Ryan's Story
Ryan is a seven year old boy who, due to abusive living conditions, was placed in care at the age of two and has since been placed in seven different foster homes. This has resulted in some behaviour problems such as language delays and difficulty relating to peers. Ryan was also diagnosed with AD/HD, Attachment Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Barnardos® stabilised his living situation and the family that he was placed with transitioned him into kindergarten. Ryan experienced difficulty concentrating resulting in disruptive behavior and it was decided that he needed greater one-on-one support. This could unfortunately not be facilitated by the school.
A grant from the Max e Grants program allowed a specialist support worker to attend school with Ryan for 12 hours a week to help with his work and behaviour management. As an outcome Ryan now has minimal outbursts, he has progressed in his capacity to listen and follow instructions, he is attempting things that he would not have in the past and has also been able to make friends.
