More About Me:
Steve Mathis, Porcupine Whisperer
In the movie the Horse Whisperer, Robert Redford's character was known for his ability to communicate with troubled horses. While, I don't claim to be nearly as talented as the character in the movie. I do believe however, that I have been blessed with certain gifts that allow me to be successful with some pretty prickly personalities!
One of the things I realized early in my professional life was that not everybody can or wants to work with little Porcupines (I tend to refer to them as 'my kids'). Now, I'm certainly not saying that I'm the only one that can work with these kids, but, I do believe that it takes a special combination of skills and natural talents to be successful in turning these Porcupines into Teddy Bears. Check out the short story How Porcupines Learned to Be Teddy Bears Again.
Whether you choose myself or another professional to work with your Porcupine, the following list may offer some guidelines for your decision. A Porcupine Whisperer may approach their craft from many psychological or theoretical orientations, but I've found that these qualities are at the foundation of the healers art:
Desire - You've got to want to work with these kids. These guys (and they usually are guys) are tough: WARNING: working with these kids is not recommended for the timid or weak at heart!
Patience - If you are not a patient person by nature, these kids will certainly allow you to work on that skill. The process is often slow - both time & labor intensive.
Individual Intervention - In the early stages, many of these kids may require a fair amount of one-on-one intervention. While some may do well in 'social skill' groups, many have difficulty transferring their new skills to multiple environments.
Consistency - A fairly mild and consistent temperament is an advantage since Porcupine Kids are skillful manipulators and good button pushers.
Skills - For those wishing to work successfully with Porcupine Kids, you have to have skills. You must know your Porcupine as well as his unique behavioral characteristics. Is he just very ADHD or are you looking at early onset Bipolar Disorder? Is he shy, insecure or are there serious attachment or anxiety issues to be dealt with? Uncooperative, oppositional defiant or difficulty processing verbal information? Each child adds their own personal "flair" to their disorder. In cases where Porcupines may share the same diagnostic label (ADHD for example), each child lends their personality to their diagnosis. Like leaves and snowflakes, no two Porcupines are the same.
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