PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT

Student Identification Information Student Name: Batman Date of Birth: 0000 CA: Grade: School: Assessment Dates: 2012 Date of Report: April 2012 Assessment Completed By: John Laing; Supervised Chris Pawluk Registered Psychologist

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Reason for Referral: Batman was referred for a psycho-educational assessment due to concerns related to academic difficulties in the areas of Math, Language, and Reading. He has received additional support through classroom accommodations and resource teacher instruction; however, Batman continues to struggle in these areas. The purpose of this assessment was to determine Batmans strengths and weaknesses and identify strategies to support his areas of need. Assessment Techniques: File review Parent interviews Teacher interview Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV) Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 3rd Edition (WIAT-III) Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 4th Edition (PPVT-4) Conners Behavioural Rating Scale 3rd edition (Conners-3) Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) Classroom Observation Background Information: Background information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with Batmans mother and teacher. Information was also gathered through a telephone interview with Batmans father. Additional information was gathered through a review of Batmans school file.

Family Information Batman lived on a farm outside of Blank, AB., with his mother, father, and older brother for the majority of Batmans of his life. However, Batmans parents recently separated. Both parents articulated their support of this assessment and their concern regarding Batmans academic development. Batmans mother stated that she had some difficulty in school with math, reading, and writing. Batmans mother received support at school and through a tutor in these areas from grade 1 to approximately grade 4. Batmans mother graduated from high school and attended some college. Prior to recently accepting a job outside of the home, Batmans mother was a stay at home mom for 9 years. Batmans father stated that he was not a strong student and that he did not apply himself. He stated that he did not have any major difficulties in school, graduated high school and went to college. Batmans father completed college and currently works as a professional welder. Batmans brother does not display academic difficulties and was described by his mother as a good reader. Batmans brother is demonstrating some emotional and behavioral difficulties; however, the family is seeking support for this. Batman enjoys horseback riding, drawing, dressing up, drama, and was described as artistic. Both parents stated that Batman is social and has several friends. His father described Batman as popular and his mother described him as a social butterfly. Batman is also described as determined and having a strong work ethic. Both parents agreed that Batman seems to be adjusting well to the family situation and can express his emotions appropriately. Developmental and Medical History No major developmental or medical concerns were noted. No concerns were noted regarding either the pregnancy or the birth; however, Batmans mom experienced some depression symptoms after his birth. According to his mother, Batman had a routine medical exam recently and no concerns were noted by the doctor. Hearing and eyesight are said to be fine. Batmans mother stated that he crawled, walked and talked within normal developmental timelines. Although his speech developed on time, Batman displayed difficulty pronouncing words. Batmans mother stated that he still has such difficulty as he often confuses the enunciation of certain letters (e.g.d for t). Educational History Batman repeated kindergarten to allow him more time to develop basic skills such as letter and number recognition, writing skills, and reading.

Furthermore, Batman received occupational therapy during the 20082009 school year, as well as the 2009-2010 year. The areas of need identified were pencil grasp, copying shapes and his name, cutting, and puzzle construction. According to Batmans current teacher he continues to struggle with reading, writing, and math. Currently Batman is performing below grade level in these areas and receives additional support from the resource teacher. Batmans teacher stated that he has made significant gains this year across all academic areas with one-to-one support. Batmans teacher also stated that he has difficulty remembering verbal information, struggles to follow multistep instructions, and appears to have difficulty finding the appropriate word(s) during conversation/when asked to answer questions. Furthermore, Batman struggles with sight words, decoding, as well as fluency. Batman was said to have better vocabulary and knowledge of isolated letter sounds than his ability to read sentences or put isolated sounds together to create words. Batman also continues to reverse both letters and numbers when writing and confuses sounds of letters at times. However, Batman does well in science and social studies when task are more hands on and visual. According to his teacher, Batman often has a scribe for these subjects and can often achieve high marks if he receives such support from an assistant. Batmans teacher stated that he appears to understand concepts if presented orally but has difficulty presenting his ideas through writing. Batman is currently on the waiting list for a speechlanguage assessment. Batmans teacher also stated that Batman can often appear inattentive and off-task. Furthermore, Batman struggles to remember instructions, get organized, and start tasks. According to his teacher, Batman requires many examples and repetition of instruction to begin a task across all subjects. Social/Emotional/Behavioral Batmans mother, father, and teacher all described Batman as friendly and a likable child. Batman has many friends and makes friends easily. Batman was also described as hard working and determined when it comes to tasks at home or at school. According to his mother and father, neither parent has major concern about Batmans behavior at home or at school. Batman was said to be adjusting appropriately to the change in the family dynamic. Although his mother did state that Batman does ask to stay home from school more since the separation. Batmans teacher, mother, and father stated that Batman wishes to do well in school, but often appears hard on himself and frustrated when he struggles with tasks. According to Batmans teacher he does not like to

