Intake Information
Joey Brown, a 10-year-old, blue-eyed, blondehaired boy, has been scheduled for an appointment with you by the Family and Child Guidance Center intake worker. She wrote on the intake form that Stella Gardner, the mother, will be at the appointment also. Stella told the intake worker that Joey is a really lovable little boy; however, he is having a lot of problems with his schoolwork. The intake worker also noted that Mrs. Gardner is 32 years old, married to Joey’s stepfather, Bill, and has another child, Jill Gardner, by him.
Initial Interview
You meet Stella and Joey in the waiting room. Joey is sitting quietly in the chair next to his mother, looking at a picture book of animals. Joey is pointing out different types of animals for his mother. You greet Stella and Joey and ask Joey if he has any pets at home. Joey says he has one dog, Gruffy, and three gerbils, Larry, Curly, and Moe. He tells you Gruffy can play catch with a ball when Joey throws it to him. When you ask Joey if he’d like to come to your office and talk for a little while, he readily agrees to go with you. Joey talks about his gerbils on the way to your office. You suggest he might like to draw a picture of his family while the two of you talk. Joey says, “Sure, I can draw with those marker pens on the table,” which he noticed when he entered your office. You ask Joey where he goes to school and what he likes best about it. He states that he goes to Foxtown Elementary and that he is in the fifth grade. He tells you he doesn’t like much about school except recess. His least favorite subject is spelling and writing, and his most favorite subject is geography because of the maps.
oey tells you he has two best friends, Jay and Charles, who like to play softball with him. He tells you he hates his reading teacher, Ms. Jones. “She’s always telling me I’m not paying attention and I’m making mistakes, but I am paying attention. I just don’t get what she’s talking about.” Joey tells you that Ms. Jones has put him in the dumbest reading group because she doesn’t like him. You ask him if he knows why Ms. Jones doesn’t like him, and he says, “Because she thinks I’m really dumb.” Joey also tells you that Mr. Mack, his math teacher, doesn’t think he’s dumb at all. He always makes good grades in Mr. Mack’s class. Overall, Joey appears to be a very affable boy with a sense of humor and pleasant personality. While in your office, he sits quietly drawing and is able to carry on a conversation with you easily. He appears to be focused on his drawing and the discussion you were having with him. His family drawing appears to be average for a 10-year-old and shows no indications of psychopathology. After talking with Joey, you ask him to stay in the waiting room while you talk with his mother, Stella. Before seeing Stella, however, you write down some notes.
1 What are some of Joey’s strengths?
2 What are some of Joey’s weak areas?
Q