CASE STUDY #25: COLLEEN (Flat Affect)
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From the first time she entered class I knew there was something wrong. I promise myself, in these situations, not to compare her with other group members in the past who presented in a similar way. The temptation is great because we (all teachers/therapists/even parents) seek comfort in remembering what worked in the past and tend to think it might be effective in this situation as well. Reflecting back on an undergraduate class called “individual differences” helps me to challenge this misconception.
The first two hour session she completed her work but made no connection with her fellow group members. In counseling language we call her interaction “flat affect” or not projecting any energy in a given situation. (Symptoms: head down, lack of eye contact, slumping shoulders, quiet, sometimes muffled diction, expressionless, total disconnection from the moment and others).
The next session the leader of her group asked me what to do about her “aloof” attitude. He was aware of the group leader’s responsibility to make sure ALL members were engaged and connecting with fellow members. First and foremost “I CARE” is a support group requiring getting to know each other and sharing mutual concerns. Colleen was none of that! I shared some ideas with all the group leaders during the 15 minute pre-session even though Colleen was the only group member displaying these behaviors.
As luck would have it one of my adult volunteers called me to say she would be a little late because of having to take her dog to the vet. Since the weather was quite hot that day she asked if she could bring her pet to class. Thinking of liability, as all modern public school instructors these days of “sue happy parents”; I inquired if the dog was properly trained and hopefully of the mellow persuasion. She assured me by saying that her puppy was in therapy training. Imagine my reaction when a large pit bull entered my classroom. My silent prayer centered around losing all four of my credentials and forfeiting my retirement income, and most certainly straining the limits of my $1,000,000 umbrella insurance policy. Before I could finish asking for Divine Intervention the puppy made a bee-line for Colleen. The next few moments remain embedded in my brain…
As I watched with considerable trepidation this massive, spectacularly muscular beast, sat down next to Colleen. His big, yet softly kind, eyes focused only on Colleen’s face. He totally ignored everything else happening in the room. It was like his only mission in life was making contact with this small frail-looking human who was not giving him the slightest bit of attention. For what seemed like several minutes the dog sat perfectly still next to Colleen and patiently waited to be acknowledged. His only movement was slowly, ever so slowly, inching closer towards her. One of the students in Colleen’s group broke the silence and asked her if she was afraid of being bitten by the scary pit bull. Colleen, awakening from her normal catatonic state, made eye contact with the puppy and a slight smile appeared large and welcoming where her sour expression had been. She was clearly drawn to the face of her admirer. I know that dogs don’t actually smile but it really seemed he did as they bonded. An even more reliable predictor; his tail also started wagging energetically. Another physical manifestation for the girl was in her posture. Instead of her normal lifeless slump she sat up and the shrug in her shoulders vanished. Colleen’s first spoken words were a rebuke of the student who asked if she was afraid of being bitten by a pit bull: “Pit bulls have a bad reputation because of the way they’ve been trained to fight. This one clearly has been treated with love and affection!” WOW…That articulate defense of the dog, and pit bulls in general, blew my mind! My heart leapt into my throat as I realized a miracle had happened and I was lucky enough to be present to witness it. The disconnected little flower bloomed almost instantaneously before our eyes.
From that moment forward Colleen was a different person. As a result of her tirade I got the feeling that she had history in this area. Naturally I seized the moment and asked if she had pets at home. Colleen’s head dropped again and a quiet mumbled reply was: “I can’t have a pet until I bring up my grades.”
Me: “What kind of grades are required to get a pet in your house?”
Colleen: “As good as my sister.”
Me: “So are we talking about a “C” or better?”
Colleen: “You don’t know my sister do you?”
Me: “I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Colleen: “Pleasure is right…she gets straight “A’s”…Teachers love her!
Me: “Well that sounds like her teachers are internalizing her success within their own.”
“My bad…It’s just that many years ago I realized that my students were in charge of their own academic
success: assuming that I was treating them all equally,”
Colleen: “OK…whatever: It’s just that she’s smarter than I am.
Me: “May I ask how many hours she spends on homework every night?
Colleen: “I don’t know or even care.”
Me: “All right, now we’re getting somewhere. I’m going to suggest that she might be
dedicating quite a bit more time than you do because effort is related to success.
Colleen: “Oh yeah…here comes the speech about laziness!”
Me: “Lucky for both of us I don’t believe in “Laziness”. I think we make choices of howe invest our time. Are you willing to keep a record this week of all the time
devoted to study, social media, leisure, sleep etc?
Colleen: “Yeah…I guess.
Me: “I think it will be well worth your time. We’ll also talk about “intelligent application of effort”; “working
smarter not harder” and a few other tricks the “smart kids”like your sister probably already figured out.”
Surprisingly she did fill out the time management sheet and remembered to bring it to the group. This, in itself, separates her from the run-of-the-mill group member. She admitted that she had “kinda given up on school because her parents had given up as well.”
For the remainder of the school year her attendance was perfect, she not only interacted with group members but became a popular group leader. Her volunteer commitment involved working in an elementary school helping slow readers improve their skills. She also returned to the group as a student volunteer for her entire senior year! Her specialty; reaching tuned-out kids with the assistance of her friendly dog.
All of this because my volunteer brought her dog to class! I wonder why dogs aren’t used more often especially with special needs students. I understand the risk but with certified training and a seasoned handler therapy/emotional support dogs can work miracles every day!
SIDEBAR: Obviously the name of the little girl in this study was changed. I did not identify the hero of our story (the dog) but upon reflection and careful consideration it was too rich to pass over. The dog’s name is HALO; hand to God! Is that prophetic or what? I couldn’t possibly pick a more fitting name!
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This case study is in a league of its own.
The detection of a Catatonic State, especially among teens, can be problematic at best. As of this time it isn’t even given a specific category in the DSM-V. Most often it is connected with Schizophrenia or other forms of mental illness. WebMD is a source of general information for laymen.
My recommendation for anyone who observes the symptoms of Catatonica would be to:
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Share your concerns with the student’s counselor.
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Consult with the school Psychologist.
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Modify group exercises, if you are comfortable that this can be done without disrupting the goals of your group. It is certainly possible to work with natural leaders within the group to “adopt” this student so others will be supportive and avoid any derogatory comments or depletory actions.
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Exercise #19 Depression Assessment
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Excercise #26 Respect Discussions
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Any exercise where two students work together without the need for oral communication can be employed.
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