Monday, July 16, 2018
Chapter 6 - The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog
I was very excited to finally reach the chapter the book was named after. Learning of Justin's initial presentation and the way he was being treated in the hospital's PICU was horrifying. I'm not sure what decade this was but an impromptu crib-jail made my stomach hurt and raised so many ethical red flags. One of the largest learning components that I've taken away from this book is how child abuse and neglect isn't always as intentional as I imagined. With Leon's, Justin's, and Conner's cases, I've realized that the parents don't always have to be the extremely malicious person we see in movies. In the case of Arthur, he tried to care for Justin and even sought him medical assistance. He wasn't hiding Justin's home condition and was genuinely seeking help and guidance. Dr. Perry always amazes me in the techniques he utilizes to introduce himself and also how he builds therapeutic rapport.
It was astounding to read of how QUICKLY Justin progressed. I understood Dr. Perry's initial question and concern of: "Does Justin have unexpressed potential or is there no capacity for further development?" This chapter gave me so much hope. When Perry described the letter and photo he received in the mail after years of saying goodbye to Justin, I cried and felt great and relieved when he admitted that he cried too. Learning that Justin's progress was most likely due to the first year of his life in which he had a loving caregiver was amazing. This helped me better understand the relationship between the brain and development and how crucial timing really is. I could now better understand why every case is different and how Leon was possibly set at a higher disadvantage.
With the previous hypothesis that listed the differences between Leon and Justin, I found myself trying to concretely decipher what this meant for Connor. Did he initially have a gene set for someone with not as high intelligence? Is the reason he didn't become angry and violent, like Leon, because he had healthy caregiver relationships on week evenings and weekends? The number of vast possibilities emphasizes how complicated the combination of genes and environment really is. I find myself wishing there was a hard equation that could really predict how a child may end up so that we could aid them before they experienced hardships and developmental delays.
The treatment plan set forward for Connor was very interesting to read. The rhythmic classes and massage therapy were methods that I found very strange at first but did wonders for Connor. If I, as a current social worker, didn't exactly know how these not-so-common methods could be useful, I can't imagine the reactions of others who were immediately involved in that case.
I really like that Perry mentioned that many parents in our country do not greatly understand childhood development and how parenting can best be achieved. There are probably more initiatives set in place today compared to the time period this chapter took place but it still is not enough. Parents need to know how to best prepare for their child, how to prepare, how important social supports can be, and what developmental, social, and verbal milestones their children should be hitting at certain ages.
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Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteThe “impromptu crib-jail” also threw me for a loop and made me question the PICU staff's capacity for treating a high-needs child like Justin. This detail in the case was kind of glossed over by Perry, who framed it as being “ironic” and possibly even familiar/comfortable for Justin, who was essentially raised in a kennel. Regardless, it seemed like a misinformed approach at best and extremely harmful to Justin’s healing process at worst. Each chapter offers a similar perspective of hospital systems that sheds light on various institutional factors that have a negative impact on and possibly contribute to the retraumatization of child patients. Common ones seem to be overworked/burned out medical staff, overwhelming stimuli (i.e. constant chatter and controlled chaos, bright lighting, intrusive treatment methods), failure to collaterally consult with mental health professionals, narrow views of treatment, wrong diagnoses, and the absence of efforts to actively involve caregivers and other family members in the treatment process. While these cases are decades old, it’s still hard to imagine that these were common issues (and may still be) in pediatric hospital settings.
Your commentary on how caregivers are often not acting maliciously toward their children resonated with me and was something I touched on in my blog post for this week. For me, it’s unsettling that a lack of parental education, community support, oversight by medical professionals, etc. can contribute to a child’s neurodevelopmental issues in the same way that torture, abuse, and prolonged neglect can. It is comforting to know that this growing body of knowledge on the impact of child-rearing practices, positive relationships, and secure attachment has driven the development of new programs, therapeutic practices, and community efforts that help support and educate caregivers.