Connor 

Connor* was referred to the Childfocus service by his parents in September 2009.  Work with Connor began at the end of October and finished mid February.

He was referred to the service in relation to his anxiety and difficulty sleeping. He was continually underperforming at school and was getting into trouble with his teacher for poor concentration and misbehavior. His parents had separated and his mother had difficulty at times controlling his anger, and getting him to concentrate on completing his homework was a challenging task.

While his parents felt that he had many skills and talents, they said that his self esteem was very poor and that he had low confidence in himself.

Following an assessment with Connor and his parents by the ISPCC Support Worker some goals were set. The aims were:

• For Connor to feel listened to by the Support Worker.
• For Connor to learn to express himself more and to communicate his feelings to others.
• For Connor to learn new ways to manage any anxieties, fears or worries.
• For Connor’s confidence in his school work to grow –especially in relation to Irish, English and Maths.
• For Connors overall confidence in his qualities, skills and talents to improve.

Connor chose to have the majority of sessions face to face. He had some phone sessions, but both he and his support worker agreed that face to face sessions were more beneficial. He was given various tasks to work on between sessions. His parents and sister were also involved in the process and were given practical suggestions as to how to support him.

By the end of the work Connor reported feeling more in control of his anxieties and anger. He stated that he was getting to sleep easier at night and that his quality of sleep was much improved.  In school he was receiving positive feedback from his teacher and Principal, particularly in relation to his improved concentration and attitude. He also feels better about his own skills and talents.

Connor’s parents also reported positive changes in their son.  His mother said that Connor was now completing his homework much quicker and with better concentration, and that he was able to control his anger more.  His father felt that Connor was more confident in himself and that he was in much better form.

Connor will avail of the Childfocus top up support service.
 

* Names have been changed to ensure confidentiality