ask for help and is becoming more aware of his difficulties in school compared to other students. Batman can become frustrated when working on school work and becomes overwhelmed if pushed to read. Although no major behavioral concerns were reported, Batmans teacher, mother and father noted concerns of inattention and hyperactivity. Batmans father stated that he often looks for attention by interrupting conversations or invading his fathers space until he responds to Batman. Batmans mother also stated that Batman will often leave a task before it is completed and has difficulty sustaining his focus with one thing at a time. All three parties agreed that Batman struggles to follow multistep instruction and often forgets what he was told. Assessment Observations: Batman presented as a charismatic and friendly young boy. Batman worked hard during the assessment process and displayed appropriate behavior at all times. Batman seldom needed encouragement from the assessor to do his best as he appeared to put forth effort on his own. Although Batman did work hard and seldom needed redirection, he did appear to be quite laidback between questions and subtests and often needed the directions repeated if there was a slight delay between tasks. Batman was a pleasure to work with and a joy to be around. Although the result of this assessment are believed to accurately reflect Batmans current academic and cognitively abilities, symptoms of inattention, as reported by his teacher and parents, may have had some influence over his academic and cognitive achievement on assessment measures. Assessment Results: Intellectual Functioning Wechsler Intelligent Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) The WISC-IV is a standardized intelligence test that is an individually administered clinical instrument used to assess the intelligence of children aged 6 years through 16 years, 11 months. A Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) is derived from the combined results of the core subtests. The WISC-IV also provides four factor-based scores, including Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory and Processing Speed. Canadian norms were used to score this measure. Detailed results are contained in the Appendix. The WISC-IV is a broad intellectual scale providing a measure of intellectual/cognitive skill development. Academic skills are not involved

in these activities, which are predominantly hands-on, question-answer, and interactive in nature. Batmans performance was as follows: WISC-IV Verbal Comprehension Perceptual Reasoning Working Memory Processing Speed General Abilities Index Batmans overall performance on the WISC-IV is best described by the General Abilities Index (GAI: composed of the Verbal Reasoning Index and the Perceptual Reasoning Index) due to significant discrepancies between some areas of cognitive functioning. According to the GAI, Batmans intellectual functioning is in the Average range at the 25th percentile, indicating that his cognitive abilities are approximately equal to, or better than, 25% of children in his age group. The WISC-IV provides separate scores for higher order skills, involving verbal reasoning and visual perceptual reasoning, and lower order skills, involving working memory and work speed. Batman displayed stronger ability for visual and verbal reasoning compared to the speed and efficiency in which he completes tasks (represented by lower working memory and processing speed scores). On the Verbal Comprehension Index, Batmans score was Average for his age at the 32nd percentile. This area provides a measure of verbal understanding, verbal reasoning, and acquired knowledge. The skills assessed in this area reflect a students ability to understand, retain, integrate, and apply language-based concepts. Batman demonstrated personal strength in his ability for abstract thinking and reasoning such as recognizing connections between concepts and making inferences. Batman also showed personal strength for recalling previously acquired factual knowledge and social reasoning. Overall, Batmans verbal reasoning ability is a personal strength and is within age-appropriate limits. On the Perceptual Reasoning Index, Batmans score was in the Low Average for his age at the 19th percentile. The Perceptual Reasoning Index measures non-verbal reasoning and visual perceptual reasoning. The skills assessed in this area reflect Batmans ability to process visual information and solve visual problems. It should be noted that Batmans Standard Score Percent ile Range

