Ron, a 14 year old boy, was being asked to leave his mentoring group due to his constant disruptions, every week. He could not sit still or keep quiet. His group leader was frustrated and confused since Ron was capable of paying attention for long periods of time in a one-on-one setting. He brought the issue to his clinical supervisor at their next meeting,
Ron’s group leader found out that Ron’s home life did not include parental figures who were giving him attention. His clinical supervisor suggested that Ron’s disruptions in the larger group were bids to be seen, as negative attention can sometimes be more comforting than no attention at all for someone like Ron. The group mentor and clinical support team have implemented several adjustments considering Ron’s circumstances. Ron has been assigned an individual mentor for a consistent intimate relationship. We have also reached out to his parents to help them better understand their role in helping Ron. Most importantly, Ron’s group mentor is working to see Ron’s outbursts as calls for attention from a boy who doesn’t get any at home. Ron’s group mentor learned a lot from this experience, he expressed that “it was hard to understand Ron until I was able to see the entire picture of his life.”
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