School Case Summary #1

This was my first evaluation I performed in the schools.  I was very nervous prior to working with the student, but once the evaluation started, I became less nervous.  I learned a lot from this case because everything was new to me (i.e testing, report writing, working with the student, etc).  This was my first case conference in which I was very nervous at too.  The parents were very willing to help in any way they could. 

 

The client was a 12-year, 1-month old male, referred for an evaluation by his mother to determine if he has a learning disability affecting reading, spelling, and understanding his notes.  The client was observed in the classroom and given the Kinetic Family Drawing, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the low average range.  His ability in visual concrete tasks was considerably stronger than his ability in verbal/abstract tasks.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average range and were fairly consistent with his cognitive functioning, except in the area of reading, in which there was a statistically significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 12 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that Client appears to be experiencing significant levels of anxiety which manifests in somatic complaints, such as frequent headaches, and moderately affects attention and concentration.  The client’s withdrawn behavior may be a result of anxiety and discomfort in social situations at home and school.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that he was at risk for developing depression.  The client’s frustrations with academics may have been a major source for his anxiousness, depression, and headaches. 

 

At the case conference, it was determined the student was eligible to receive special education services under the area of Reading Comprehension.  Given the student’s anxiousness, the teacher offered to provide extra before and after school help so that the student would not feel anxious going to the resource room.  If after a couple of months of extra help and no improvement was shown, the parents gave consent for the student to go to the resource room for 1 period a day

 

 

 

School Case Summary #2

This was my first case in which behavior and academics were a problem, so in that sense, it was a learning experience for me.  It was important that I review the student’s records to look at how the student behaved in previous years.  It was also important that I talk with the parent and teacher to see what types of behaviors were going on at home and school.  It was determined that the student behaved similarly across both environments. 

 

The client was an 11-year, 0-month old female, referred for a re-evaluation by her mother to determine if she has a learning disability and if emotional factors were affecting her attention and behavior at home and school.  The client was administered the following:  Kinetic Family Drawing, Brown ADD Scales-Adolescent-Parent Report, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report, Child Self-Report and Projective Inventory (CSRPI).  The client’s level of current functioning was in the low average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the borderline range.  The client’s measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  The client’s ability to think, reason and remember was significantly stronger than her ability to acquire knowledge and verbally express herself.  A statistically significant difference was found between full scale IQ and reading composite.  She displayed a personal strength in visual/concrete tasks and a weakness on verbal abstract tasks.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 17 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appeared to be experiencing significant levels of conduct problems which manifested in lying and stealing.  The client also displayed significant levels of attention and learning problems.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that she was at-risk for anxiety and depression.  The client’s frustrations with school and blended family living situation may have been a major source of her conduct problems, anxiousness, depression, and headaches.

 

At the case conference, it was determined that the client would receive resource room help for reading.  The client had behavior problems with lying and stealing, so it was recommended that a behavior contract be set up, especially at home.  Also, the client exhibited behaviors similar to ADHD, so it was recommended to the mother that she take the report and get a more complete evaluation by a physician.  

School Case Summary #3

This student was my first case in the high school.  I didn’t think I would like working with high schoolers as much as elementary students, but to my surprise, I enjoyed working with the older students.  This student had dealt with anger management problems.  Additionally, he was on the same reading level as a fourth grader, which he was fully aware of.  I was confused as to how he made it to the 9th grade, not being able to read very well.  He had transferred to this school from a different corporation, so my questions were not answered. 