performance in this area was markedly inconsistent. Subtest scores ranged from Average (75th percentile) to Borderline (2nd percentile). Batmans overall score was brought down by his performance on the Matrix Reasoning subtest (Borderline, 2nd percentile). This particular subtest involves visual processing, and visual-perceptual organization. Both of these abilities require attention to detailed visual information and concentration. It should be noted that Batman seemed to have particular difficulty during this subtest remembering the instructions and needed frequent reminders of how to complete the subtest properly. The low score on this subtest, along with the inconsistent performance generally throughout this area, could be impacted by inattention and difficulty with concentration. All other scores represented Average ability to think and reason abstractly, including his ability for visual problem solving, and recognition of important visual details. On the Working Memory Index, Batmans score was Borderline at the 4th percentile. The WMI is composed of subtests measuring attention, concentration, and working memory. Performance in this area is dependent on exact recall of- and short-term memory for short pieces of auditory information. Batman demonstrated significant difficulty to focus and re-arrange information while holding the information in his shortterm memory. Overall, the Working Memory Index indicates that Batman has difficulty retaining and manipulating orally presented information. This indicates that Batman has difficulty sustaining attention, concentrating, and exerting mental control as required for following verbal directions, reading words and comprehending what he has read. On the Processing Speed Index, Batmans score was Low Average for his age at the 13th percentile. The PSI is composed of subtests measuring the speed of mental and graphomotor processing. Performance on these timed pencil-and-paper tasks is dependent on work speed, focus, persistence, and visual working memory. Batman demonstrated a limited ability to process visual information quickly on paper and pencil tasks. Overall, Batmans ability to quickly and correctly scan, sequence, and discriminate simple visual information is just below that of his sameage peers. This will likely impact the speed in which he completes tasks assigned to him at school including producing written work at grade level and decoding words efficiently while remembering the context of what he is reading. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Fourth Edition (PPVT-4) The PPVT-4 is a norm-referenced, untimed, individually administered instrument which measures the receptive (hearing) vocabulary of children and adults. Test items consist of 4 full-color pictures on a page. The child has to select the picture which best illustrates the meaning of a word spoken by the examiner. The PPVT-4 is a useful screening device

for verbal development. A standard score of 100 is classified as Average. The standard deviation of standard scores is 15. Batman attained a score of 100 on the PPVT-4, placing him in the Average range at the 50th percentile. Batmans performance suggests that he has average understanding of vocabulary that is similar to his same aged peers. This measure required Batman to point to the picture that best represented what the assessor orally described to Batman. Such a score indicates that Batman has good background knowledge and understanding of vocabulary. Academic Functioning The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition (WIATIII) The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition (WIAT-III) is a standardized test of achievement and functioning. The WIAT III is an individually administered measure that examines performance in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, Writing, Listening, and Oral Expression. The WIAT-III was administered to assess Batmans strengths, as well as areas for improvement, in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and oral language. Batmans overall achievement score was in the Below Average range at the 9th percentile. It should be noted that Gradebased norms were used to interpret the results, as they are the best indicator of Batmans academic performance compared to other grade 2 students. Batmans performance was as follows: WIAT-III Total Reading Written Expression Math Oral Language Overall Reading. The WIAT-III measures early reading skills, reading comprehension, ability to read words, oral reading fluency, and ability to sound out unfamiliar words. Batmans Total reading score fell in the Below Average range (8th percentile). Batmans ability to read words in isolation is Below Average at the 5th percentile and his ability to sound out unfamiliar words is on the cusp between Below Average and Average at the 21st percentile. Batman also demonstrated Below Average ability to comprehend what he reads (12th percentile). This is also likely impacted by his difficulty to read fluently as measured by Below Average scores for Oral Reading fluency (13th percentile). Standard Score Percent ile Range

Batmans reading difficulty is further impacted by underdeveloped Early Reading Skills in which he scored Below Average at the 12th percentile. Batman demonstrated difficulty recognizing differences between letter such as /b/ and /d/ and struggled to identify similarities in the sounds of certain words, both at the beginning and ending of words. Furthermore, Batmans reading was slow due to having to sound out most words he read in a written passage and he lost his spot several times. Batman also needed frequent reminders to look back at the passage to find the answer during comprehension questions. Overall, Batmans ability to read words and understand what he reads is below that of his grade 2 peers. Oral Language. Listening Comprehension. Batman scored in the Average range (73rd percentile) for his ability to make inferences about and remember details from verbally presented information. Overall, Batman showed a personal strength in his ability to understand words and sentences read to him out loud by the examiner. These results are similar to those found using the PPVT-4 and indicates that Batman is better able to understand and comprehend verbally presented material compared to his ability to understand written text. Oral Expression. Oral language was also an area of personal strength for Batman, scoring in the Average range at the 39th percentile. Batmans performance indicates that he has a good understanding of oral language and is able to produce oral language with a level of proficiency similar to his peers. Overall, Batman is better able to express himself verbally than he is through writing.

