Susan’s intervention plan

Reply to Response #1 I agree with you. Susan’s intervention plan is a good one and might just work given the necessary support from everyone concerned. Carl is not a hopeless case. His having been diagnosed with a behavior disorder which was apparently caused by his parents’ divorce three months previously did not make him a basket case. Actually, what Carl needs is attention and love which he feels was denied him by his parents as a result of their separation. Susan should therefore convince Mrs. Taylor that totally giving up on Carl by taking him out of her class altogether would not help at all.

On the contrary, it would aggravate the situation as it would only remind him of the betrayal he believes he suffered from his parents. My reading of the case is that Carl could be saved if only everybody – his parents, Mrs. Taylor, and Susan – are prepared to show him that they would not give up on him. Carl is only misbehaving because he wants attention. Totally denying him of such attention might push him towards the point of no return. Reply to Response #2 Yes, it is evident that what Nancy really wants is to have Carl out of her class.

She is not interested in doing anything more for him and appears to have entirely lost her patience. However, patience is what Carl needs most. He has been showing disrespect not only to Nancy but to the other teachers as well because his behavior disorder was caused by what he believed was an act of betrayal on the part of his divorced parents. In other words, he is merely taking it out on them. If the teachers at Skyler K through 12 Comprehensive School are not patient with Carl, his behavior disorder might develop into something more damaging. Reply to Response #3

I agree that talking with Carl might help. Susan could arrange a one-on-one session with Carl after class and establish rapport, befriend him. It could be that an adult friend is what Carl really needs under the circumstances, having “lost his parents to divorce. ” I also agree with you that Carl’s behavior could very well be a defensive posture on Carl’s part because apparently, he has started feeling “unsafe” after his parents separated. In other words, Carl is feeling inadequate and insecure and persecuting him – like taking him out of Nancy’s class altogether – might push him over the edge.