I have been promising an update for some time and have finally been able to sit down and do so.
I am sharing behavior information in hopes that it will help others and because Sunshine has consented. Reactive Attachment Disorder and mood disorders can be hard.
A return from residential treatment, especially four placements in almost three years is anything but easy, even if visits have gone well.
There is a lot of adjusting, a lot of testing, and a lot of trauma to work through.
No return will go perfectly.
The goal is safety and slow improvement over time as everyone feels comfortable with each other and accepts the current arrangement.
.jpg "10 Week Post Residential Update: Behaviors")
10 Week Post Residential Update: Behaviors
Before I share Sunshine's behaviors from the past ten weeks, I want to share how she was doing in her last residential treatment center during the months of September and October.
September 2022 Behaviors in Residential
- 254 Disruptions
- 48 Physical Aggressions
- 5 Elopements
- 9 Lack of Safety Awareness Incidents
- 9 Threats of Harm
- 13 Self-Injurious Behaviors
- 11-Other
October 2022 Behaviors in Residential
- 197 Disruptions
- 26 Physical Aggressions
- 13 Elopements
- 8 Threats of Harm
- 4 Self-Injurious Behaviors
- 3 Property Destruction
You may be wondering why in the world she was sent home.
It was decided by her IEP team that her current residential placement was not meeting her needs.
The current residential team was unwilling to work with our family and our local community professionals regarding what we know and has been documented to work for Sunshine.
It has been proven in multiple settings that ABA (incentives and reinforcers) only increases anxiety, causing significant behaviors, instead of decreasing them. The residential team kept insisting that this system be used.
Based on success at a previous residential treatment center with a personalized emotional regulation plan that met Sunshine's needs, AND an entire year of successful overnight visits with family in hotels and at home, the community wanted to give Sunshine a chance to return home and show she could handle it.
Below you will see a calendar of behaviors for each month so far. I have broken them down below the image, so you can see up close what is written under each date.
All of the days with no behaviors recorded, means there were ABSOLUTELY NO BEHAVIORS!!!
November Behaviors
The initial transition home was definitely an easy one in regards to significant behaviors!
November 24, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked door
- Head banging
November 30, 2022
- Screaming
- Moderate Aggression towards Mom
December Behaviors
I must admit, in December we were getting a little nervous as the aggression towards Mom and Dad was definitely increasing, but after we set the strict and firm boundaries, the aggression has stopped.
December 2, 2022
- Screaming
- Head banging
- Biting hand
December 13, 2022
- Screaming
- Severe aggression towards mom (left bruises on Mom's arm)
- Head banging
- Biting hand
December 14, 2022
- Screaming
- Moderate aggression towards mom
- Head banging
- Biting hand
December 17, 2022
- Screaming
- Moderate aggression towards mom
- Head banging
- Biting hand
December 21, 2022
- Screaming
- Mild aggression towards Dad
- Kicked van seats and van roof
December 26, 2022
- Screaming
- Mild aggression towards Dad
- Head banging
- Biting hand
January Behaviors
Though we still have a ways to go in January, including her manic and depressive episodes, we're feeling pretty confident about improvements that Sunshine is making.
January 1, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked door
January 2, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked door, wall, and bed
If you'd like to read more details about this episode, you can read about it in the post below.
January 2, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked couch and table
January 13, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked couch, wall, and window
- Biting hand
January 15, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked furniture dressers, bed, and trunk in parents' room
- Head banging,
- Biting hand
If you'd like to read more details about this episode, you can read about it in the post below.
January 15, 2022
- Screaming
- Kicked wall
Things that have Influenced Behaviors
Swimming three times a week started December 28, 2022 with the exception of weeks when we have been sick.
Swimming helps Sunshine stay regulated in such big ways!
Everyone in the family was extremely sick for two weeks in December before Christmas with high fevers, horrible coughs, runny noses, etc. Routines were not normal.
Everyone in the family has been sick January 8th through the present with runny noses, coughs, chills, and muscle aches. Only one person had a fever this round. Thankfully routines have remained in full swing, but people are definitely grumpy.
The Best News
Sunshine expresses how happy she is to be home with her family on a daily basis.
For a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder, this is huge. Her residential experience definitely helped her decide that she wants to be with her family.
Sunshine is using kind words, manners, and appropriate language except for during some behavior episodes.
In residential, it was reported that she used foul language on a daily basis, directed towards others.
Sunshine has not had a single battle about food since being home.
This was a HUGE issue in all of her residential placements and at home before she went to residential.
Sunshine has not had a single behavior related to peers or siblings.
Her biggest struggle in residential and at home before residential was interactions with peers. There were screaming fits. There were physical fights.
There have been times when Sunshine has wanted to kill family members and had a plan to do so. You can read about them in the posts below.
Sunshine has only had one battle during learning time.
Before residential, Sunshine was attending a private day program because behaviors were too severe to learn at home. In residential, she struggled significantly during her school day.
Sunshine is thriving with the use of Internal Family Systems Therapy with parents at home.
After seven therapists at home and in residential, we've finally found a therapy that works, and it's one that my husband and I have been using ourselves for over two years now.
Sunshine still has a long ways to go, but compared to how she was doing, she is doing amazing after ten weeks of being home.
We hope and pray she continues to choose to be with her family and has the desire to put the work in to remain home with us.
For those who would like to continue to follow Sunshine's journey, be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking on the link below.
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