Pip has overcome more in her 9 years than many do in a lifetime. Due to circumstances in her family of origin, Pip came into care permanently in 2019 after being reunited with her birth family for almost a year after being in care from the time she was a baby until then. However, it was determined that Pip was again being abused by her family and she was removed from their care.
Despite being born testing positive for methamphetamine and suffering physical abuse, Pip has overcome many of the effects of her life circumstances. For some time, she struggled not only with a diagnosis of global developmental delay (19 months), but also behavioral difficulties that resulted from the emotional turmoil she was experiencing. CHI has two reports on Pip, the first of which gives a lot of detail regarding the behavioral responses to her inner emotional turmoil Pip experienced and the process by which she has worked through them over time. With regard to her developmental delays, by the age of 4, she was on target with regard to fine and motor skills, but behind on language comprehension and expression. However, with continued therapy and starting nursery school, by the time she was six she had achieved normal speech development. Once she was in second grade, it was determined she had learning difficulties in reading and writing with difficulty with attention an behavior control. In light of these difficulties, Pip was assessed and diagnosed with ADHD.
Once the correct medication for her ADHD was determined in September 2024, the difference in Pip’s motivation to learn and ability to stay on task has improved dramatically. She can now read textbooks and full passages independently when she previously relied on adults for assistance to get through academic tasks. She receives tutoring and with encouragement from the important adults in her life, she is able to complete her homework with confidence. While she used to have trouble sitting still and even remaining in the classroom, this is not longer the case which her school staff members attribute to not only the medication but also a stronger relationship with the new teachers. Additionally, while Pip used to have temper tantrums and even had physical conflict with her classmates, since starting medication, there have been no similar instances. When she has become upset at school, she is better able to cope and calm herself down. It is believed that many of her previous behaviors were related to a lack of confidence in school and her academic abilities, and now that she is gaining confidence in these areas, her behaviors have become positive in nature. In addition, her current caretakers and teachers are careful to explain rules and establish boundaries, while also taking time to explain why these rules exist, and also have established a reward system.
It has been observed that Pip is caring toward other children, often sharing snacks or encouraging them when they are upset. She has also taken the initiative in the group home to care for the younger children and even took it upon herself to walk another child to the bathroom during the night who was afraid of the dark. Her psychosocial team has discussed adoption with Pip. At first she was hesitant due to fears of language barriers and also missing her houseparent and friends, but she has gradually embraced the idea of overseas adoption and has a positive attitude toward it. She welcomes the idea of having caring parents and even siblings to play with. She has expressed how she would imagine it would be with a new mother and father.