 

The client was a 16-year, 1-month old male, referred for a re-evaluation by his mother to determine if the previous diagnosis of a Learning Disability was correct and if emotional factors were affecting his attention and behavior at home and school.  The client was observed in the classroom and administered the following:  Diagnostic Interview, Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV)

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), and Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Reports.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the borderline range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the extremely low range.  The client’s full scale IQ score may not have best represented his overall cognitive functioning.  The client’s ability to think and reason with pictures was significantly stronger than his ability to acquire knowledge and verbally express himself.  A statistically significant difference was found between full scale IQ and reading, mathematics, and written language composites.  He displayed a personal strength in visual/concrete tasks and a weakness on verbal abstract tasks.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 4 to 16 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing academically comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicate that the client appeared to be experiencing significant levels of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and somatization which manifested in becoming angry.  Client exhibited behaviors that he was at-risk for learning problems, aggression, and withdrawal.  Responses from the teacher’s BASC and the mother’s BASC were significantly different.  This could have been due to observing him in different settings.  Client’s frustrations with school may have been a major source of his inattention and anger.  His awareness of the fact that his reading level is at the 4th grade level and frustration with academics overall, may have explained his low self-esteem, inattention in the classroom and acting out aggressively. 

 

At the case conference, it was determined that this student was eligible to receive services under the Learning Disability category.  The student was in the 9th grade and could only read at a 4th grade level.  Intense phonics instruction was to be put in place in the resource room.  Accommodations were to include books on tape and writing and reading modifications.  The client stated that “he wanted to die,” so the examiner cautioned the mother to keep an eye out for any other statements like this and the matter was not to be taken lightly. 

 

School Case Summary #4

This was my first case in which the student did not qualify for special education services.  After consulting with the teacher, she mentioned that the student was not having major difficulties in her class and she felt she didn’t need to be tested.  Due to parental concern, the student was referred for testing. 

 

The client was a 10-year, 11-month old female, referred for an evaluation by her mother to determine if she had a learning disability.  The client was observed and administered the following:  Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the average range.  Client’s academic achievement skills were in the average range.  Client’s measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  The client’s ability to think, reason and process was significantly stronger than her ability to acquire knowledge and verbally express herself.  She displayed a personal strength in visual/concrete tasks and a personal weakness on verbal abstract tasks.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 8 to 11 years.  Personality assessment results indicate that Client exhibited behaviors that she was at-risk for attention problems and atypicality (i.e. daydreaming).  Client seemed to display adequate adaptive skills within the school environment.

 

At the case conference, it was determined that the student was not eligible to receive special education services under Article 7.  The student was a hard worker, who was very sweet and tried to please her parents and teacher.  She had minor difficulties in reading, but no major problems in any one area.  Recommendations to make flashcards, engage in repeated readings, and a technique her spelling skills were all made. 

 

School Case Summary #5

This student was my first emotional disability case.  It was a re-evaluation, so that made things a little more easy as far as determining if the student should receive services under Emotional Disability or not.  The student exhibited several bizarre behaviors at home and school, which had an affect on his education. 

 

The client was a 16-year, 6-month old male, referred for a re-evaluation by his mother to determine if the previous diagnosis of an Emotional Disability was correct.  The client was observed in the classroom and then administered the following: House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Diagnostic Interview, Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Reports.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the low average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the borderline range.  The client displayed a strength in his ability to think and reason with pictures in addition to orally expressing information he knows.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 12 years, which was commensurate with his performance on the cognitive measure.  Overall, Client will have a harder time progressing academically comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that Client appears to be experiencing significant levels of hyperactivity and depression which manifested in attention problems and insecurities with himself.  Client exhibited behaviors that he was at-risk for anxiety, attention problems, and learning problems.  Responses from the teacher’s BASC and the mother’s BASC were significantly different.  This could be due to observing him in different settings.  Client’s worrying about his mother may be a major source of his inattention and depression, which affects his performance in the classroom.  Client continued to exhibit significant behavioral and emotional concerns and appeared to need continued support services. 

 

At the case conference, it was determined that the student would continue receiving services under an Emotional Disability.  The student attended an alternative school, in which he went to for half of the school day.  That placement seemed to be working for him and it was determined that the placement would continue. 

 

School Case Summary #6

This student was my first initial Emotional Disability eligibility.  The student had severe depression and experienced suicidal ideation.  I was challenged to ask questions in order to determine the severity of the suicidal ideation.  This was the first time I had a student tell me he wanted to hurt himself.  After questioning him, I was again challenged by the fact that I had to tell him I was required to tell his parents in order to keep him safe. 

