then it can surface as an attachment problem later. being bullied in school: Bullying is another factor that traumatizes people, and if Child B has been bullied in school, he may exhibit signs of not wanting to be there or not wanting to make friends with other children for fear of being bullied again (Dracic, 2009). he finds academic work too difficult: may signal a learning disability that calls for attention and intervention. 2. Lack of confidence: Child B may be too shy to speak with other children and this may be interpreted as being hesitant to establish friendships with them. 3. Difficulty adjusting to change: His rigidity in terms of resisting changes in routines may stem from a personality trait of taking a long time to adjust to new situations, so he just stays in his comfort zone of familiarity. Rigidity is defined as the “relative inability of an individual to change his actions or attitudes when objective conditions demand it. Implied, it is an intolerance to ambiguity, and a tendency by the subject to retreat rather than to attempt to understand or to cope with a new situation” (Berlin, 1963, p. 2). METHODS OF ASSESSMENT AND IDENTIFICATION There are several ways to determine what is causing Child B’s difficulties and these should be explored to identify the problem so appropriate solutions and interventions may be implemented to help him: 1. Observations in School and at Home The teacher has already reported her observations of Child B’s behaviour in school. It is also important to get the parents’ report of their observations of their son in the home setting to see if it is consistent with the teacher’s observation. If there is a discrepancy, such as Child B being sociable and communicative at home, then reasons for such discrepancy must be investigated. Interviewing the child regarding his attitude towards school is also one way to know if his thoughts and feelings about being in school. Strengths of this method of assessment: The parents and teachers of young children have personal information about the child and their objective observations can validate if the behaviours are consistent with how they know the child or not. For instance, parents can tell if their child is just “acting up” or if the behaviour is a reaction to an event or occurrence that affected a child deeply such as a loss of a pet. On the other hand, the teacher can compare the child’s behaviour to expected norms for his developmental level. Another strength is that they have free access to the child and can do unobtrusive observations of him in his most natural settings. Limitations: If the child becomes aware that his parents or teachers have become more vigilant in observing him, he may become defensive and withdrawn and refuse to show symptoms of any problems. Communicating observations may not be totally open, as some parents may prefer to keep observations that may put their child in a bad light. On the other hand, teachers may restrict communicating their observations to those that would not be hurtful to parents. If teachers have no choice but to divulge all information, they may sugar-coat it so parents will not be too defensive and hurt. Doing so may lessen the blow to parents, but they may also take it for granted, thinking it is “just one of those things children can grow out of”. From another end, the teachers may deliver information to parents that may be too alarming without being so because they may have read too much from the child’s behaviour. 2. Consulting a SENCO To address Child B’s difficulties, it is worthy to consider if he has a developmental disability. “A broad definition of a developmental disability is a condition or disorder—physical, cognitive, or emotional—that has the potential to significantly affect the typical progress of a child’s growth and development or substantially limits three or more major life activities including self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and/or economic self-sufficiency” (Federal Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984). In Child B’s case, his observed passive behaviour affects his progress in language development and learning since the teacher has limited ways of assessing how much he has learned due to his communication problems. Under the Education Act 1996, Sec. 312, Child B displays the first two criteria for learning difficulty, namely: (a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; and (b) has a disability which either prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority (Education Act, 1996, Sec. 312). If Child B is diagnosed to have such a disability, then, he will be considered a child with special education needs (SEN). “A child has SEN if he has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him (s.312). A child, for the purposes of the SEN provisions, includes any person under the age of 19 who is a registered pupil at a school.” (Special Educational Needs And Disability Act 2001.) Collating observations of Child B’s teachers and parents may be reviewed by a special education needs coordinator or SENCO. This is the person responsible for implementing the SEN Code of Practice. He or She is primarily responsible for assessing, planning, monitoring and reviewing child’s provision and progress. As such, the SENCO will be able to support Child B’s teachers in the provision of special education needs for him by way of providing in-service staff training, setting effective targets for Child B and creating