Running head: BEHAVIORAL CASE STUDY
Behavioral Case Study Somchai Sanders EDUC 3250 Dixie State University
BEHAVIORAL CASE STUDY Behavioral Case Study
During my practicum experience at a local Elementary I had the privilege of observing many types of behaviors. From the very first day I realized that I would have several students to choose from that were displaying behaviors that were contrary to what is expected to be appropriate behaviors at school. One child in particular stood out among the rest. This young man was already displaying body and facial gestures that indicated an aggressive attitude towards his peers. He also displayed times of extreme selfishness. Observing this young man both in the classroom and outside as he played with others gave me a wealth of information that helped to support my reasoning on choosing him for my study. My first day of class at the Elementary school had me exploring the prospects for the one whom I would deem a worthy candidate for my case study paper. Right away several students caught my attention and I began to watch them. However, within a few minutes a young man (whom we will name Bob for privacy issues) entered the room whose personality trumped the others I had already been watching. As Bob entered the room I was immediately drawn to him by his size. His stature was noticeably smaller than the other boys in the room and when he spoke it was as if he were a mouse. His voice was very timid but high pitched. He seemed to get along with those around him as he hung up his bag and replaced his reading material. But then out of the blue, he showed a clenched fist (held to his face) to a girl doing the same next to him. Words had been exchanged between the two prior to this but I was not paying attention to what was said. After the display, the girl immediately went and sat down. The young man made no further attempt to contact her. Throughout the day Bob acted as any other student in the class during lessons. He participated and worked as the others did. At centers he seemed to struggle a little bit with staying focused. Once he got bored of the center he would roam the room from center to center
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just talking with his peers. In my attempt to get his attention when he did not respond to verbal requests I tried using close proximity strategies. I went over and tapped his shoulder thinking that he just didn't hear me. Whoa, I was wrong. Bob immediately glared at me after moving away and said "I heard you." He was rigid in his stance and both hands were down at his sides but his fists were both clenched. I took note and apologized to him for startling him (I know that wasn't the purpose of his stance) then offered to help him with a project he was working on. He said "no" but went back to his desk and quietly sat down. Up until we left for lunch Bob continued on as the others but, I noticed he kept an eye on me and several times moved away from me in his seat as I walked by. I actually walked by several times to make sure that this is what he was doing, and it was. After lunch my subject seemed to have forgotten about me and actually returned a courtesy when I told him "hi". In my conversation with my mentor teacher (we'll use Pamela for privacy purposes), I mentioned that I would be watching Bob for the case study I would be writing up. We discussed him a little more in depth and I found out that he has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. The Mayo Clinic offered a brief definition: Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Doctors group Asperger's syndrome with other conditions that are called autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders...Asperger's syndrome is generally thought to be at the milder end of this spectrum. (Staff, 2010) Pamela also noted that my subject had a bad temper and hitting problem. I told her that he seems to be handling himself pretty well. Of which she responded, "this has been a good day for him, he was unusually calm". Oh my!
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My second visit to the class became a little more "eye opening" as Bob and the class became more accustomed to my presence. I learned that last Friday Bob had hit a young man while playing at the playground and spent some time in the principal's office. Today he seemed to be extra nice to his peers. He was picking up things that had fallen, he used "please" and "thank-you" at appropriate times and raised his hands to participate during lesson times. His demeanor changed though once the students separated into work centers. As I was assisting at one of the centers I could hear Bob say something pretty loud at one of the other groups. He then appeared next to me and seemed perturbed and upset. He sat at a desk that was placed by the coat racks. A few minutes later Pamela brought over a foam ball and gave it to Bob who immediately began squeezing it. In my conversation with Pamela on the situation and how to handle behaviors like his, she said that in his case, they both (Pamela and Bob) agreed on a cool down place (the desk he sat at). They agreed that it would be a safe place for him to "get away from the situation" and cool down. She also found several foam balls that she decided would help him to release some anger into an object. While in this "safe place", she made no real efforts to speak with Bob until he showed signs of calming down. At that point they would talk about what happened and what tools he could use to help control his temper before it over came him. About thirty minutes later, Bob joined the work center that I was helping at. After sitting down he called one of his peers a "stupid dummy" (in reference to a problem they had earlier). In my conversation with Bob to correct his use of negative words, we got on the subject of the word "stupid." To Bob this word was appropriate because "my father calls me stupid all the time, and my mom too". He explained that his father doesn't live with them but he visits a lot. Then he said "you know what word my dad doesn't like me saying, the F word, but he says it all the time, and he smokes too, my mom says that is bad and my dad says she's stupid." I tried to change the subject so we could focus on something positive but he changed centers.
