Work Update

Great news since the last time I wrote about work. The student I am working with has made a few adjustments in his medication, which in turn has changed the way he behaves as school.  He is now going to all of his classes, and on an everyday.  In addition, he is getting all of his work done (with very few modifications), and he doesn't take naps anymore.  He also seems to be fitting in well in all his classes.  He participates in an appropriate manner, and most of his peers seems to be treating him with respect and trying to incorporate him into the lessons.   We did have one incident where he was being bullied, but this was promptly dealt with, and hasn't reoccurred since.  He still goes home and deals with his own issues of misbehavior there, but even that has greatly improved from where he was.

We have, however, started running into one major problem regarding peer interactions.  Since my student has began to really find his comfort level in his classes, he is trying harder than ever to fit in with some of the "cool kids".  This includes mimicking the inappropriate language and topics of conversation that he hears.  Such misbehavior is normal in just about any secondary education setting, but it is especially prevalent in programs for students with behavior disorders.  When we confront him about this behavior, his response is that he feels other students are allowed to get away with it, so why shouldn't he?  We try to explain to him that those other students do not get away with it, even though we might not go up to them and tell them to stop it immediately the way we do to him.
 
I suppose mimicking such behavior wouldn't be such a big deal if the student I was working with could stop himself like other students.  But one of the disabilities he has are Torrette-like-symptoms, and one he starts speaking inappropriately, it is hard for him to stop.  This has become a very frustrating problem for everyone involved (especially him).  We are starting to look for other students in the program that he can be around that will set a better example for him (easier said than done given the type of students in the program).

Despite this setback, he is doing a lot better than he was when he first entered our program.  He is a wonderful kid, and I am so proud of him!