Who's Lou? ICT Dialogue is Rolling at Kilroys!

By Elizabeth Scheinberg

We've started a dialogue over at Kilroys, More Proof Delaware's Sec. of Education Lacks Capacity to Lead, about ICT and placements for children who need more services than are available in the State of Delaware. And since we are finally talking about this small, but important subset of children, we've been combing annual reports that date back 10 years.

Who's Lou? In the Annual Report issued for FY 2009, Lou is a composite profile of students served by ICT.

Meet Lou:
ICT, Annual Report February, 2010

Student Profile

A Typical Student Presented to the ICT

Lou is a 12 year-old student who has an educational classification of Emotionally Disturbed with Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder,and Borderline Intellectual Functioning. He has a serious history of aggressive and violent behavior towards others,often harming peers and staff. He is non-compliant and threatening.

His home life has been characterized by instability and domestic violence. The local team has worked with Lou since kindergarten and Lou has had a behavior plan that is constantly reviewed and modified to meet his needs.

Lou and his family have been involved with the Division of Family Services in the past. He is currently active with the Division of Child Mental Health Services receiving outpatient services. In the past, Lou has experienced two hospitalizations at Rockford Center and day treatment at the Terry Center but behaviors continue to be serious.

Educationally he is making some academic progress but his behavior interferes with his ability to learn. Most recently he has engaged in behaviors that would require the school to contact police. He has moved through all the specialized programs the district has to offer and is currently being served through homebound instruction.

The local team presented the case to ICT requesting consideration for a specialized day program where there would be structure, supervision, behavioral and emotional support, and flexibility in regard to contacting police.

The ICT agreed that Lou was a student in need of additional support. Lou was referred to one of the private school programs used by the ICT.

* “Lou” is a fictitious student, but the traits described are representative of many of the ICT students.

Here's the great thing about Lou: I didn't have to make him up! The Delaware Department of Education did that for me! They created a fictional character to explain the severity of the needs of those children who pass through ICT's Gate!

As best as I can tell, Lou makes a one-time appearance in the history of online Annual Reports. Apparently, giving a face and name, albeit fictional, to this special population didn't sit well with others and he gets scrapped in future years.

But, we can't let this snapshot in time go without some discourse:

Where should Lou be served? Let's first dispose of that gut reaction to send Lou as far away as possible - this kid is going to be incarcerated and who among us wants to be his victim?

Where should he be served? Delaware.
What's the likelihood? Well, he's pretty much run the gambit of all services available, Rockford, Terry Center, out-patient mental health treatment. Lou's cure seems pretty elusive.
What does he really need? A structured day program where a call to the police is not the first option for treatment for his aggressive outbursts. Lou needs a locked day facility with staff who have been educated, trained, and developed to utilize a safe best practices-driven protocol to curbing teen violence acerbated by mental health defect.

Can Delaware provide that for a 12 year old? Crickets.

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