 

The client was a 15-year, 1-month old male, referred for an evaluation by his stepmother and father to determine if he had a learning disability affecting English/reading, and understanding study skills.  The student was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Sentence Completions, Diagnostic Interview, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Report.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the average range.  His ability in visual concrete tasks was considerably stronger than his ability in verbal/abstract tasks.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the below average range and were fairly consistent with his cognitive functioning, except in the area of reading, in which there was a statistically significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 8 to 16 years.  Overall, Client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that Client appears to be experiencing significant levels of depression which manifested in low self-esteem, somatic complaints, such as headaches, sleep problems and significantly affected attention and concentration.  The client’s irritability, excessive worry, and restlessness at home may have been a result of his significant levels of anxiety.  Additionally, Client exhibited behaviors that he was at-risk for withdrawal and conduct problems.  Client’s depression and anxiety may have been a major source of his academic difficulties.  

 

At the case conference, it was determined that the student was eligible for special education services for an Emotional Disability.  The student’s severe depression was significantly impairing his academic work, relationships, home life, etc.  A behavior plan, required for ED determinations, was set up for the student at the case conference.  The parents were encouraged to seek counseling through an outside agency to help the student with his depression. 

 

 

School Case Summary #7

This case was somewhat difficult because the student was dealing with a lot of emotional issues at home.  Additionally, his grades were bad and there was a significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement.  It was difficult to determine what came first; his learning problems or emotional problems. 

 

The client is a 17-year, 5-month old male, referred for an evaluation by his mother to determine if he had a learning disability affecting most subject areas and whether or not Client has test anxiety.   The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Diagnostic Interview, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Third Edition (WAIS-III), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Report.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the low average range.  His ability in verbal/abstract tasks was stronger than his ability in visual/concrete tasks.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average range and were fairly consistent, sometimes even exceeding what was expected with his cognitive functioning, except in the area of reading comprehension and written expression, in which there was a statistically significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 8 to 19 years.  Personality assessment results indicated that Client appears to be experiencing significant levels of depression which manifested in low self-esteem, somatic complaints, such as headaches, and moderately affected attention and concentration.  Client’s conduct problems at home may have been a result of his blended family situation and possible unresolved feelings from the passing of his father.  Client’s depression may have been one of the sources of his academic difficulties. 

 

At the case conference, the committee had a difficult time agreeing on a placement for the student.  The committee kept going back and forth between emotional and learning disability.  After much deliberation, it was determined that the student was eligible for services for a Learning Disability.  The student had input and felt that it was learning problems, not emotional problems, affecting his academics.  The committee agreed , but told him just because he would receive resource room help, didn’t mean that his grades would automatically go up; he would have to put forth the effort.  Much of the student’s low grades were due to lack of completion.  The determination for services was truly a case conference decision. 

 

School Case Summary #8

This case was a student who presented with no major difficulties.  Her grades were average, but her father wanted her tested to determine if she had ADHD.  The examiner or the student’s teachers did not observe symptoms of ADHD.  Through this case, I learned that not all parents are as willing to help and do what’s best for their children as some are. 

 

Client was a 13 year, 4 month old female referred for an evaluation by her father to determine if she had a learning disability and if she had characteristics of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Sentence Completions, Diagnostic Interview, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Reports.  Client’s level of current functioning was in the borderline range.  Client’s academic achievement skills were in the average range exceeding her cognitive ability scores.  Client’s measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  However, Client’s performance on the WISC-IV was negatively impacted by her anxiety.  In addition to Client’s anxiety, her achievement scores supported the fact that her IQ score may be a low estimate of her true capability.  Client’s thinking and visual reasoning ability was significantly stronger than her ability to verbally express herself and process information.  She displayed a personal strength in visual/concrete tasks and a weakness on verbal abstract tasks.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 6 to 11 years.  Overall, Client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that Client exhibits at-risk behaviors for anxiety and depression.  Client was seen as a student with mild levels of inattention and learning difficulties.  Client’s new surroundings and missing her mother may have been a source of her anxiousness, depression, and headaches. 

