Writing Homework Help

The case is on the Johnson family. Mom is a single parent raising 4 kids alone and working two jobs to make it. Her son Timothy is acting out, probably because mom is never home. 

For this assignment I just need you to write something about getting Timothy tested at school, maybe an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) and recommendation for treatment. You can discuss the reasons why he is acting out  ( mom is never home, father is not active etc etc) It is not a page limit. If u can sum it all up in one page that will be fine.

Case Study

Alice Johnson is a 27 year old Caucasian single mother of four young children. Alice has three boys and one girl. Timothy age 8, Davide age 6, Abby age 2, and Robert age 1. Alice works two very demanding jobs that keep her busy so that she can afford to keep her small two bedroom apartment in Queens New York. Just Alice’s rent is $1,850 per month. Her three boys share a room while she shares a room with her 2 year old daughter. Alice’s daytime job is a secretary at a local Real Estate Firm three neighborhoods over. Every morning Alice gets up and walks Timothy and David to school, then drops off Abby and Robert with her parents before walking to work.

When Alice finishes her first job she walks to pick up her school aged children and drop them off with her parents so she can change clothes and go to her second job at a local diner in her neighborhood. After Alice finishes her shift at the diner she walks back to her parents to pick up her children to take them home, bathe them and get them in bed. Alice also shares her tips with her parents to thank them for helping her with her children because she cannot afford daycare. 

During our intake with Alice we talked about how hard it was for her to make ends meet with her jobs and not receiving child support from her older children’s father. Alice also talked about the issues that have come about with Timothy the oldest boy. Timothy has started having trouble in school. Reusing to do school work and failing his grade, bullying smaller children, starting fights, having tantrums when he is not getting his way, starting fights at home, refusing to help with chores, and clinging to his grandparents when it is time to go home. Timothy is showing anger issues towards his mother and other authority figures.

Alice is on probation at work because she has had to leave so many times and go to Timothy’s school because of his behavior. Without Timothy’s father in the picture and his grandparents unable to get to the school Alice has no one to help her. Alice has no support to help with the behavioral issues with Timothy or with securing her job. 

The Scope of the Issue

In 2016, 40.6 million Americans had incomes below the government’s official poverty line, which was $24,339 for a family of four, including two children. Of those below the poverty line — 12.7% of the population — nearly 5 million were Moms or Dads heading single-parent families; another 8.7 million were children under 18 in these single-parent homes. (Samuelson, 2018). Alice falls within that poverty level. Being a single parent has brought on frustration of financial situations along with situations with her children. Samuelson 2018, says that single parents have less money and less time for children. With Alice having to work two jobs to keep her family fed she does not have much quality time to spend with her four children. 

Most single-parent households are run by mothers, and the absence of a father — coupled with lower household income — can increase the risk of children performing poorly in school. The lack of financial support from a father often results in single mothers working more, which can in turn affect children because they receive less attention and guidance with their homework. (Kunz, 2019). Kunz 2019 also mentions that children that have the support from their fathers tend to do well in school. Timothy does not see his father and rarely gets to spend quality time with his mother because she works so much. The majority of Timothy’s time is spent with his grandparents. Living in poverty is stressful and can have many emotional effects on children, including low self-esteem, increased anger and frustration and an increased risk for violent behavior. (Kunz,20190. Besides financial constraints, other emotional effects of growing up in a single parent household may include feelings of abandonment, sadness, loneliness and difficulty socializing and connecting with others. (Kunz, 2019). Timothy is showing signs of these emotions at home and at school. Timothy needs evaluations and assessments for emotional stressors. 

For Alice, being a single parent has changed her life in many ways. She has started to feel the stressful situations of being that single parent. Having trouble with finances and having a child with emotional and behavioral problems is weighing on her and she needs a good support system out into place. Alice is a strong woman that feels she has everything under control but she needs help like many other single parents. why he might be acting out and maybe an IEP ( Individualized Educational Plan ) and recommendation for treatment.