Writing. Batmans overall written expression score was in the Below Average range at the 7th percentile. Specifically, Batman demonstrated difficulty spelling words (Below Average, 8th percentile) and composing sentences (Below Average, 9th percentile). Batmans poor spelling is a reflection of his difficulty with letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness, and poor memory of common sight words. Batman also demonstrated a better ability to create sentences when constructing a complete sentence from a target word compared to his ability to combine sentences together in a meaningful way. Lastly, Batman scored in the Average range, at the 18th percentile, on Alphabet Writing Fluency. It should be noted that although Batman produced several letters during a timed task, many of the letters he wrote were backwards including /b/; /c/; /E/; /F/. Overall, Batman is demonstrating difficulty expressing himself through writing and is below his peers in this area.

Mathematics. Batmans overall math achievement score fell in the Average range at the 23rd percentile. Batman demonstrated personal strength in his ability to solve math problems and perform math calculations (Average at 23rd and 27th percentiles respectively). However, Batman had difficulty with the fluency in which he completed addition and subtraction problems as he fell in the Below Average range at the 9th percentile. It should be noted that Batman was more fluent when completing addition problems than subtraction problems (19th and 6th percentiles). Batmans fluency scores are likely impacted by a weakness in processing speed and working memory as represented by the WISC-IV scores. Batmans overall math skills are commensurate with his peers and are better developed than both his writing and reading skills at this time. Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) The Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is a questionnaire for parents and teachers of school age children that enable professionals to assess executive function behaviors in both the home and school environments. Executive functions are a collection of processes that are responsible for guiding, directing, and managing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions. Each form contains 86 items within eight theoretically and empirically derived clinical scales that measure differing aspects of executive functioning. The clinical scales form two broader Index categories, Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition, and an overall score, the Global Executive Composite. The BRIEF questionnaire was completed by Batmans teacher, father and mother. All 3 raters scored Batman to be within normal limits on the broader Index scores of Behavioral Regulation, Metacognition and the Global Executive Composite. However, Batman was rated to be Abnormally Elevated on some clinical scales. Specifically, Working Memory difficulties were rated to be Abnormally Elevated by both his teacher and father. Batman also fell into the Abnormally Elevated range for Inhibition and Self-Monitoring according to his father. Children with similar profiles often have difficulty sustaining performance, attention, and frequently fail to complete tasks. Furthermore, elevated scores in the area of Inhibition are often implicated with a propensity to act on impulse and/or an inability to stop ones behavior at an appropriate time. Both Inhibition and Working Memory difficulties are often seen in children who meet criteria for Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD). Lastly, Batmans difficulty with self-monitoring, according to his father, suggests that he often makes careless mistakes, rushes through tasks and fails to check his work once completed. Batmans mother did not endorse significant difficulties across any domains of the BRIEF.

