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Sierra Gentry
Abstract
educators can learn about the structures and processes involved in working with students with
developmental disabilities. This case study analyzes a Preschool Program for Children with
Disabilities (PPCD) class and a six-year-old student in the class with cerebral palsy. Information
regarding the students past progress, current functioning, and future planning was collected
through various means of assessment and data including an adaptive behavioral scale, ecological
inventory, and interviews with educators. The data is analyzed to complete a person-centered
planning diagram, and a lesson plan was written and taught to the class. The case study
concludes with a summary of the field experience observations connecting back to how to teach
For the past three months, I have spent over ten hours observing a Preschool Program for
Children with Disabilities (PPCD) classroom. The classroom consisted of four to six students
depending on the time of day. The teacher had two paraprofessionals working in the classroom
with other educators and therapists visiting occasionally. In the time spent in my field
experience, I was able to observe, interact, and work with a student on one of her Individualized
Education Program (IEP) goals each week. My target student, whom I will refer to as Vee, is a
six-year-old girl who functions at an infant level. Since entering schooling, her educators have
primarily focused her IEP goals on functional skills over academic skills. In this study, I learned
about the background of Vees condition, her behaviors, preferences, and functioning level.
Through careful observation and interviews, I established my goals for her, along with her needs,
and ideal school day characteristics. Using the information gathered, I taught a lesson to the class
Past History
Vees teacher shared some information about Vee so that I could learn more about her.
Vee is classified under the category of other health impairments (OHI). She has cerebral palsy
(CP), sensory impairments, seizures, and uses a wheelchair. Her medical information, dietary
restrictions, and allergies were not shared, but I assume that due to her classification under many
conditions, she takes medication at least for her seizures. Her teacher did make me aware of her
ongoing challenging behavior, though. She cannot focus on tasks, and she lacks effort in
completing tasks due to her lack of focus. She often throws objects in defiance or when wanting
to get attention from adults. I have also noticed that she puts her fingers in the spokes of her
CASE STUDY: VEE 4
wheelchair and chews her fingers frequently. I believe that this behavior is occurring when she is
bored or knows that she has been acting out in class. Vee has a heavy speech impairment which
causes her to be nonverbal. She does communicate with facial expressions, body language, and
sounds. In school, she has been working on using a four switch communication device, the
Choose3 application on the iPad, and a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to
communicate (Westling, Fox, & Carter, 2014, p. 107). Like any other child, Vee has her likes and
dislikes. Her teacher found out this year that Vee hates loud sounds and people in costumes
among many other things children typically enjoy, but Vee has one interest that stands out among
them all: Vee loves people. She is fascinated when watching and interacting with people, so
Since Vees time in school, many objectives have been given to her, but few have been
completed in entirety. Recently, Vee has managed to hold herself into a crawl position and
maintain the skill upon completion. Vee also manages her ability to keep food in her mouth
rather than spitting it out. Vees attention has always been a problem, so the teacher and
paraprofessionals have been working on pulling her away from distractions to help her focus on
tasks. With removal from distractions, Vee fairs well with attention. As mentioned earlier, Vee is
communicate needs and reinforcers (Westling et al., 2014, p. 242). She has also been working on
walking with assistance from adults. While it does not seem like Vee has made much progress,
she has made more significant progress this year so far as expressed by her teacher.
CASE STUDY: VEE 5
activities (Westling et al., 2014, p. 107). I used a version of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior
Scale to rate Vees functionality in four different domains and several different activities. Due to
the limited time of my observation, areas left blank were not evaluated or not applicable to Vees
daily living.
When analyzing her results, I discovered that she functions low in all of the activities, but
her highest scores come from the socialization domain. Her receptive communication was fair,
but her expressive and written communication was nearly impossible to score because she is
nonverbal and does not have the fine motor skills to write on her own yet. All of her daily living
skills were ranked low as expected which is why it continues to be the focus of her learning in
school. Her motor skills were less than satisfactory, as well, due to her lack of effort. Below is
When discussing reinforcers to motivate her learning, Vees teacher claims that there few
that work beside people. She does like to look at mirrors, bubbles, feather boas, and people, of
course. She seems to enjoy listening to music during music therapy, so I consider music to be
another reinforcer for her. She likes being tickled on her lower back, tickled with feather boas,
and the feeling of wet bubbles. Anything relating to smell or taste is not a reinforcer for Vee.