an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) with the school teachers and key staff to suit his needs. The SENCO can design interventions that take a graduated approach. He/She may come up with a team of specialists to work together to meet Child B’s special needs. “Multi-agency working is essentially about bringing together practitioners with a range of skills to work across their traditional service boundaries” (Every Child Mattters: Changes for Children). A multi-disciplinary team of special needs educators, therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, physicians, social workers and even government officials may join hands in the care and education of children with special needs to ensure their optimum growth and development. Coordinating with a SENCO is in compliance with the Children’s Act 2004, the legislative support of Every Child Matters programme. This act aims to “improve and integrate children's services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership and bring together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order achieve positive outcomes for children and young people and their families” (DfEs Children Act and Reports, 2004). The five key outcomes set out in Every Child Matters namely: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic well-being (Every Child Matters: Change for Children). Strengths of this method of assessment: A SENCO has adequate knowledge of child development and disabilities as well as access to information and resources that can help children. Consulting a SENCO can clarify any doubts or misconceptions or validate suspicions regarding the observations of teachers and parents of the child concerned and may provide relief and hope that there are several alternatives to help him out. Limitations: Although the SENCO may be efficient and willing to help, he or she does not have control of other parties that may be called upon to help the child’s case. Coordinating with other agencies may be complicated especially if those agencies are filled up with cases they are helping out. 3. Developmental Paediatrician’s Diagnosis A developmental paediatrician can also diagnose Child B , He/She is a medical doctor specializing in the growth and development of children. This doctor is authorized to do diagnostic tests and dispense diagnosis and medical advise for possible interventions. He/She can validate whether Child B has a developmental disability based on the results of the tests and the observations of the parents and teachers of Child B’s behaviours. Strengths of this method of assessment: Paediatricians are professionals knowledgeable about children’s well-being. They are updated with latest trends and information on disability, illnesses, treatments and interventions. A Paediatrician may be able to link Child B’s observed behaviours to an organic or functional cause and decide on a plan of action/ medication/ or intervention for him. Limitations: Since medical doctors thrive on environments where illnesses and disabilities abound, bringing in Child B with a presenting problem as exhibited by his odd behaviours in school may immediately place the paediatrician in “diagnosis mode” without even establishing rapport with Child B and getting to know him personally. If Child B is uncommunicative, the paediatrician will rely on the information provided by the parents and teachers, which by that time, may already be “coloured” with their own interpretations. APPROPRIATE METHODS AND SUPPORT STRATEGIES Vygotsky, a world-renowned psychologist hypothesized that “a child whose development is impeded by a defect is not simply a child less developed than his peers but is a child who has developed differently” (Vygotsky, 1993). He further emphasized that “what made development different for those with mind and body differences was the intellectual and social compensatory processes in which they were powerfully motivated to engage in order to be part of their social milieu.” (McPhail & Freeman, 2005). Vygotsky claims: “In the final analysis, what decides the fate of a personality is not the defect itself, but its social consequences, its socio-psychological realization” (Vygotsky, 1993). This must be considered as an admonition for the people around Child B to take action before it is too late. A very recent BBC news report claims that “early intervention will improve the lives of vulnerable children and help break the cycle of "dysfunction and under-achievement" (Sellgren, 2011, para.1). Hence, the following possible methods and strategies proposed below to help Child B may be considered as early intervention support strategies to prevent him from further developing further disabilities and help him develop better social, emotional and communicative skills. 1. Encouragement of Child B The school environment needs to be more encouraging for children to socialize and communicate. Child B’s teacher needs to reflect on her approaches to dealing with her students and create strategies and opportunities for him to interact with other children. He should also be given more opportunities to speak up, however, he must never be forced or humiliated into doing so. This may just make him withdraw further into his shell. 