Re: test out the nature vs. nurture debate -- EDU 502 Spring 2001 Dr. Gillespie

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time ]

Subject: Re: test out the nature vs. nurture debate

Author:
Dr. G

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 19:57:22 02/11/01 Sun
In reply to: Kathryn Maguire 's message, "Re: test out the nature vs. nurture debate" on 15:46:16 02/11/01 Sun

>On the subject of selective mutism:
>My first year teaching in a public Pre-K in CT I had a
>male student who would not speak to adults in any
>capacity besides his mother. (?!) He was active and
>talkative with peers but would not even respond to any
>of the teachers, the nurse, the director, social
>workers psychologists, or his own aunts/uncles. The
>most we could get him to do is nod yes or shake his
>head no. When he thought the teachers were not paying
>attention, he would have animated and boisterous
>conversations with classmates. When he would discover
>the teacher was watching or listening, he would
>immediately stop. He was observed as being generally
>unhappy and non-participatory. In the spring of the
>school year, he had begun family therapy because his
>mom had approached one of our social workers and
>expressed that she was having trouble dealing with her
>anger towards him. (a-ha, increasing the idea that
>maybe he was being abused in my mind..) There was also
>some occasional unexplainable bruising. It was to the
>point where he would be served a hot lunch and would
>not speak up if he did not get a fork, spoon and
>consequently simply sit there and not be able to eat
>the lunch until one of us noticed that he did not
>receive utensils. The therapist elicited my help in
>filling in how he was in the classroom but
>unfortunately she and the mom did not get along and
>the therapy ended. (?) There were times that if his
>mom was running late in picking him up, he would pace
>back and forth. He also threw tantrums when his uncle
>(again odd) came to pick him up. He never threw
>tantrums otherwise.
>He left our class in June and I never was able to find
>out how he developed in Kindergarten. Since then I
>have run across other selective mutes. Possibly
>something was happening or happened (nurture) in this
>boy's home/relationship with mom where speaking to
>others was dangerous or scary.
Great post! well worth discussing. I look forward to the class getting into this one
THanks!

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]