Rank Reinforcer
1 People (watching, listening to)
2 Feather boas (watching, feeling)
3 Tickles (on lower back, with feather boas)
4 Bubbles (watching, and feeling)
5 Mirrors (watching)
6 Music (listening to)
Due to her levels of functioning, Vees teacher and paraprofessionals mostly focus on
teaching her daily living skills. However, academic skills are just as important in school. For
example, the Texas Education Agencys (TEA) Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (2015) claims
that by the end of prekindergarten, children should have developed some measurement skills
under the mathematics domain (p. 96). The guideline states, Child recognizes how much can be
placed within an object (TEA, 2015, p. 96). An activity that incorporates this skill may include
the students being provided with different sized containers and objects where they may be asked
to predict how many of each object fits into the container before testing their guesses. If I were to
change this activity for Vee, I would allow her to use a switch with physical objects to choose if
several or few of the objects could fit into each container. She tends to understand symbols better
when there are three-dimensional objects for her to look at rather than a picture. During the
CASE STUDY: VEE 19
activity, I would allow her to put the objects in while someone else counts. This would allow Vee
to work with others, practice crucial fine motor skills, and use her communication devices
effectively.
Ecological Inventory
According to Westling et al. (2014), ecological inventories are used to determine how
students with disabilities perform in certain environments (p. 110). The process consists of an
evaluator determining settings, specific activities that occur in these settings, and how students
typically perform in the skills included in the setting activities (Westling et al., 2014, p. 110).
After this, the evaluator would observe a student and record how they perform in each activity in
the specified settings (Westling et al., 2014, p. 110). During my observation, I prepared and
completed an ecological inventory on Vee in the PPCD classroom and the school playground.
School PPCD Classroom Music Therapy Sitting still for the duration
Singing with the class
Responding to therapist
Snack Asking for a snack
Feeding herself a snack
Cleaning up after eating
snack
Whole Class Instruction Sitting still for the duration
Listening to those talking
Responding when
appropriate
Playground Playing on the playground Swinging on swings
Climbing on the play
equipment
Sliding down slides
Interacting with sit down
play equipment (ex. drums)
Interacting with peers Saying hello
Playing with peers
Responding in a
conversation
CASE STUDY: VEE 21
In music therapy, Vee is able to sit still for the duration, but because she is non-verbal,
she does not sing or respond to the music therapist. She is able to clap and play instruments when
guided by an adult. During afternoon snack time, Vee is given her snack rather than being
required to ask for it. She has been working on using utensils to eat and drinking from a straw, so
she is almost able to eat independently, even though she does not clean up her area after snack
time. During whole class instruction, Vee typically sits still and looks around while partially
listening to the person teaching. She, still, does not respond verbally.
Playing on the playground can be a difficult feat for Vee without assistance. She has the
potential to swing on the swings with backs and leg holes and may be able to climb on
equipment or slide down slides with help. She has the ability to interact with stationary
playground toys, like mazes and drums, but she doesnt care for this equipment. Her peer
interaction on the playground is much more involved than the play aspect. Vee will occasionally
greet others with a wave, smile, or laugh. Other students will want her to play with them, but she
In addition to the ecological inventory, Vees teacher answered some questions regarding
her leisure activities, communication, behavioral issues, physical/sensory limitations, and social
skills. The only leisure interest discussed was Vees love of watching people, which was
prevalent in the ecological inventory. The teacher also reiterated Vees communication devices
that she has been working with. Other than that, her language is not extremely functional because
it is difficult to tell when she wants something or feels a certain way. This lack of proper
communication may be tied to her inappropriate behaviors of throwing things and putting her
hands in the spokes of her wheels or in her mouth, but there is no way to tell for sure. Her
physical abilities limit her abilities to use her legs, but she can use her hand and arms although
CASE STUDY: VEE 22
she often refuses to do so. The teacher has been having her use braces to help form Vees wrists
to proper positions. Although Vee has many limitations, it does not stop her from interacting with
other and vice versa. She is social with her body language, sounds, actions, etc. and she has
The ecological inventory assessment and interview process showed how Vee functions in
different environments. Typically, her actions are limited by her communication and physical
impairments, but her interest in each area is based on her fascination with people. She has been
working on certain goals to assist her in different areas like those discussed in the ecological
inventory, so maybe someday, Vee will be more willing and able to participate in the activities in
each environment.