2. Consideration of Individual Differences/ Preferences Child B’s individual needs and preferences must be respected, as these may reflect his learning style. If he is resistant to changes in routines, then, he must be prepared for such changes with special cues or signals. If it is possible for him to have an equivalent activity without a change in his routine, then, his teacher must provide it to him. 3. Educational Interventions Regarding Child B’s learning difficulties, a one-on-one tutor may help him with his lessons so he gains more confidence in his school performance. If Child B has special needs, then he must be provided with those special needs through “access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum” usually in a mainstream or inclusive school (Ofsted, 2004). Mainstreaming is closely linked to the traditional form of refers to selective placement of special education students in regular education classes. It is assumed that some special education students may keep up with the work load in regular classes and may therefore join the group. Inclusion, on the other hand, believes that the child should always begin in the regular environment and be removed only when appropriate services cannot be provided in the regular classroom (Stout, 2001). Piaget (1959) believes that children’s interaction with the environment encourages learning. Such interaction brings about learning, as concepts are constructed or changed, usually, differing from adult concepts. Still, Vygotsky (1962) inspires another perspective, as he theorized that a child learns through conversation and involvement with an adult. The interaction between adult and child is ‘scaffolding’. This occurs when a knowledgeable adult gently guides a child through successive learning activities while relinquishing autonomy little by little to the child until such time he can manage on his own. Considering the recommendations of Piaget and Vygotsky for encouragement of learning, it would be beneficial for Child B in a mainstreamed or inclusive class with other children with a specially designed individualized educational plan (IEP) to implement for him. 4. Individualized Interventions/ Therapies Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA): This method is a treatment and teaching approach that consists of several programs and activities using the antecedent-behaviour-consequence model. Skinner’s Behaviorist Model explains that an individual is reinforced (positively or negatively) for responses to various stimuli, hence, the external environment plays a great part in the formation of behaviors. By administering positive reinforcement such as praising or smiling when a desired behavior occurs and administering negative reinforcement such as scolding or correcting when an undesired behavior occurs, one is assumed to encourage the desired behavior and make it more likely that that behavior will recur (Lindfors, 1987). In ABA, each action is considered related to a behaviour and is analyzed to determine what came before it, how the behaviour occurred and what happens after. This analysis is studied in order to encourage positive behaviours to occur more often (Lovaas, 1987). Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): A communication training system where the child is required to give a picture of a preferred item to a communicative partner (parent, teacher or therapist) in exchange for the item. Initially, the communicative target is requesting. In the request, preferred items are presented as reinforcement of the response. This training is designed to take place in a social context. Teaching a child with special needs to request is a useful skill, and often facilitates the teaching of other communicative intents. (Quill, 1995). “Social Stories”: This intervention will be able to help out Child B’s difficulty in social interaction skills. It was developed to help a individuals deficient in social interaction to “read” and understand social situations by presenting appropriate social behaviours in the form of a story. Read repeatedly, the story will enable the child to successfully enact the skills appropriately taught and hopefully be able to apply them in social situations (Gray, 1993) Speech Therapy: To address Child B’s language and communication deficits, speech therapy may also be included in his repertoire of interventions. Speech therapy builds on an individual’s strengths and can greatly improve both communication and behaviour. A speech therapist addresses the use of language pragmatics or the “give and take” of conversation for social purposes (Charlop, 1989). Chomsky’s theories, known as many names… Linguistic, Nativistic or Innatist, uphold that language is inherent or “wired-in” in the child at birth and needs only to be triggered by social contact with speakers in order to emerge. (Brewer, 2001). He is equipped with a language acquisition device, a structure in the brain that made possible the learning of language (Chomsky, 1965). METHODS DEEMED BEST FOR CHILD B From the available methods/strategies given, a combination of strategies would most likely help Child B in his socialization communication and learning difficulties. Some of these methods are the following: 1. His teachers and parents must be more encouraging to Child B and provide him with several opportunities to interact and communicate his ideas, thoughts and needs. 2. Rewarding him for his attempts to interact and communicate by way of verbal praise, non-verbal gestures such as a smile or a pat at the back, material tokens or granting of privileges will reinforce him to repeat the behaviours (Lovaas, 1987). 