Arlen and his four siblings came into care in 2022 due to being victims of multiple types of abuse in their family. Their parents were known to be drug users with emotional instability and aggressive behaviors between them. They were also verbally abusive toward the police and other authorities. Arlen is being placed for adoption as a single child.
As Arlen was never enrolled in school until he was taken into protective custody, he is in the first grade. He is familiar with some letters and numbers but cannot read or do simple arithmetic problems. He truly enjoys art class since he has great skills for doing crafts. He seeks adult validation in every activity he participates in. However, while he recognizes authority figures, he is defiant toward them and only obeys with some difficulty. Arlen usually gets along well with peers and adults; however, when he gets mad or frustrated, he begins to behave in a bad and aggressive way. He lies whenever he wants to avoid his responsibilities. He gets upset when he cannot do what he wants. His cognitive development is affected. Arlen has been diagnosed with ADHD, mild cognitive developmental delay, focalized epilepsy, and oppositional defiant disorder. He goes to occupational and psychiatric therapy, and also takes daily medication. There are no concerns regarding his motor and language development.
As mentioned, Arlen and his siblings were subjected to multiple types of abuse. It has been reported by his teachers that in addition to being aggressive toward other children in the class. Though Arlen can verbally express his feelings and emotions, he has a hard time managing them. He gets easily frustrated and has trouble finishing any given task. He is afraid of the dark and of being alone. Arlen gets anxious when he consumes sugary foods, and he also gets anxious when an outing is going to happen soon. He goes to bed around 8 pm but takes a long time to fall asleep.
Even though Arlen has been known to be aggressive toward others, his child study also reports he usually gets along with adults, peers, younger children and animals. Arlen is not shy when meeting people; it is easy for him to take the initiative to start a conversation with anybody. He likes to take the lead in any game. Arlen can be affectionate toward those he knows and is comfortable with. He likes to maintain good hygiene habits and takes care of his personal belongings.
Arlen is very active during the day. He loves to go to the park and to play soccer with friends. Arlen is interested in any outdoor recreational activity; he loves to do physical exercise. He has stated that he is good at swimming. Arlen has stated that he would love to get married and have kids. He does not want to go to college but would like to work handling heavy machines. He is open to being adopted by any type of family.
