Directions:  Review the case study below and apply the Adlerian approach to the case.  In doing so, be sure to address the following. Your case study analysis should be written in three sections according to the items listed below:

1-What tasks of life is Jalal struggling with?

2-What are 2-3 goals you can work on with Jalal?

3-Intervention strategies and procedures that would be used. Be sure to describe how each strategy might look specifically with the client in this case. Be sure to use strategies that are specific to this therapeutic approach.

4-How you would determine if the client was showing improvement. Be specific how you would measure progress in relationship to the goals you set in #2

Case Information: Jalal
Jalal Smith is a 14-year-old, 9th grade male, who was referred to you by his parents after they received a number of disciplinary referrals from his teachers. The behavior that generated the referrals was primarily minor forms of disruptive behavior during classes. This included talking to other students, talking back to teachers, and making distracting noises, such as tapping his pencil and jiggling his leg loudly. The disciplinary reports came from Jamals English and social studies teachers. In addition to the behavioral issues, Jalal also is barely passing several classes.

Jalal comes from an intact family which, in addition to himself, consists of his mother and father and his 11-year-old twin sisters. Jalals mother is a school teacher and his father works for the MTA. His sisters both attend 6th grade in a selective middle school and are top students.

In your first session with Jalal, he presents as an intelligent and somewhat oppositional, but typical teenager. While somewhat guarded at first, he eventually opens and discusses his situation with you. Jalal reported that he has a relatively good relationship with his parents and that most of their disagreements revolve around school. He is presently grounded as a result of the disciplinary referrals, and is angry about this, as he thinks this is unfair. Jalal states that he has a somewhat rocky relationship with his sister. He sees them as goody-goodies who are always following the rules and pleasing their parents and teachers. He finds this behavior aggravating, and responds by teasing his sisters, sometimes, mercilessly. He admits that this is another area that causes problems between his parents and him. He also discloses that his sisters instigate conflicts with him, and then his parents punish him for reacting to their instigation, which he feels is unfair.

Jalal confirmed that the classes in which he has the most problems with teachers are English and social studies. He feels that the teachers in these classes have targeted him because of past problems, and that he now gets blamed for things that he doesnt do when he is near another student who is misbehaving. He provides several examples of this to you. Jalal also stated that he doesnt see the point of some homework assignments, so he simply doesnt do these assignments. This is particularly true in English and social studies, the two subjects that he likes least. He does more assignments in math and earth science, the two subjects he likes most, but still skips assignments that he thinks are pointless.

Jalal feels that the main adults in his life are all against him. He thinks that all of his teachers and Dean of Students at school are looking for reasons to suspend him and dont give him a chance to change his behavior. He feels that his parents always side with his teachers and that he has no one who believes him or who will defend him.

In a meeting with Jalals parents, they confirm most of the information Jalal provided to you. They state that hes always been a bright child who has seemed to underachieve. In elementary school most of his grades were in the B range, but then decreased when he entered middle school to the C range of below. Homework has been an ongoing issue, particularly since seventh grade. Mr. and Mrs. Smith reported that hes always had the attitude that hell only do homework that seems necessary. They stated that they believe tha he might be targeted by the certain teachers at this point, but that they feel that he has set himself up for this, and needs to do something to change their attitudes toward him.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith also confirmed the sibling issues that were reported by Jalal. They stated that they cant understand his attitude toward his sisters and why he continues to harass them. They think that he could do just as well in school as the twins, and sometimes, when they are particularly frustrated, tell him so. In spite of the problems they have with Jalal at home and in school, Mr. and Mrs. Smith report that Jalal is very well-liked, even respected, by their adult friends, and by parents of his friends. They have often been told that he is respectful and considerate in the households of his friends, and that he is kind to the younger siblings of his friends. Jalal has never been in trouble at friends houses or in the neighborhood and, with the exception of school and his sisters, generally follows the rules at home.