Reference no: EM132180157

Childhood Trauma and Brain Development

Assignment Overview

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze the text, The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog, by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz. you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following EPAs and practice behaviors:

EPA 2.1.3: Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
PB 2.1.3.A: Distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom.

Assignment Criteria:
2. Integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge.
EPA 2.1.7: Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
PB 2.1.7.B: Critique and apply knowledge to understand a person and environment.

Related Assignment Criteria:
5. Apply theories to social work practice using a case study about an individual or family and using the person-in-environment perspective.

Assignment Description
After reading the book, you will answer the questions listed below. Some questions will solicit your personal opinions or experiences, while others require you to cite evidence to support your response. Still others will require you to provide examples to support your work. All questions require you to think critically about what you read. To show comprehensive analysis in response to each question, you will need to:

Integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge.
Use social work databases as appropriate to support responses.
Use scholarly evidence to inform analysis of social work practice.
Use the textbook materials to apply the person-in-environment perspective in social work practice to the individual and/or family in the case study.
Remember this is a written assignment, and it should follow APA formatting for submission of written assignments.

Assignment Instructions
Answer the following questions using the guidelines provided above:

1. In the introduction to The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Perry draws a distinction between being human and being humane (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017, p. 12). What are the differences? Provide a personal or historical example to illustrate your point.

2. What is the author's main idea? Summarize it in 1-2 sentences. Does he consistently come back to this idea in each case he examines? Explain using examples from the various chapters.

3. In many of the sessions Dr. Perry has with the children, he describes doing a coloring activity with them. How does this help his relationship with the children? What are some of his techniques?

4. In your opinion, do the children you read about in The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog have an opportunity to experience a normal adult life? Explain your answer; cite the text if possible.

5. In Chapter 4, "Skin Hunger," Perry describes and explains the concept of the "failure to thrive" (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017, pp. 89-91). What does this mean? What were some key points about the ability to thrive that were made in the chapter? What are some of the causes and lasting problems associated with the condition?

6. What is a good environment? Does this vary based on cultural or economic reasons?

7. According to the text, why was Tina unable to behave normally for a child her age? Is she a "lost cause," as they say, or does she still have the ability to overcome the difficulties of her youth? Cite the text, and provide evidence to support your opinion.

8. In Chapter 5, "The Coldest Heart," Leon is diagnosed as a sociopath (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017, pp. 112-113). In your well-read opinion, who is responsible for his condition? Explain, providing textual support and evidence. What can we learn from his story?

9. Summarize the story of Chapter 6, "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog," in 5-8 sentences. What lessons did Dr. Perry learn from Connor and Justin?

10. Which is more important, nature (biology) or nurture (environment)? Provide an example.

11. Are the roles of socioeconomic class and race important elements in the work that Dr. Perry does? Does he handle these issues well? Explain.

12. What is RAD (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017, Chapter 9, pp. 192-194)? How does a child acquire the disorder, and what are the symptoms?

13. 1In his conclusion, Dr. Perry gives a summation of his ideas. What are some of the ways in which Dr. Perry suggests children, and all people, can thrive?

14. In Chapter 11, "Healing Communities," Dr. Perry states, "The world we live in now is biologically disrespectful" (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017, p. 222). Explain what he means, and interpret the idea. Do you agree?

Reference
Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz, M. (2017). The boy who was raised as a dog: And other stories from a child psychiatrist's notebook - What traumatized children can teach us about loss, love, and healing (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Basic Books.