Overall, Batmans difficulties in the area of Working Memory are likely impacting his ability to carry out multistep activities, complete mental operations/arithmetic, and/or follow complex instructions. Those with similar profiles often have trouble remembering, lose track of what they are doing as they work, and forget what they were supposed to retrieve when sent on an errand. Student with Working Memory difficulties may also frequently forget the rules governing a task. Difficulties were also noted in the Working Memory composite of the WISC-IV. Results from the WISC-IV and the BRIEF suggest that Batman has some difficulty in the area of working memory. Such difficulties are likely impacting his ability to follow and participate in discussions, follow a series of directions without visual reinforcement, and remember the content of written text when reading. Conners Behavioural Rating Scale 3rd edition (Conners-3) The Conners-3 uses observer ratings to help assess AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to evaluate problem behaviour in children and adolescents. Any score in the Very Elevated or Elevated range suggests a high level of maladjustment. Scores in the High Average range indicate a possible significant problem. The Conners-3 forms completed by Batmans mother, father, and his teacher look specifically at behaviors related to attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and executive functioning. Batmans mother, father and teacher reported inattentive symptoms. Specifically, Batmans mother and fathers scores for inattention were Very Elevated and his teachers rating was High Average. In the area of hyperactivity/impulsivity, some concerns were noted at home but none reported at school (mother Very Elevated; Father Elevated; Teacher Average). Batmans mother and teacher also rated him to be Very Elevated for learning problems. His father also noted similar concerns in the High Average range. Overall, scores on the Conners-3 indicate that a classification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is Strongly Indicated by both his mother and teacher and Indicated by his father. It should also be noted that screening items for both Anxiety and Depression were endorsed by all 3 raters. For example, all 3 raters agreed that Batman occasionally worries, his teacher indicated that he often has trouble controlling his worries and his father indicated that Batman can become irritable when anxious on occasion. Screening items for depression were also endorsed including occasional feelings of worthlessness on occasion, tired/low energy, and sad/gloomy/irritable on occasion. Such worries, feelings, and irritability are likely a reflection of Batmans difficulty with academic tasks. Batman is described as a determined student who is hard on himself when he struggle with tasks. Endorsement of such screening items for depression and anxiety are often seen in students who are aware of their difficulties. Furthermore, Batmans feelings may be exacerbated by his parents recent separation and impending divorce.

Although these issues do not appear to be significantly impacting his learning at this time, they are worth monitoring at home and at school. Classroom Observation Batman was observed in a class with approximately 15 other students during regular classroom instruction. Batmans regular teacher was managing the class during the observation period. Batman was observed to be the last student to complete an independent reading quiz on the computer. Batman frequently spun and swayed in his chair and looked out the window when he was unaware of his teachers presence. During approximately 10 minutes of carpet time Batman appeared to be disengaged from the conversation when he was not directly involved. For example, Batman did not look at who was speaking, often looked in the opposite direction or had his head in his hands. During seat work Batman was observed by the assessor to be fidgeting with items on his desk and dropped items off his desk on a few occasions. During this period of time Batman was cued by his teacher to refrain from fidgeting with items on his desk. Batman seemed to maintain his focus much better when his teacher was in close proximity. For example, Batman stopped fidgeting with items on his desk, stopped talking with students next to him, and continued his independent quiz on the computer when he was aware of his teachers close proximity. Although Batman was observed to be inattentive at times and fidgeted with items on his desk during instruction and/or seat work, Batman was easily redirected when prompted by his teacher or when his teacher was close to him. Batman interacted with his peers well, responded to his teachers questions and appeared to work on the task that were given to him. Batman seemed well liked by his classmates and was not an obvious distraction in the class. Summary: Batman presented as a friendly and hard working child. Batman worked hard on all tasks and was a pleasure to work with. Batman was referred for an assessment due to ongoing academic difficulties. Despite continued effort by Batman, his teacher, the resource teacher, as well as his parents, in the area of reading and writing, Batman continues to struggle to meet grade expectations. Batman is much stronger in science and social studies when learning is hands-on. According to his teacher, Batman is able to demonstrate his knowledge and learning much better when someone writes his ideas down for him. Batmans cognitive functioning can be considered within the Average range of intellectual abilities. Due to fluctuation across domains and subtests on the WISC-IV, the General Abilities Index is considered a more accurate reflection of Batmans cognitive ability. Batman demonstrated personal strength in his verbal reasoning ability. Although Batmans

