Marlowe from European Union

Marlowe was born in October 2008 and lived with his parents until their separation, after which his home conditions deteriorated. In 2017, Marlowe was taken into state care and now resides in a group home. He has been diagnosed with a syndrome of congenital anomalies, mainly related to short stature, and accompanying epilepsy for which he takes Convulex and Trileptal. He has one to two seizures per month. In 2018 Marlow had Hepatitis A and he also suffers from recurrent bronchitis. His development is delayed and deviations in behavior are noted. Update October 2022: Marlowe continues to be in physical good health but has been diagnosed with mild cognitive disability and dyslalia. He can participate in conversation albeit with a poor vocabulary. He is not able to read, write or solve math problems despite working under an IEP with individualized support. Marlowe requires constant attention and makes continuous demands. He wants the focus of adults to be on him only and will choose to participate in group activities selectively, based on his preferences and his ability to dictate the rules. When his expectations are not met, Marlowe shows aggression toward his peers in the group home and the staff, including uttering obscenities, kicking, hitting, biting, scratching and breaking objects. During such outbursts, he is considered dangerous. Marlowe benefits from knowing what to expect for each day. He enjoys walks with his caretakers and riding a bike. 2021: Marlowe is a sociable boy who can often be restless and impulsive. He seeks attention from adults and participates in group activities, but when he does not get his way, he manifests aggression toward others, destroys property, and uses offensive language. Marlowe struggles to follow the rules and has difficulty understanding social hierarchy. His social worker reports that in the last 6 months improvements have been seen in Marlowe’s behavior. He is beginning to understand that everyone must follow the rules and respect the authority of adults. Marlowe is also learning that even when he does not get his way, he must continue to act appropriately. Nonetheless, he still tests the boundaries with new staff or teachers. Marlowe continues to be hyperactive and performs better when tasks are short and varied. Marlowe’s delays are most readily apparent in his academic work. As a fifth-grade student, he studies under an Individualized Education Program, but lacks proper attention and motivation to make good progress. At this time, Marlowe cannot read and has limited knowledge of mathematical concepts. His thinking process is described as slower though he is well-oriented in time and place. Marlowe has solid communication skills and is attached to the staff at the group home. He likes riding his bike and hopes to be adopted.