Success Stories
At intake, 31/2-year-old Grace had already been in foster care for 2 years due to issues of physical abuse and neglect. Grace was very physically aggressive toward other children. She would hit, kick, bite and spit on peers and adults. She tried to burn her peer with a lamp. She was also verbally aggressive and used profanity. Grace was very quiet and would speak very little during therapy. After psychiatric and clinical evaluation the team was able to put forth a treatment plan best suited for Grace. It was decided Grace would benefit from various styles of therapy, including individual, group and family.
In the classroom behavior management techniques along with various versions of play therapy were used to increase positive socialization skills with peers and adults. She was taught to use her words, not her fists. Grace found art therapy her favorite modality in which to express her feelings via specific color usage and themes. Careful diagnosis of her art revealed her intense inner turmoil, which led to a very specific therapeutic treatment plan.
Grace was able to maintain for longer periods of time. She increased her ability to express her anger in safe, appropriate ways, i.e., using her words. Grace was also able to develop positive social skills and make friends. Grace showed improvement, she was a happier child but she still had difficulty focusing, staying on task and controlling her anger. It was decided, at this point, by the clinical team, guardian, and psychiatrist to use medication to help Grace with her struggle. Several months later, Grace was able to be discharged to a less restrictive daycare.