visual reasoning ability appeared slightly lower than his verbal reasoning ability, his score was brought down significantly by a low score on Matrix Reasoning. It is worth noting that the other subtests measuring visual reasoning were in the average range, including a supplemental subtest administered. Batman demonstrated lower performance in areas of processing speed and working memory. In particular Batman scored in the Borderline range for Working Memory ability making this an area of significant difficulty for him. Batmans performance on academic related tasks revealed specific difficulties in the areas of reading and written expression/spelling. Batmans word reading and passage comprehension are underdeveloped compared to his grade 2 peers. Specifically, Batman still has some difficulty understanding the basic units of sounds and he struggles to put those sounds together to read full words. Batman struggled with spelling in that he wrongly identified units of sounds within the words and often reversed letters. However, Batman demonstrated strength in his listening abilities and oral expression. This indicates that Batman is much better at processing information and conveying his thoughts verbally than he is through reading and writing. His learning will also be impacted by a weakness with working memory and processing speed, making the learning of new information and production of written work difficult for Batman. Working memory and processing speed difficulties will also impact Batmans reading ability. Findings from clinical assessment of Batmans attention and executive functioning capacities indicate difficulty with attention and selfmonitoring. In addition, it is noteworthy that Batman is displaying numerous symptoms of impulsivity and inattention both at school and home. Elevated levels of inattention were reported by both his parents and teacher. A main concern was that Batman has a short attention span, is easily distracted and has a hard time focusing on school work. Given these reports, and based on classroom observation, his difficulties with attention are causing significant impairment in school and at home. Batman currently meets the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Combined type (ADHD-C). Batmans difficulties with attention and hyperactivity are likely significantly impacting his learning and school performance. Although many of Batmans difficulties are likely due to his inattentive behaviors, such as not paying close attention and missing important pieces of information, he also currently meets the criteria of a student with a learning disability. A provisional diagnosis of a learning disability that is impacting his reading and writing performance is appropriate at this time. However, once appropriate management and interventions are in place to support Batmans inattentive and hyperactive symptoms he should be reassessed to determine if a diagnosis of a learning

disability is still appropriate. Batman would benefit from being reassessed in two to three years time. Recommendations: Attention: Batman displays inattention across both school and home settings, which is resulting in difficulties within several domains. It is recommended that Batmans parents consider speaking with their family doctor or a pediatrician to discuss possible medication management of Batmans ADHD symptoms. Further recommendations to support Batman within this area include: At School: For multi-step instructions, Batman may benefit from visual cues that he is able to refer back to so that he can check the next step in the instructions. It may help to slow speech down to a rate which allows Batman to process information comfortably. Try not to overwhelm him with too many directives and explanations at one time. Have Batman sit in a location in the room with the least extraneous stimuli (for example, near the front of the room with his back to the rest of the class or near the teachers desk). Maintain eye-contact with him as often as possible, as this may help him attend to the material being presented. Given Batmans slow processing speed, avoid the use of timed tasks where possible and reduce assignment length to prioritize quality over quantity. Where reducing the quantity of work is not possible (e.g., tests, provincial exams), provide Batman with extended time, accommodations (e.g., scribe), and a distraction-free environment. Provide Batman with positive reinforcement and praise for on task behaviours, including completing academic tasks. Establish rules with Batman for listening (e.g. looking at the person who is talking, not talking while others are and waiting to ask a question after the person is done talking). It is also recommended that a cue be established between Batmans teacher and/or parent(s) and Batman that is used to help him recognize when his attention is lost and to help him re-focus. Give Batman breaks if appropriate. Having to sit still for long periods of time without a break will be difficult for Batman. At home: Make sure Batman has a quiet, uncluttered place to do homework. Be sure to get Batmans attention before giving oral directions; give only one direction at a time and speak in

short, simple sentences. It is helpful to present new information in short, meaningful chunks. It is useful to use simple, clear-cut, directives. Give directions in a variety of ways to increase his understanding (e.g., present directions verbally or in an illustrated form). Externalize important information by posting reminders and other pieces of information at critical places in Batmans environment to remind him of what must be done. Ask Batman to repeat requests, but give a framework. For instance, say "I want you to listen for 2 important things, then Im going to ask you to tell me what those things are." This encourages good listening skills and ensures that he understands and remembers what has been said. This may help especially in situations in which he tends to wander off task or has trouble with directions. Reinforce Batman for concentrating on a task for the length of time he can be successful. Gradually increase the length of time needed for reinforcement. Provide aids for time management such as the use of clocks and timers, and build time management into activities. Establish a set routine with Batman as much as possible (e.g., do homework, watch TV, brush his teeth, etc.). Provide immediate feedback for Batman. Act right after the behaviour and ensure that he receives positive feedback as well as negative feedback. Other Resources and Links: o Children and Adults With Attention Deficit HyperactiviBatman Disorder (CHADD) http://members.shaw.ca/chaddcalgary/ o Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta Calgary Chapter (LDAA-CC) http://www.ldaa.net/ o Center for ADD/ADHD Advocacy, Canada (CADDAC) http://www.caddac.ca/cms/page.php?87 o The Everything Parents Guide to ADHD in Children. By: Carole Jacobs and Isadore Wendel o The ADHD Book of Lists: A Practical Guide for Helping Children and Teens with Attention Deficit Disorders. By: Sandra F. Rief. Both books are an excellent, easy to read, comprehensive, reliable source that provides the most current information, including strategies to deal with children with AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. This resource is created for teachers (K-12), parents, and school psychologists. It is filled with strategies,

