A heartbreak

10:30, Monday night. There's a thin layer of ice out on the streets, and the temperature is bitterly cold. I'm thinking about getting out to go to work tomorrow-and hope I don't have to drive on streets that are untreated. I just hate driving on ice. The only good thing is that I drive an old car, so if I'm hit, I won't lose a lot financially.

So I haven't written about work in awhile. I do have some interesting cases this year, and one situation in particular has been most challenging. When I was going to WSU to get my degree, much discussion in classes had to do with nature vs nurture theories of development. There are smart people on both sides of the argument, and many straddling the line. I think about this as I work with a young student at one of my schools. "Robbie" (not his real name) is growing up in a far from ideal environment, and there is much that needs to happen in Robbie's homelife in order to bring it up to a minimal standard of what is good for children. However, I've been acquainted with many children who do not live in good environments, and in all my years of working with children and families, he is one of the most ill-adjusted children I've ever had the privilege of knowing. If you were to see him, you might assume that he was truly a "wild child", reared in the jungle by wolves. He is aggressive and angry - striking out at other students and teachers. He does not use words to express himself, but screams and swears. Robbie's caretaker is detached from him, and is in denial regarding Robbie's difficulties. Although Robbie's environment has truly contributed to his problems, I also believe that he has some sort mental malfunction-I think there is an organic cause to much of this problem.

I told someone that when you look into his eyes, you don't see a little boy looking back at you. You see something or someone else. It IS our responsibility to educate him-but the sad truth is, before we teach him colors, numbers, and shapes, we have to teach him to use the toilet, to communicate with words instead of kicks, bites, slaps, and punches, and to follow those norms of school like standing in line, waiting his turn, and following the leader. We even are working with him to eat his snack like a person instead of like a dog. The big picture is that this little boy is not just the school's problem, he is society's problem, and all of us are affected. The awful truth is, school is the best thing he's got going for him but we aren't miracle workers. I suspect that unless he has intensive interventions immediately, in addition to what we can do for him at school, he will not ever contribute positively in society. Our local child welfare agency has been notified but as of last week, they saw no reason to intervene. In the future, the rest of the story will unfold, but not without pain and heartbreak on every side. I'll keep you posted on his progress.