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Our third week of practicum I was able to observe that Bob was now under the watchful eye of a District Worker because he had bitten a boy the week before. In fact by the end of lunch on this particular day Bob, had kicked a boy on the ankles and punched a girl on the forehead. Time was spent again in the Principles office with his aid working with him on how he could have handled the situation. As relayed to me by the aid, the situation was that Bob and several boys were playing tag when he tripped on the fallen boys leg, at which point he jumped up and kicked his ankle. This caused the boy to cry, which brought attention from one of Bobs female peers. She told Bob he was mean and was going to tell on him, so he punched her. The next several weeks after this incident were fairly uneventful. The case worker for Bob was now making periodical visits to check up on his behavior rather than staying the whole day. Bob still struggled in the class room and still through tantrums and called people names but he had not hit or bitten anyone. On the last Wednesday of September I found out that it would be Bobs last day at the school. Apparently on the Friday before, Bob had resorted to hitting several students because they would not give him a basketball during outside break. This last infraction had been the deciding factor to enter him into the STAR program. This program is designed to help students with temper issues, but he would have to attend a different school that was set up to handle them. He was not expected to return until after Christmas. The whole class wished him well and signed a card that had a candy bar attached to it. He didn't seem to care. Pamela had obviously been dealing with Bob for several weeks before my first practicum class. She had already been aware of Bob from his previous year there and had talked with his former teachers for ideas on how to handle his outbursts. After several outburst, Pamela sat with Bob to work out a behavior plan together. Also, in my observations I saw that she was choosing her battles with him. She did not always point out things he was doing wrong unless they were
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disruptive to his peers or interrupted her lessons. So much of the time it seems she ignoring him, and this sometimes extended to not calling on him participation opportunities. I'm really not sure what most directly could have affected Bob's behavior. Whether it was the Asperger's Syndrome or home life. I do feel however that any time a child has any kind of handicap that a child's behavior is effected more positively by a loving and supportive home life. If Bob is dealing with the anxieties of having Asperger's and has a negative support system at home, then this will only give way to negative behaviors at school. Considering my brief conversation with Bob about his father, I cannot help but feel that this is a part of the problem. Bob is not getting parental support from both parents, in fact they seem to conflict with one another often. He comes from a broken home with rules that are also in conflict because his parents are not on the same page. All of this is having an negative effect on Bobs ability to socialize properly with peers in his class. I am also led to believe that he has the run of the house; at least when his father isn't there. This will make it hard for him to be respectful of his teachers and following classroom procedures. From working with him at his desk and grading his test papers, this has also produced negative learning habits. I think the biggest "eye opener" for me is the understanding that no one is excluded from having to teach students with behavior issues. It is really an opportunity to test your abilities and hone your teaching skills. Pamela has been a great example of maintaining a calm demeanor even when her class seems to be a tornado "a brewing". Her ideas on dealing with Bob are ones that I support and will most likely implement myself. The only questionable tactic is ignoring Bob. This had its merits but I'm not sure the pro's out-weigh the con's, but as a new and upcoming teacher I will have many opportunities to put tactics such as these to the test. This
opportunity has given me some tools to tuck away. I wish I had more time with Bob, but the time that I observed him was a wealth of information. The real gem though was the opportunity to
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observe a real professional at work, Pamela, she has given me more information on what it will take to be able to lovingly hold every child regardless of how she was treated. I hope to have her fortitude and patience.
BEHAVIORAL CASE STUDY References
Staff, M. C. (2010). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrome/DS00551
