Children�s Home Helps Brian Overcome Emotional Problems, Improve Grades

Brian is 12 years old and began to experience school problems around age 8.  He was having difficulty concentrating, doing homework and developing relationships with his friends. Brian became very discouraged as he began to receive poor grades.  He eventually refused to go to school. He refused to do homework. His lack of success in school was directly related to poor attendance and misbehavior in the classroom and at home  He defied his mother and argued with his teachers.  Brian�s behavioral and emotional problems escalated rapidly.

Due to Brian�s classroom failures, he developed a negative self-image�announcing in class, �I�m too stupid!� This image further undermined his schoolwork and his relationships with classmates.

How Children�s Home helped

After his public school�s administrators met with Brian, his mother, his teachers and the school counselor, Brian enrolled at Kiefer School. His mom and school officials decided Brain would benefit from the environment at Kiefer. Typically smaller, Kiefer�s classroom size has only 8-12 students and includes one teacher and a teacher�s aid. While the academic emphasis mirrors other educational facilities, Kiefer emphasizes therapy, counseling, aggression replacement, and self-esteem builders. Each student who attends the school visits with a therapist weekly and receives individualized attention.

Initially, Brian arrived at Kiefer depressed. He masked these feelings by misbehaving in the classroom and drawing disruptive attention to himself. Still,

he defied his teachers and had difficulty completing assignments. However, Brian quickly adjusted to Kiefer�s environment. He opened up to his teachers and learned that it is okay to struggle academically. He learned how to replace his angry feelings. He learned how to ask for help when needed.  He adjusted to the structured school environment.

Brian Today

Today, Brian has successfully transitioned back to his public school where he is now active in extra-curricular activities. He is maintaining an A/B average, turning in his homework, getting along with classmates, maintaining self-esteem, communicating more with his mother, and participating in the junior football league and the school band. Moreover, Brian is thrilled with his academic performance and behavior. He can manage his anger, attends school regularly, participates in the classroom, and communicates his feeling rather than bottling them.

Kiefer has operated for more than 30 years. Over those years, more than 2,500 students have been served.  Currently, approximately 180 students are enrolled at Kiefer. The school employs 46 teachers, including a director, a vice president and several clinicians. The teacher student ratio is typically 2:9 and class sizes are limited to 8-12 students.