week 4

Billy is small for his age and in the 4th grade. His clothes are usually torn and dirty. He and his six siblings have experienced several out of home placements but are currently living with Billy’s mother and her boyfriend. All of his teachers have claimed to understand his need for attention, based on their awareness of his previous history of multiple placements. What is hard to grasp is the way he seeks it out. He is a master at getting attention. The problem, however, is that the attention he gets is usually either physically or emotionally painful to observe. One tactic he uses a great deal is to sneak up in the back of popular students in class when they aren’t expecting it. He then ruffles their hair, makes snorkeling sounds with his nose, calls them names in high-pitched voice, or makes derogatory remarks about their family members. Sometimes the snorkeling sounds produces snot, especially when Billy had a cold, which seemed to occur very frequently, though he is rarely absent from school. Peers either ridicule him, call him names, or physically fight with him. Teachers have become exasperated with him and essentially have told him, “If you can’t play well with others at recess, you need to be by yourself for the recess period.” In class Billy is a “slow learner” and has a “mild learning disability” in reading according to his records, with reading level estimated at beginning 2ng grade. In the RSP classroom, peers tolerate his presence in work groups begrudgingly, while in the regular classroom, Billy’s seat is well away from peers and he primarily works alone. His work is typically incomplete, inaccurate, messy, and hurriedly done. Whenever his teacher tries to get him involved in a group, he refuses even if peers have reluctantly agreed to have him participate. No significant behavior problems are observed in any classroom settings. NOTES: 1-6