Third-grader Kyle has difficulties controlling his temper. He often gets into fights with his classmates at school, and with his sister at home. At times, he would even get rough with his mother. This makes his mother and his teacher very frustrated when dealing with his behavior.

Before Kyle’s mother came to us, she has tried a myriad of strategies such as reward and punishment, being stern, coaxing; however, all of these methods only worked for a short period of time. The mother has also tried sports, but this has only further frustrated Kyle because of his lack of muscular endurance and discoordination.

After three one-on-one sessions at KickStart, the mother’s feedback was that Kyle had become more emotionally stable, and his tantrums did not last as long as they used to. This was simply because I tailored Kyle’s activities to suit his level, in order to increase his motivation – not too easy as to not present a challenge, but not too difficult for him to complete successfully. Kyle had fun while building his muscular strength and confidence during the sessions.

As Kyle progressed in his treatment, I felt that it was time to discuss with his mother about moving him to group sessions, which would further help him with his social skills. In addition to the exercises in the individual sessions, cooperation and competition activities were planned into the group sessions, allowing the children to learn the importance of self-expression, communication and teamwork.

Kyle quickly learned that if something upsets him, the best way to approach the problem is to express his thoughts and talk it out with his peers. Through working with each other, the children improved at a rapid pace. Not only has the mother’s main concern been resolved, but Kyle has taken the first step to building longer-lasting relationships with his family and friends. I’m extremely happy for them.

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