Christopher was resistantly eating his lunch when we met. He was wearing a hoodie with the hood up, sunglasses and a mask. He said it was "his armor." He was excited to go outside at recess but was on the defensive from the beginning about the game the group decided to play and what the rules would be. The majority voted and the game began. Not soon after, Christopher was laying face down in the dirt along the fence. When we started talking, he was crying and full of anger. He was gripping the dirt and weeds while he rolled around and growled. It was suggested that we find another spot to "regroup" or choose another activity. A peer was boxing with the boxing bag near by and invited him over. Nothing seemed to calm him. He finally jumped up and attempted to rejoin the game. The group was concerned and asked if he was ok. He ignored them and just ran. Once back inside, Christopher had a difficult time calming down. We discussed ways he could let the group know how upset he was, but using expected behaviors and socially acceptable communication. He wrote his sister a note letting her know how he felt. That seemed to provide a moment's relief and Christopher was able to speak more calmly about why he was hurt and disappointed. He said he wanted to run away and we talked about how that does not solve anything. It is not a safe choice and people will be worried because they care and love him. He did not believe that people cared about him. While speaking with the head of school, Christopher asked a teacher to call his mom. That seemed to calm him and he was happy that he was being picked up. An email exchange occurred with mom. This has been an ongoing issue and seems to be currently heightened. We are working on strategies to help Christopher build his self esteem, coping strategies, communication skills with the group and problem solving/conflict resolution skills.