 

At the case conference, the student was not found eligible to receive special education services under Article 7.  The student had just moved to the district and state and it was hypothesized that she was adjusting to her new school and new life in another state.  Her teachers had no major concerns about her grades.  Recommendations to help Jennifer stay focused were given.  The frustrating part about this case was that the parents did not show up to the case conference even after several attempts were made. 

 

School Case Summary #9

This case was a frustrating one because the parent was not on board with the school.  The school made numerous attempts to get ahold of the parent to come to meetings, etc, and the parent would not come at all.  The conference was held in February and in late April, the parent still had not come to the school to sign paperwork, giving permission for her daughter to receive special education services.  As a person who is an advocate for the child, it is frustrating when cases like this happen.  The team of educators has to do as much as they can in the regular classroom when parents don’t follow through. 

 

The client is a 10 year, 4 month old female, referred for a re-evaluation by her mother and teacher to determine if she had a learning disability and if emotional factors were affecting her attention and behavior at school.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Sentence Completions, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report.  Client’s current level of functioning was in the average range.  Client’s academic achievement skills were in the average range.  Because of the variability in Client’s cognitive scores, her measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  The PRI score (108) was used in determining differences between measured ability and achievement.  The client’s ability to think and reason was significantly stronger than her ability to acquire knowledge, retain, and act on it.  A statistically significant difference was found between PRI and mathematics, written language, oral language, and total composite.  She displayed a personal strength in visual/concrete tasks and a weakness on verbal abstract tasks.  On the achievement measure, Client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 8 to 19 years.  Overall, Client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that the Client appears to be experiencing significant levels of anxiety and learning problems.  Client also displayed moderate levels of conduct problems, which manifested in lying, and attention problems.  Client’s attention problems may have been a major source of her academic difficulties. 

 

At the case conference committee, the student was found eligible for special education services for a Learning Disability, particularly in Math.  The student was extremely far behind her peers in Math and wasn’t grasping simple concepts.  It was determined that the student would go to the resource room for one period per day to work on basic math skills.  The parent was notified several times of several different conferences and did not show up to any of them.  To this day, the parent still has not given written permission for her student to participate in special education services.  Recommendations for different math skill interventions were given to the teacher. 

 

School Case Summary #10

When I received this referral, it was noted that the student moved to the state and district in the current year.  In his previous school in another state, the student received 504 services for low math scores.  This was the first time I had come in contact with a 504 plan.  The referral question was to evaluate whether the student needed accommodations provided by the 504 plan.  It was interesting to read over a 504 plan and get a glimpse of what it involved.   

 

The client was a 13 year, 7 month-old male referred for a re-evaluation by his mother to determine if he needed classroom accommodations and whether social/emotion issues were affecting his academics.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Diagnostic Interview, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Student Reports.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the borderline range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average, some of which exceeded his cognitive ability scores.  The client’s measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented his overall cognitive functioning.  Some of the client’s achievement scores support the fact that his IQ score may have been a low estimate of his true capability.  The client’s ability to verbally express himself was significantly stronger than his thinking and visual reasoning ability.  He displayed a personal strength on short term memory and verbal abstract tasks and a weakness on visual/concrete tasks.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 16 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client exhibited mild levels of hyperactivity and inattention.  The client’s new surroundings and getting adjusted may have been a source of his lower grades.

 

At the case conference, the student was not found eligible to receive special education services under Article 7.  The student had just moved to the district and the state, so getting adjusted at first, may have been a source of his lower grades.  At the time of evaluation, the student’s parents and teachers were not overly concerned with his grades.  Recommendations to help the student focus his attention and be less distracted in the classroom were made.  504 services were discontinued at the case conference. 

