Alicia, Age 12

Alicia* was a twelve-year-old who was full of energy and spunk but had difficulty being understood. The fact that she was confined to a wheelchair caused by a medical condition did not slow her down. She was what you would call a “determined” preteen. She could do whatever she put her mind to. Awkward physical and emotional outbursts could not mask the optimistic, adolescent she was becoming. Unfortunately, a trusted caregiver in her life lashed out at her by striking her across her face and body. The injuries to her body compounded her medical difficulties.

For Alicia, a special style of questioning had to be implemented to understand and answer. The communication was designed so that the questions did not upset or confuse her. By taking the time to build rapport with Alicia and being patient with her speech and motor impairments, the interviewer was able to determine exactly how Alicia had been hit and what happened.

The injuries on her body will heal. Alicia’s parents are only able to protect their child because they have full information about how she was injured. *names and identifying circumstances have been modified to protect the privacy of families.

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