Part II: Person-Centered Planning Process: McGill Action Planning System (MAPS)
on the positive aspects of the focus person and improving their quality of life (Westling et al.,
2014, p. 97). The McGill Action Planning System (MAPS) is an example of a person-centered
planning process that involves interviewing those familiar with the individual to answer
questions about their history, their abilities and needs currently, and what they envision for the
student in the future (Westling et al., 2014, p. 100). Although the process is typically extremely
thorough and time-consuming, I was able to perform a simplified version of MAPS with Vee
(Westling et al., 2014, p. 100). Below is a document providing the information collected from a
simplified MAPS interview regarding Vee and her priority needs and characteristics of an ideal
Myself Educators
Peer interaction Preferred communication method
Few/no distractions Progress on IEP goals
Academic goals Physical therapy/walking
Myself Educators
Independent toileting Communicating well with others
Playing on the playground with peers Feeding herself
No behavioral issues No behavioral issues
Throughout my field experience, I was working with Vee on her spoon scooping skills.
When I told her teacher that I was thinking of doing a scooping lesson, she proposed that I do the
lesson for the class. I centered the lesson on Texas Prekindergarten Guideline IX.B.1. which
states that the child shows control of tasks that require small-muscle strength and control
(TEA, 2015, p. 119). I developed a game that includes scooping using fine motor skills and a
task analysis. A task analysis can be explained as breaking an action into several smaller actions
(Westling et al., 2014, p. 125). I created the task analysis around the action of scooping
repeatedly as the students would do during the game. Below is the lesson plan with task analysis
Scooper Stars!
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to scoop using various utensils.
Texas Pre-K Guidelines Addressed: IX.B.1. Child shows control of tasks that require small-
muscle strength and control.
Instructional Delivery: Explanation of the game will take place as a whole class. Guided practice
will take place with 2-3 students per bin. Independent practice will occur individually during
snack time following the activity.
Task analysis:
Materials needed:
CASE STUDY: VEE 26
Guided practice
o Sensory bins with material that can be scooped (rice, popcorn, oatmeal, etc.)
o Small cups, scoops, spoons, and other items that can scoop
o Small stars
o Bowls
Independent practice
o Bowls
o Food that can be scooped
o Spoons
Independent practice: Students will apply their practice of scooping with various
scooping utensils to eating food with a spoon during snack time.
Closure: Tell the students that they are all scooper stars, and that they can be reminded
of this when they see their special stars they found.
CASE STUDY: VEE 27
Lesson Implementation
For the lesson, I made three different sensory bins for the students to scoop from. I
included large scoops, small cups, and spoons in each bin. I explained the game to the students
before dividing them up into groups of two and three to play. Most of the students started out by
working with the scoops because they were the easiest to use. Once I noticed that the students
mastered the scoop, I advised them to try with the cups and the spoons. For the most part, Vee
was unmotivated to participate, so I had to guide her hands for the whole activity. The rest of the
class thoroughly enjoyed the game, and all of the students were able to improve their scooping
skills including Vee. If I were to do it differently, I would have used bigger but shallower bins to
ease the scooping action. Below are some pictures of myself teaching the lesson and helping the
students play:
CASE STUDY: VEE 28
Students scooping.
study consists of a summative report of educational ideas that were observed in the classroom
and how they relate back to special education and teaching learners with developmental
Sierra Gentry
Over the past few months, I have been observing a Preschool Program for Children with
Disabilities (PPCD) classroom. The classroom typically has four to six students at a time, and
there is one teacher and two paraprofessionals overseeing the class. The students have various
disabilities, but my target student that I was observing, Vee, has cerebral palsy (CP) among other
health impairments. The teachers and paraprofessionals in the classroom treated me just like a
teacher, and they were very helpful in giving me meaningful experiences with the students in the
classroom. During the time of my field experience, I learned very much about inclusion and
Inclusion
All students, regardless of disability, have the right to be educated alongside their peers to
the greatest extent possible (Westling, Fox, & Carter, 2014, p. 205). This idea of inclusion has
many benefits when implemented correctly. Several studies have proven that students in
inclusive programs are able to succeed more academically (Westling et al., 2014, p. 208).