 

School Case Summary #11

This student was one of my most interesting and hard cases.  The student presented with severe depression and suicidal ideation.  During my evaluation, the student was admitted to an in-patient treatment unit at a local center to evaluate his condition and medication.  My evaluation was put on hold for awhile, until the student returned to school.  Much collaboration with the parent and teachers was required in order to get everyone on the same page regarding the status of the student’s health and academics.  It was a hard case for me to make recommendations due to the frequency of the medications being switched.  

 

The client is a 16-year, 7-month old male, referred for a re-evaluation by his mother and father to determine if social/emotional factors were affecting academics.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Diagnostic Interview, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent/Teacher/Self Reports.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the below average range and were below what was expected given his cognitive functioning.  There was a statistically significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics, written language, and oral language.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 14 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appears to be experiencing significant levels of depression which manifested in low self-esteem, somatic complaints, such as headaches, sleep problems and significantly affected attention and concentration.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that he is at-risk for withdrawal and conduct problems.  The client’s depression and anxiety appeared to be a major source of his academic difficulties. 

 

At the case conference, the student was found eligible for services for an Emotional Disability.  The student presented with severe depression and had been treated in an in-patient treatment facility during the course of the evaluation.  The psychiatrist had switched the student’s medications numerous times, affecting the way the client acted in both good and bad ways.  The conference agreed that without the presence of the student’s depression, his academics would not have suffered as much as they did.  The parent was very supportive of the whole process.  It was also determined at the conference that the student would attend an alternative school for half of the day due to his anxieties about sitting in a regular classroom and walking out in the hall.  A behavior plan was put in place at the conference as well, as part of the requirement of an ED determination.  

 

School Case Summary #12

This case was frustrating in the fact that parent was extremely hard to get ahold of.  The student admitted to me that she was victim of sexual abuse, and I immediately was required to get ahold of the parent to discuss this.  I called several times a day, for several weeks, and left numerous messages.  The parent would not return my phone calls and I could not get ahold of her at work.  I felt I was missing a piece of the puzzle that I needed…..the parent’s input.  After weeks of attempts, I finally got ahold of the parent and was able to discuss with her what had happened to her daughter.  The incident had already been reported and she was fully aware of it.  It was frustrating because I knew that to my job well, I had to get in touch with the parent, but my attempts were unsuccessful.  Once I was able to talk with the parent, I could do my job much more thoroughly. 

 

The client is a 7-year, 5-month old female, referred for an evaluation by her mother and teacher to determine if she had a learning disability and whether inattention was a factor in her learning.  The client was observed and administered the following: Kinetic Family Drawing, House-Tree-Person (HTP), Bender Gestalt II, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (KABC-II), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the below average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average range and fairly consistent with her overall ability level.  Due to the variability in the client’s ability scores, her measured fluid-crystallized IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  Her ability to process and understand language was significantly different.  The client displayed a personal strength in nonverbal reasoning and a weakness in putting information into long-term memory.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 3 to 7 years.  Overall, the client will have a harder time progressing academically comparable to most same-age peers.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appears to be experiencing significant levels of conduct problems which manifested in lying.  The client also displayed significant levels of learning problems and withdrawal.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that she was at-risk for hyperactivity, aggression, depression, attention problems, and atypicality.  The client’s moving from three different schools in the last 3 years, lack of structure at home, and the abuse she experienced several years ago may have been major sources of her conduct problems, learning problems, inattention, anxiousness, and depression.

 

At the case conference, the student was found eligible for special education services for Communication Disorder.  The speech pathologist found that the student’s receptive language was on the low end.  Because of the Communication Disorder, the student was able to receive help in the resource room for language/reading help.  Recommendations to the parent were made to set up behavior system, or token economy, at home to help with the lying and stealing the student was exhibiting.  Recommendations for counseling through an outside agency was recommended to help the student deal with the abuse experienced several years ago.     

