At 14 years of age, Sierra is now in the eighth grade. She finds herself in a new environment with people
she doesn’t know. The medication she takes seems to help even if she doesn't really know why she is on it. What she does know is that she can't seem to stay what she considers "happy." She often thinks about all of the horrible things that have happened to her, and she often has specific flashbacks that no 14 year old should have to experience.
Sierra has appreciated her new mother. who is a wonderful lady. She tries as much as she can
to make Sierra comfortable in her new home, though it is not easy since
she has to take care of her 2 other children. Being a recently single mother, she has a lot on her hands.
Middle school is tough too. Her grades are not very good at this point, and it
is quite obvious that she is struggling. Her teachers think she
could do better. She is
the "weird girl" in school with no friends and finds it especially hard
to interact with the boys in her class. At lunch, she sits alone at a
corner as she eats her packed lunch.
She
often thinks of that wonderful woman who used to visit her -- who was she? where is she now? She thinks of the man who abused her and wonders
why she had to go through
that.
It is clear that her new
family could be the light at the end of the tunnel for her. She looks
forward to going home in
the evening. Her new sisters and mom make her feel like she’s part of
the family.* If Sierra were receiving Special Education services, what label would she most likely fall under?
* Write some goals that would be appropriate for Sierra's IEP given the label you have provided in the previous question.
* How do you imagine Sierra's past might impact her relationships in the present?
* What are the developmental milestones for a typically-developing 14 year old? How atypical is Sierra's development at this point?
Sierra would probably fall under Emotional Disturbance. To be considered under this title, the child must exhibit “an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances; a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems” (“National dissemination center,” 2009). Sierra falls under this category because she does not have any friends in her school or classroom; her grades are slipping and there does not seem to be any intellectual problems with her; she cannot seem to stay “happy” without taking her pills; and she is considered the “weird” girl in her school. Also Sierra has some fears from her past because of her sexual abuse. Sierra seems to fit the criteria for a child with an emotional disturbance; more specifically a child with possible depression.
ReplyDelete“National dissemination center or children with disabilities.” (2009, April 02). Retrieved from
http://nichcy.org/disability/categories
Goal 1: improve performance in all classes by half a letter grade
ReplyDeleteHow we will address this: She will spend at least twenty minutes each day working on school work with another person such as a peer tutor, teacher, or parent
Goal 2: Improve Sierra’s ability to work with classmates
How we will address this: Teacher will give at least one in class group assignment each week and will monitor group’s performance and offer help when needed.
Goal 3: Improve ability to cope with unpleasant emotions
How we will address this: Sierra will meet with a school guidance counselor for an hour two times each week. Counselor will work to identify other people in Sierra’s life who can help her to deal with emotions such as parents.
Goal 4: Reduce incidents of yelling at teacher and classmates.
How we will address this: When she finds herself getting upset she will raise her hand to signal the teacher and they will discuss whatever problem she is facing one on one.
Sierra’s past could impact her future relationships with several different types of people. It was stated that she already has issues interacting with males in her classes, which is to be expected considering her history. She will probably always have some trepidation interacting with adult males, but she should eventually become more accustomed to interacting with them as time goes on. Her obvious introverted tendencies may cause some problems for her as she progresses through high school. Since she does not interact with her classmates she will become viewed as an “outcast” and will have a difficult time relating to her peers. This could affect her self-esteem and impact many different areas of her life. She may even develop tendencies toward acting out against others in her class, especially if her classmates start to overtly tease her. The other children view her as “weird” which could increase the feelings of depression that she is having. Since her new foster care mother seems to create a nurturing environment, she will probably not view all adults as bad people, and may be able to successfully interact with female adults. Having no defined relationship with her biological mother could affect future relationships with children she may one day have. Wondering what happened to her biological mother could also affect how she interacts with her new foster mom and how she forms a bond with her.
ReplyDeleteThe developmental milestones for a typical fourteen year old include a concern about body image or appearance, focus on himself, more moodiness, an obvious influence by his peer group, less affection towards his parents, more stress from harder schoolwork, possibility of developing eating problems, have a greater capability of complex thought, are better able to express their feelings through talking, and develop a stronger moral code (“Young teens (12-14,” 2011). Also, the typical fourteen year old will experience sudden height and weight changes, and if female, will be close to reaching sexual maturity, experience the onset of acne, thrives on arguments and discussions, is increasingly able to memorize, can begin to engage in introspection, can start to realistically plan for future, may read a lot, needs to feel important, are annoyed by younger siblings, commonly sulks, worries about popularity, and is concerned about the fair treatment of those around him (“Child development guide,” 2006). The typically developing fourteen year old is always hungry, has a greater need for sleep, experiences greater sexual desires, is able to use hypotheticals, begins to set personal goals, begins to anticipate consequences of actions, is generally happy overall, and is usually heavily involved in extracurricular activities (Firchow, 2011).
ReplyDeleteAt this point, Sierra’s development is not typical of most fourteen year olds. Unlike most others her age who have varied groups of larger friends, Sierra does not really have any friends. While she does have moodiness and sulk periodically, it is for a longer period of time then her peers. She also is not as involved in other activities as are most her age. She just is not as happy as those who are around her and is not as involved socially with those at her school.
Child development guide: 12-15 years old. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Child_Center_Twelve/
Firchow, N. (2011). Child development: 13-16 years old. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/health-nutrition/870-middle-adolescence.gs
Young teens (12-14 years of age): Developmental milestones. (2011, September 09). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence.html