Marrisa Reh Diane Renne SPE 222 24 November 2013 Case Study Narrative The case Stuck in the

Baby Class is about a child named Tom Jefferies, who struggles with schoolwork, getting along with his peers, following rules, and communicating with the people around him. In an unfortunate set of events, Tom progresses in Lisa Jenkins' class for two years, only to reset his behavior back to the beginning when there are cutbacks in special education classes and he must return to her class. Tom takes Ritalin in order to control his behavior. Though, his single mother has a hard time keeping up with his medications and is troubled to find the time to take him to weekly appointments with his therapist. She made many attempts to acquire a job, but Tom takes such an abundance of attention, his poor behavior spiraled out of control because he did not want her to leave him. His behavior holds a huge impact over the family emotionally and financially. Although Tom tends to act out quite often, he is an intelligent child who really enjoys learning. When his second grade teacher began using a behavior contract, his progress was slow but effective. Not only his behavior improved, but also his schoolwork and academic skills. Lisa sent home notes to his mother every day so she could stay informed about his advancements. When Tom moved to a different class, he

reverted back to his old behaviors. Though, when his new teacher began to implement the same strategies that Tom was used to from the last two years, his began to once again improve in all aspects. Tom is a very bright child, who shows enjoyment in learning new skills. Under many circumstances, his behavior can be controlled. Though, it seems that once he has something set in his mind, he sticks to it completely. As a child with exceptional needs, the only system that can be followed is trial-and-error. He requires help from both his parents and his school, and his progress can continue when he is back into a program that works for him and he feels comfortable with.

References Stuck in the Baby Class. Clearinghouse for Special Education Teaching Cases. Retrieved 11/24/2013 from http://cases.coedu.usf.edu/TCases/StuckBaby.htm.

CASE STUDY FACT SHEET

Marrisa Reh SPE 222

Learning Disabilities
Characteristics
For children with learning disabilities, here are some of the most common traits that a teacher would see in the students Strengths in one or more area, but weaknesses in others Difficulty with short-term, long-term, and working memory Demonstrate low academic achievement in one or more areas Face challenges in how they learn and process informationHas significant troubles with reading and mathematics

Prevalence
How common is this in schools? An average of 2.9 million children in the U.S. are classified as having a learning disability Over half of all school-aged children who receive special education have a learning disability Learning disabilities is the largest category of special education

Causes
The potential causes of these disabilities and prevention information Neurological problems and structural brain differences Generalist genes in genetics may influence across academic areas Environmental factors can enhance or impede development, this is dependent on the instruction of parents, the quality and quantity of home literacy ,and the instruction and quality of schools

Evaluation
How is this diagnosed? Classroom work and group intelligence tests Individualized intelligence test Individualized achievement test Curriculum-based assessment Behavior rating scale Anecdotal records Direct observation Ecological assessment Portfolio assessment

Related Services
What other possible educational services are often required to care for a student? Counseling Services: counseling by social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, or other qualified professionals Family training, counseling, and home visits: assisting families to enhance their childs development Parent counseling and training: providing parents with information about child development

Universal Design for Learning

Accommodations that can be made to make learning more accessible for these students Restructuring teaching and learning Identify childs strengths in behavior with them and collectively construct a list of positive things they could say instead of negative Work with the child to get ahead so the student can contribute in class Step-by-step assignments the student can do on their own Increase the amount of time in general education classrooms Age- and grade-appropriate placements

Resources
Useful websites and organizations National Center for Learning Disabilities: www.ncld.org Teaching LD: www.teachingld.org National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: www.nichcy.org Learning Disabilities Association of America: www.ldaamerica.org Council for Learning Disabilities: www.cldinternational.com

References
Stuck in the Baby Class. Clearinghouse for Special Education Teaching Cases. Retrieved 11/24/2013 from http://cases.coedu.usf.edu/TCases/StuckBaby.htm. Turnbull, R., Turnbull, A., & Wehmeyer, M. L., Shogren, K. A. (2013). Exceptional lives: Special Education in Todays Schools (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill-Prentice Hall. Pierangelo, R. & Giuliani, G. (2010). Prevalence of Learning Disabilities. Retrieved 11/24/13 from http://www.education.com/reference/article/prevalencelearning-disabilities/.