COUNSELING CASE STUDY“Student C”

Kerri Watkins

About “Student C”◦ Student C is an 8th grade boy in the 12:1:1 program. Student C is classified as Other

Health Impaired, due to his diagnoses of ADHD, Tourette’s, Bipolar Disorder, and ODD. Student Ctopher receives Speech and Language Services both a pull out in a small group and a push-in every week. Student C also requires the assistance of a one to one aide to help with behavior management needs.

◦Due to Student C’s many diagnoses, he has a few behavioral problems in the classroom and out of the classroom, some of which he can control and others he cannot. Student C’s Tourette’s causes him to make “clicking” sounds, contort his face, and jerk his arms. The clicking sounds bother many of his classmates. He cannot help these clicks when he is concentrating on work or feeling stressed. He does however purposefully click to bother some of his classmates (one in particular). We know it’s on purpose because he admits it.

◦ Student C also has a notable short temper and the second someone annoys him (staff or peer) he lashes out verbally.

Counseling◦ In the beginning of the year is when we began to see Student C in a small group,

once a week, during his lunch period. Student C would come with two other students from his class. As we noticed his behaviors and short temper with his classmates, we decided to see him once every other week in a group and once every other week individually. We worked on ways of coping with things that irritate him. We often give him real life scenarios and discuss how the other people may feel towards him and visa versa.

◦ Early in the year Student C had a lot of issues with being very disrespectful to his one to one aide and we addressed this in individual counseling sessions. Student C feels his doesn’t need or want an aide “following him around” we discussed that he has to prove that his behaviors are maintained and he does not need the assistance of an aide, especially next year going to the high school. Unfortunately these talks seemed to go in one ear and out the other, as his disrespectful behaviors appeared to have gotten worse.

Counseling and BIP

◦ Since his behaviors of disrespect had gotten worse towards his aide and his peers we decided to make him a behavior plan to address this major issue of disrespect. We made it with Student C, so he had input on things he does well and rewards he would like to earn.

Post BIP Counseling Sessions◦ After implanting this behavior plan (which Student C was very against doing) his

behaviors really started to improve. Winter recess came and went and even when he transitioned back after the holiday’s his behaviors were great. He then tried out and made the school’s wrestling team. We were able to phase out his behavior chart and his behaviors were still improving. He was very happy, he was making all new friends and feeling really great about himself. We were all so proud and his one to one aide accompanies him to all practices and matches. Around the time that the matches started, that’s when Student C’s behaviors started up again, only this time, they were worse than they have ever been.

◦ Between making all new “cool” friends and having a new student (from his class whom he doesn’t like) move onto his bus. His disrespectful behaviors escalated quickly. He would yell at the student on the bus in the morning to the point of making him cry and be very nasty to his one to one aide, as well as annoy other students in his class.

Counseling and Crisis◦ Three days in a row this past week, Student C was brought down to our office by his

one to one aide because he was asked to leave the room by his teacher because he was being very disrespectful to her and his peers. When brought to our office I would ask for his side of the story which he would tell by yelling. I asked him to try and listen to himself and understand that, yes the way he is speaking is disrespectful. He was also yelling at peers in the hallway. He would cut me off when I tried to speak. Mrs. T, his aide and myself let him know that being asked to leave class 3 days in a row is unacceptable, his wrestling coach isn’t going to be happy, he has to behave to stay on the team. He discussed his “cool” new friends. We explained that if they see you always yelling at students in the hallway, they may not want to be your friend, etc. We then told him that with his assistance we are making a new behavior plan for him. He wasn’t happy but after talking it out realized he does need to turn it around the rest of the year in order to prove that he doesn’t need an aide and deserves to stay on the wrestling team.

New Behavior Plan

This chart targets some behaviors that Student C does really well so he can earn some points, like being prepared for class. This also tackles his issues with being mindful of his peers and being respectful to all staff members.His last plan involved earning some computer time, which didn’t work out too well. Now he earns his favorite candy half way through the day, and he has to earn his free time at lunch (go to library, play in the game room), this will no longer be a given, it must be earned.

Group Counseling◦We wanted to tackle the issues going on with Student C and his classmate that he

does not get along with. These two students have been together for a few years now and know how to push each others buttons and they do so, often. Due to a new student being in the class and not able to be on the same bus as this classmate, the classmate was moved onto Student C’s bus. Student C listen’s to music while the other student does “Spongebob talk.” he quotes episodes of Spongebob and laughs like Spongebob. Student C doesn’t like it. So it got to a point that the second the student would walk on the bus Student C would yell at him and tell him he cannot do that, and other things. The other student finally broke down and cried. He wants to be friends. To annoy Student C further he will purposefully say the school motto because he knows Student C hates it. We got them together for a group session and laid it all out on the table. Student C cannot tell the other student what to do, especially not during free time such as on the bus or in the hallways. The other student is to not to annoy Student C on purpose and visa versa which the school motto or Student C’s “clicking.” The both have behavior plans. The other student has been following our advice and doing a great job ignoring Student C, but Student C will not give up on annoying the other student.

◦ The bus situation was fixed, and now they are on separate buses.

Present Day◦Overall Student C has been a very difficult student to work with. He has a lot of

mean things to say to and about the students and staff and is very disrespectful. Even when things are going good for Student C and he receives a ton of positive reinforcement it almost seems to fuel his behaviors of annoying and being disrespectful to his peers because he begins to feel better than them. This new behavior chart has only been in place for a few days and we hope for similar results to the last behavior plan. We all know he is capable of great behaviors and leadership type roles, as he exhibits these during wrestling. We all will continue to try and work with him through his ODD and impulsivity issues and continue to have high hopes.