Akeelah Anderson
CASE DESCRIPTION
Identifying Information:
Akeelah Anderson is an eleven-year-old African-American female. Akeelah is single, lives in a suburban, predominantly African-American community in South Central Los Angeles, and attends Crenshaw Middle School. She is from single-parent family with young adolescents and a limited income. Akeelah is a very brilliant girl who is the winner of the major event in the US, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Akeelah comes from an impoverished background but overcomes the circumstance in her life by demonstrating her knowledge and skills.
Developmental history:
Middle school age overlaps with early adolescence. Peer relations’ positive, academic performance is brilliant but unpredictable; promising career choice; strong goal oriented.
Presenting Problem:
Akeelah is dealing with grief and loss, often disagrees with her mother and has issues at school. Akeelah’s father, Mr. Anderson, was deceased when she was six years old. Akeelah does not get any emotional support from her mother through the grieving process, because her mother is overwhelmed with her full-time job as a nurse. Akeelah is faced with two overarching difficulties pertaining to her family. She is left to not only deal with with her father 's recent death but to also deal with a mother who is mourning the death of her husband, while at the same time worrying about the direction and path her son, Terence is on.
History of Current Problem:
Akeelah has been coping with the loss of her father since she was six years old. Akeelah misses her father greatly and is dealing with his death by withdrawing and isolating herself at home. Ever since Akeelah started entering the spelling bee contests, she illustrated an obvious separation from her mother, which has served a source of tension between mother and daughter. This tension is illustrated by Akeelah’s attempting to move on the next stage of her life while her mother holds her back. Akeelah is also dealing with issues
Identifying Information:
Akeelah Anderson is an eleven-year-old African-American female. Akeelah is single, lives in a suburban, predominantly African-American community in South Central Los Angeles, and attends Crenshaw Middle School. She is from single-parent family with young adolescents and a limited income. Akeelah is a very brilliant girl who is the winner of the major event in the US, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Akeelah comes from an impoverished background but overcomes the circumstance in her life by demonstrating her knowledge and skills.
Developmental history:
Middle school age overlaps with early adolescence. Peer relations’ positive, academic performance is brilliant but unpredictable; promising career choice; strong goal oriented.
Presenting Problem:
Akeelah is dealing with grief and loss, often disagrees with her mother and has issues at school. Akeelah’s father, Mr. Anderson, was deceased when she was six years old. Akeelah does not get any emotional support from her mother through the grieving process, because her mother is overwhelmed with her full-time job as a nurse. Akeelah is faced with two overarching difficulties pertaining to her family. She is left to not only deal with with her father 's recent death but to also deal with a mother who is mourning the death of her husband, while at the same time worrying about the direction and path her son, Terence is on.
History of Current Problem:
Akeelah has been coping with the loss of her father since she was six years old. Akeelah misses her father greatly and is dealing with his death by withdrawing and isolating herself at home. Ever since Akeelah started entering the spelling bee contests, she illustrated an obvious separation from her mother, which has served a source of tension between mother and daughter. This tension is illustrated by Akeelah’s attempting to move on the next stage of her life while her mother holds her back. Akeelah is also dealing with issues
References: Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., Bem, D.J., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed), Encyclopedia of human behavior, 4, 71-83 Berk, L.E. (2002). Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Developmental milestones in middle childhood. Retrieved December 7, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/middlechildhood9-11.htm Gilligan, C. (1982). Woman’s place in man’s life cycle. In a different Voice (pp.5-23) Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Goldstein, E.G. (1995). Ego psychology and social work practice. New York: The Free Press. Greene, R. (1999). Ecological perspective: An eclectic theoretical framework for social work practice (2nd Ed.) Horner, A. (1984). Separation-Individuation: Consolidation of individuality, or on the road To object constancy Lin, S. (2002). Piaget’s developmental stages. In B. Hoffman (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Educational Technology Psychosexual stages of development. Freud’s theory. Retrieved December 5, 2008 from http://www.btinternet.com/~brownfamilywebsite/freud/index.htm Robbins, S., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. (2006). Contemporary human behavior theory: A clinical perspective for social work (2nd Ed.) Silverman, P. R. (2000). Never too young to know: Death in children’s lives. New York: Oxford University Press. Surrey, J.L. (1985). Self-in-Relation: A theory of women’s development. No. 13. Wellesley: Wellesley Centers for Women. Walsh, F. & McGoldrick, M. (1995). Living beyond loss: Death in the family. New York: W.W. Zastrow, C.H. & Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2006). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (7th Ed.)