Special Educational and Disability Case Study

General directions: For all questions, cite relevant legal and ethical codes/issues/case law and address issue of diversity where relevant.

Area 1: School Psychology Practice (Assessment and Diagnosis). Required question.

Below you will find relevant assessment data for a female high school student. The background information has been provided for you. Based on the information below, respond to the following:

• Write a full interpretative report integrating the content from the background information, classroom observation, teacher interviews, and testing data. In this report, include (a) calculation of the student’s chronological age; (b) description of the test batteries used and what their scores indicate; (c) diagnostic impressions; and (d) recommendations for facilitating the student’s academic and behavioral success.

• Is there any additional information you would need or want to collect to inform your case conceptualization? If so, describe how this information would be obtained and how it will help your decision making or recommendations.

Examinee: Cindy BrownDate of Birth: 7/9/2002

Grade: 10Date of Testing: 3/11/2018

Background Information: Cindy Brown is a right-handed Blackfemale student who resides in Washington, DC with her grandmother Ms. Brown. She currently attends Franklin High School, where she is enrolled in the tenth grade. She started daycare with Recreational Day Care in Washington, DC. Soon after she enrolled at Grant Elementary School for Pre-Kindergarten and Elementary School. She matriculated through elementary school and attended Pierce middle school until she graduated. During this time, she was wearing glasses, her grandmother reported once she completed middle school Cindy did not need glasses anymore. Afterwards she enrolled at Franklin High School from the ninth grade until present day.

Based on her May 2015 psychoeducational report and review of records, Cindy’s mother pregnancy was uneventful. Cindy was born full-term (40 weeks) at the weight of 9 lbs. 10 oz. There are no records of nursing after birth. There were no difficulties with reaching developmental milestones, except with regard to her language skills, which were late developing (she appeared to understand language, but initially did not speak very much, until the age of 2); there were no reported concerns regarding fine/gross motor skills or eating/sleeping habits.

Based on her Individual Educational Program (IEP) plan, Cindy is currently receiving special educational services and accommodations to aid her academic matriculation. She receives 15 hours per month of specialized instruction for reading and mathematics as well as an hour per month for Behavioral Support Services.

Classroom Observation: Cindy was observed in her Geometry class during the late morning of the day for 30 minutes. She showed up on time and sat in her assigned seat in the first row towards the back. The class began doing the Do Now on the board. While this is going on, Cindy has her head down. The classroom teacher and co-teacher was walking around the class making sure that everyone was doing their assignment and aiding students with the Do Now. The teacher went over to Cindy’s desk to sit up and do the assignment. Cindy started to write down notes from the lesson. She seemed uninterested and fatigued. She continued to write down notes and continue her Do Now assignment. The teacher instructed everyone to stop their Do Now (warm up assignment) and the class went over the assignment. Cindy started to turn her pages and prepare to go over the work. Once this was completed, the teacher gave instructions to do independent work from their workbooks; Cindy started to talk quietly to students around her. She also looked around the class to see where other students were and what they were doing. After she was done with this, she began her assignment in her workbook. She was reading the problem thoroughly and working on her assignment. A student in class made a small joke quietly and she proceeded to laugh, look around the class, and stopped doing her work.

Teacher Interview: Cindy’s World Literature teacher reported that she had known Cindy throughout the school year. Throughout her teaching, she found Cindy to be a very positive student who is a joy to be around. Also, she reported Cindy as a student who is not afraid to take risk. During class she always a student who participates, she completes all her classwork, and she makes sure that most of her homework is completed. In class Cindy struggles with test and quizzes as well as reading comprehension. In class, Cindy receives extra time on assignments, small group interventions, breakdown of long essay assignments, and chunking of curriculum.

Cindy’s Geometry teacher reported that he had known Cindy throughout the school year. Throughout his teaching, he found Cindy to be a good student who tries very hard in class and is improving within her work. She does experience difficulties with class resiliency regarding work as well as pushing though long and difficult assignment and multistep problems. Cindy sometimes participates in class, she does her homework and classwork (even if it’s wrong), and due to skill levels, her test and quiz grades are poor. In class, Cindy receives extra time on assignments, small group interventions, breakdown of multistep equations, and chunking of curriculum.

Testing Observations: Cindy was very cooperative throughout the assessment. She was thoughtful with her responses. She took her time with choices that she had difficulty on and answered appropriately. She utilized resources when needed throughout the assessment. Throughout the assessment she wrote with her right hand. She was offered breaks throughout the assessment; however, she did not independently accept. Although she showed good effort and worked hard, she was notably impulsive with some responses and showed an elevated level of movement (rocking side to side, tapping on desk, constantly shifting from sitting on chair to sitting on her legs, or leaning half out of her seat) and fidgeting throughout the assessment. Thus, several breaks were provided to allow for movement; these seemed to help initially, but not consistently. Based on her motivation and effort, these results appear to be a valid and reliable estimate of her current functioning.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V)

Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement, Fourth Edition (WJ-IV)