supports, and interventions found to be most effective in minimizing problem behaviour and optimizing the success of children and teens with ADHD. Reading: Batman would benefit from both phonemic/word attack strategies and whole word strategies. Phonological processing strategies Model fluent reading for Batman. It is important for Batman to hear and understand what fluent/accurate reading sounds like while he follows along. The use of audio books may also be helpful as he can listen to the books on his own. Read aloud to Batman at home before bed whenever possible. Use succession of cumulative blending where Batman will say each letter sound in a word and then blend it together which taxes his working memory less. Batmans reading skills will improve from learning to segment words, or divide words into small groups of letters. Colour-coding parts of the words to show common phonetic patterns may help highlight the clusters. This will allow him to learn how words are constructed and related to one another to combine in full words. Whole word strategies Teaching words in isolation rather than practicing reading in connected text. Batman will benefit from building a sight word vocabulary for common words and non-phonetic words. Both known and unknown words on flashcards could be used to encourage and motivate Batman. Also, visual strategies such as identifying the shape of high-frequency words may be useful. Have Batman say the word, spell it, and say it again. Lists of sight words such as the Dolch Word List can be found at http://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/index.htm or Rebecca Sittons 100 High Frequency Words (http://www.amersol.edu.pe/es/grade2/documents/Word_List_G2.p df). Teach Batman word families to help him simplify the task of reading new words (e.g., words with same middle sounds, ending sounds,etc.). Writing and Spelling: Allow Batman to demonstrate what he knows through different forms whenever possible (e.g., verbal answers, use of pictures or models etc.). Limit writing to evaluate his knowledge whenever possible. Batman would benefit from the use of a scribe during testing situations. Refrain from continually penalizing his written work due to bad spelling. With less mental effort being directed to the spelling of

words, more resources can be focused towards writing (less taxing on working memory). Provide Batman with a poor spellers' dictionary. This is a book with words listed according to many possible misspellings with the correct spelling after each listing. Have Batman learn a few words thoroughly and then have him identify related words (e.g., dog, log, bog, etc.). Batman would benefit from multisensory strategies such as visualizing letters as someone says them aloud, tracing letter in the air using his hand, tracing letters with his finger using different surfaces to help him remember the movements required for certain letters, and creating words with magnetic letters or scrabble letters.

Coping strategies and Academic Confidence: Batman is very determined and can become frustrated when pushed to do academic tasks, especially reading. To avoid a lack of motivation and increase Batmans self-esteem the following suggestions may be helpful: Provide Batman with success-oriented tasks. The expectation is that success will result in more positive attitudes and perceptions toward self and the environment. Use auditory strategies and verbal reporting wherever appropriate. Evaluate the appropriateness of the task to determine: a) if the task is too difficult, and b) if the length of the time scheduled to complete the task is appropriate. Identify those areas where feedback or correction is essential and those where it is not correcting all errors or mistakes at once can be overwhelming and defeat his motivation to continue. Praise and rewards should be based on Batmans effort and persistence rather than on the actual accomplishment. Outline small achievable goals, and reward Batman as he meets them. Try breaking tasks down into more manageable parts. The most effective goals are specific, measurable, and achievable. Working Memory and Processing Speed: Considering that working memory and processing speed are areas of weakness for Batman, he would benefit from metacognitive strategy instruction (See attachment). Batman would also benefit from explicit instruction in techniques to improve his memory (See attachment). Technological devices such as an ipad could be useful to improve Batmans working memory ability. For example, games such as N-back that can be downloaded could be useful to improve working memory capacity. ____________________ ______________

John Laing MEd Practicum Student

Year/Month/Day

______________________ Chris Pawluk Registered Psychologist cpawluk@rockyview.ab.ca

______________ Year/Month/Day

________________ Date of Parental Consultation

Due to the developing and changing nature of childrens/students skills and abilities, the results and recommendations contained in this report are meant for current use. Any reference to these results and recommendations in the future should be made with these reservations in mind.