Our stories

From classroom outbursts to class awards! 7-year-old Dillan’s* big year

Dillan*, 7, was referred to the SHINE for Kids’ Rise program in Western Sydney at the end of last year. He desperately needed support in the classroom, where he had regular outbursts, even throwing chairs and tables at times.

Since then, however, his mentor and teacher have witnessed an incredible shift in his attitude and behaviour. He has even won awards in class for the first time, making him, his mum, and his mentor incredibly proud.

At the beginning of the year, Dillan’s outbursts had become such an issue that he was frequently removed from the classroom.

He was already suffering from low confidence and was critical of himself when he made mistakes in his class work, leading to a cycle of falling behind, more frustration and more outbursts.

His father was in custody, and he’d experienced trauma in his household from a very young age. Often, children who have experienced trauma have difficulty regulating emotions.

Dillan found it hard to deal with disappointment and would become very angry and upset when he made a mistake with his writing or couldn’t process his emotions.

Occasionally, he would have angry outbursts directed at his Rise mentor, which is unusual in the program. His mentor said it was tough at the beginning, but the change in him has been “amazing to see.”

“Before starting the program, Dillan couldn’t even identify emotions. We worked on this with games and emotions cards to build up these skills. He’s a lot more in tune with his emotions now,” said his mentor.

“He used to fixate when he made a mistake, but he’s much more resilient now.

“We recently wrote a letter together, and he made a spelling mistake. Before, he would have gotten angry and withdrawn, but he amazed me and said, ‘It’s ok!’. Those two little words just made my day.”

“We worked on this with games and emotions cards to build up these skills. He’s a lot more in tune with his emotions now”.

Now, Dillan can quickly answer questions about his feelings, a significant milestone for a child who couldn’t identify his emotions just a year ago.

He is “much more confident in himself and has developed admirable determination and persistence”, said his mentor.

“In the pre-program survey, he had to think a lot about the questions and was confused, saying ‘I don’t know’ when asked how he felt.

“When we did another survey at the end of the year, it was incredible to compare how he went and see the difference in how he answered questions. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.”

Due to this newfound resilience, his outbursts gradually decreased, and he hasn’t had one in months! His teacher appreciates our work with him and his mum even more so.

“His mum is so grateful. She told us he’s always so excited to go to school on Wednesday because that’s his Rise day! She’s supported our work and is very involved in the process.”

In a lovely move, Dillan asked his mum if they could get his mentor a gift at the end of the year to say thank you. Usually, it’s the other way around! His mentor was very moved that he wanted to do this.

“Dillan has done so well; he’s won some awards throughout the year and is so much more social! Mum says that when she goes to pick him up from school now he’s playing with all his friends – it’s just such a turnaround, and we are so proud,” she said.

*Names and images have been changed to protect the identity of participants. 

Thank you to Rise in Western Sydney supporters, the Waratah Foundation and FICAP.

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