Robert reported that his mother and boyfriend regularly abused him. They would routinely chain him to his bed in the basement, not as a punishment, but simply as a way to keep track of him. Punishment often included refusing to feed him. He never went to school.
Robert was placed at LCFS of Michigan's residential facility for emotional and developmentally delayed children, New Directions. After numerous evaluations, Robert tested low to borderline on intelligence tests, had severe hearing impairments in both ears, required corrective glasses, and had many physical problems due to the history of food deprivation.
After four months at New Directions, Robert remains conflicted over the abandonment and abuse by his family yet wants to be with them. His mother visits, but sometimes Robert refuses to see her. After just four months, Robert has grown 4" and has gained 13 lbs. He's no longer the smallest boy at New Directions.