3. Should the methods of encouragement be insufficient at the level of the parents and teachers’ joint efforts, then observations of Child B’s behaviours by his teachers and parents are best collaborated on and discussed thoroughly with a SENCO. This person has access to professionals who may be able to help Child B and address his problems. That includes a paediatrician or a psychologist who can diagnose the root of his problems and provide the appropriate solutions or interventions that can help him. 4. If need be, other professionals can work in the multi-disciplinary team, such as a speech therapist to help him in his communication difficulties or a “shadow teacher” who stays with him in class to guide him in his behaviour and communication. 5. If found to have special needs, Child B is recommended to be in a mainstream class with other regular needs students so he still gets exposed to how normal behaviour is. Then, outside school hours, he spends in various therapies prescribed by his developmental paediatrician or arranged by his SENCO. RECOMMENDATIONS Child B’s parents should be made aware of the seriousness of the implications of his school behaviours. Together with his teachers, a support strategy of encouraging him to interact with other children and communicating with them will help him in overcoming his difficulties. Should he warrant more professional help, a developmental paediatrician can diagnose the problem. A SENCO can design an intervention program for him that may include therapies or activities such as Speech Therapy or “Social Stories” (or any of the previously discussed interventions) that may help him deal with his difficulties in socialization and communication as well as his inflexibility to change in routines. In school, Child B’s teachers would need more patience and understanding for his eccentric behaviours. All members of the school staff should be trained to handle children with special needs. Other children should also be educated on this issue and be taught how to support their peers with special needs. When they are aware of such issues, they are less likely to make fun of them and are more willing to help out. Child B’s condition would require that clear instructions are provided to him. In case there is a change in his routine, he must be informed and adequately prepared for the next activity. Use of visual cues such as pictures of objects or activities may be helpful in his communication skills. Child B needs predictable and manageable goals and time limits and this should be kept consistent. Maintaining a warm and open communication with families and involving them in the activities of their children would surely be a welcome support. From Child B’s observed behaviours, early intervention is essential in helping him to still grow to be a productive individual. Child B is fortunate to live in an age where people from various disciplines as well as the government are concerned enough to reach out to children like him so he can still maximize his potentials, no matter how limited they may be. References Berlin, M.A. (1963) Rigidity and its relation to manifest anxiety in children. Dissertation submitted to Newark State College. Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Tavistock/Routledge. Brewer, J.A. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Charlop, M.H. (1989). Teaching autistic children conversational speech using video modeling. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22,275-285. Chomsky, N. (1965) Aspects of a Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. DfEs Children Act and Reports, (2004) information retrieved on 10 January 2011 from http://dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrenactreport/#2004 Dracic, S. (2009) Bullying And Peer Victimization, Materia Socio Medica Vol. 21, No.4 Education Act, 1996, Sec. 312 Every Child Matters: Change for Children. Retrieved on January 10, 2011 from http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk Federal Development Disabilities Act of 1984. Gray, C.G. (1993). Teaching children with autism to “read” social situation. In Teaching children with autism: Strategies to enhance communication and socialization. Kathleen Quill, Delmar Publishers Lindfors, J.W. (1987), Children’s Language and Learning, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. Lovaas, I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of counseling and clinical psychology 55, 1, 3-9. McPhail, J.C. & Freeman, J.G. (2005) Beyond prejudice: Thinking toward genuine inclusion, Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 20(4), 254–267 OFSTED (2004) Special educational needs and disability: towards inclusive schools. Piaget, J. (1959) The Language and Thought of the Child. London: Routledge & Kegen Paul. Quill, K. (ED) (1995). Teaching children with autism: Strategies to enhance communication and socialization. New York: Delmar Publishers. Sellgren, K. (2011) “Graham Allen calls for early years”, BBC News, January 19, 2011. Special Educational Needs And Disability Act 2001 Special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), Retrieved on January 17, 2011 from: special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) - Special Educational Needs, Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (Revised Stout, K. S., (2001). Special Education Inclusion. Phi Delta Kappa's Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research Bulletin Number 11, 1993. Vygotsky, L.S. (1962) Thought and Language (E. Hanfmann and G. Vaker, Eds & Trans.) Cambridge, M.A.: MIT Press Vygotsky, L. S. (1993). Fundamentals of defectology. New York: Plenum Press. Read More