Similarly, students with disabilities have the ability to acquire more social skills under inclusion
and, therefore, have more opportunities for friendships and social interaction (Westling et al.,
2014, p. 209). Including students with disabilities into general education classrooms can also
benefit other peers by teaching them about diversity, acceptance, and how to help others
(Westling et al., 2014, p. 209). From what I observed in the classroom, the students who came
into the class for shorter amounts of time were typically more knowledgeable on academic
material and had more friends outside of the PPCD classroom. However, during recess, all
students would go out to the playground together, so the students who typically stayed in the
PPCD class were able to socialize with their peers. During this time, I observed all of the
CASE STUDY: VEE 32
students conversing and playing with each other. It was really sweet to see some students
approach Vee regularly to say hello and give her a hug. Although some students need to be in the
PPCD classroom to focus more on functional skills, inclusion in some areas of school can be
beneficial to everyone.
Communication
Learning about communication methods has been by far the most interesting element of
this experience for me. Students are all different in how they communicate specific needs and
desires that can range from conventional to atypical (Westling et al., 2014, p. 238). For example,
Sarah, an older kindergartener, will scream and cry when she wanted something while Lee, a
four-year-old, will raise his hand and ask for things directly. The methods of communication
used in the classroom were different for each student, as well. A majority of the students would
verbalize and use sign language to signal what they wanted for a snack during snack time. Vee is
nonverbal, so she has to learn how to communicate by other means. Her teacher has been
working on her ability to use switches with tangible objects and an electronic application to
express preferences. Another student in the class, Ian, who has Down syndrome, has trouble
communicating, so he relies on using sign language and pointing at pictures for direct selection
of snack preferences (Westling et al., 2014, p. 246). All of these students are able to utilize
multiple means of communication which can be helpful in different scenarios and settings
(Westling et al., 2014, p. 249). By observing the different communicational methods and
systems, I have learned to take each student into account when determining which systems will
Mealtime Skills
Visiting during snack time has shown me about teaching eating and drinking to students
with disabilities. Eating meals and snacks is a regular part of daily life, so learning mealtime
skills has been important for teaching students with disabilities (Westling et al., 2014, p. 331).
One of the first feeding skills learned is finger feeding (Westling et al., 2014, p. 331). There are
many opportunities to work on finger feeding in class time, so the students have been continually
developing the skill. The students are also learning to drink from a cup more independently, even
if it means using a straw. The goal I was working on with Vee during each visit was feeding
herself with a spoon. Using a spoon is one of the first steps towards independent eating, so this
goal is crucial towards Vee becoming more self-sufficient (Westling et al., 2014, p. 332). By
evaluating all students and their ability to feed themselves, teachers can focus on what each
Along with eating, learning certain community and domestic activities can help
individuals to become more autonomous. One kind of skill that falls under this category is
household chores like cooking and cleaning (Westling et al., 2014, p. 416). Although learning
how to do household chores may not be required or useful for some students, they can assist in
helping students function better in a home setting (Westling et al., 2014, p. 416). In my field
experience classroom, Ian and Lee are typically asked to help sweep and vacuum after snack
time. Both of these students have increased potential of living independently someday, so chores
are deemed an appropriate goal for them. Being knowledgeable about fire safety can fall under
the category of community and domestic activities as well because a fire can occur anywhere,
and students with disabilities need to be informed of how to handle it (Westling et al., 2014, p.
CASE STUDY: VEE 34
420). One week in my field experience classroom, the students were learning about firefighters
and fire safety. In the lesson, the students were taught how to stop, drop, and roll. Although tasks
like cleaning and knowing what to do during a fire may seem second nature to adults, it is
important to teach to all children, and my field experience class has been practicing these
Conclusion
This experience has taught me a lot about teaching students with developmental
disabilities. From teaching communication skills to skills in the home, teaching students with
disabilities can be boiled down to one idea: individualized instruction. Each student is different,
so their goals and effective teaching methods will also be different. While Vee was working more
towards functional objectives, students like Lee were working on more academic goals, like
learning the alphabet. With all of the diversity in the PPCD classroom, no visit was like another.
Each day brought about new victories and challenges, but I loved this experience regardless. By
participating in the classroom for this field experience, I was able to connect many ideas from
References
Westling, D. L., Fox, L., & Carter, E. W. (2014). Teaching students with severe disabilities (5th
ed.). Pearson
CASE STUDY: VEE 36
References
Sparrow, S. S., Balla, D. A., & Cicchetti, D. V. (n.d.). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale:
http://donpugh.com/Tests/vineland abs.pdf
http://tea.texas.gov/pkg.aspx
Westling, D. L., Fox, L., & Carter, E. W. (2014). Teaching students with severe disabilities (5th
ed.). Pearson.
Authors Note: In order to protect the identities of the students, all identifying material was
altered. Pseudonyms were used for each child, and their faces have been obscured.