 

School Case Summary #13

This student had just moved to the district this year and attended a “church school” previously.  The parent admitted that the student fell behind while attending the church school. 

 

The client was a 9 year, 9 month old female, referred for an evaluation by her mother to determine if she had a learning disability and if attention factors were affecting academics.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Reports.  The client’s current level of functioning was in the average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the average range and were what was expected given her cognitive ability.  The client displayed a personal strength in remembering detailed information.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 7 to 11 years.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appears to be experiencing significant levels of anxiety, attention and learning problems, and atypicality.  The client also displayed moderate levels of depression with mild levels of conduct problems.  The client’s anxiety may be due to the fact that she was in a school setting, which is completely new to her.  Her depression symptoms of lack of concentration and focusing may have been a result of her parents divorcing and her grandpa passing away. 

 

At the case conference, the student was not found eligible for special education services under Article 7.  Recommendations to help with attention problems and distractibility were made.  The student’s lower grades were a result of adjusting and being behind most of the other children her age.  It was nice to have the support of the parent throughout this evaluation. 

 

 

School Case Summary #14

This was my most interesting case.  The student was referred by Dr. Goswami because of suspected Asperger’s.  The student had been previously diagnosed with ADHD.  The case was interesting because within the course of the evaluation, the student’s medications were switched several times.  When the medication was switched, the student displayed different behaviors than when she was on the previous medication.  The student was hyperactive, displayed odd behaviors such as flapping, and didn’t initiate play with peers. 

 

The client is a 7-year, 8-month old female, referred for an evaluation by Dr. Goswami to determine her academic potential and achievement levels and their relationship to suspected Asperger Syndrome.  The client was observed on numerous occasions and administered the following:  Kinetic Family Drawing, House-Tree-Person (HTP), Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Report, Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS)-Parent Report, Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS)-Parent Report.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the average range.  Her ability in nonverbal tasks was significantly stronger than her ability in verbal tasks.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average range and not what was expected given her overall ability level.  Due to the variability in the client’s ability scores, her measured full scale IQ score may not have best represented her overall cognitive functioning.  The client displayed a personal strength in nonverbal reasoning and a weakness in verbally expressing herself.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 5 to 8 years.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appeared to be experiencing significant levels of hyperactivity, especially at home, and withdrawal and atypicality in all settings.  Reported behaviors of atypicality included sees and hears things that aren’t there, seems out of touch with reality, repeats one thought over and over, and has strange ideas.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that she was at-risk for anxiety, attention and learning problems.  The client’s fixations and obsessions with her hands and mouth may have been distracting her from keeping up in the classroom. 

 

To date, the case conference has not occurred. 

 

School Case Summary #15

This student has a strong dislike for reading.  He will tell anyone that.  His parents currently have him enrolled in Sylvan Learning Center four nights a week.  My goal in this case was to present to the parents other ways to get the student involved in reading.  The student has been retained once and my other goal is to help them see that he can succeed with the appropriate interventions. 

 

The client is a 7-year, 10-month old male, referred for an evaluation by his mother and father to determine if he had a learning disability, especially in the area of reading.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  Kinetic Family Drawing, House-Tree-Person (HTP), Bender Gestalt II, Curriculum-Based Assessment-Wordlist, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Sentence Completions, Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Reports.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the average range with a personal strength in processing simple visual information quickly.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average range and were below what was expected given his cognitive functioning.  There was a statistically significant discrepancy between measured ability and achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics, written language, oral language, and total composite.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 5 to 7 years.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appears to be experiencing significant levels of anxiety and learning problems at school.  The client’s frustrations with school may have been a source of his anxiousness. 

 

To date, the case conference has not occurred.  Recommendations were made to help the parents and teacher engage the student in reading more. 

 

School Case Summary #16

This student presented with minor difficulties in school.  The teacher expressed that she didn’t think it was necessary to refer the student.  She believes the student will have to work hard all her life, because school does not come easy to her.  My goal in this case was to help the parents and teacher make academics less of a frustration for the student.  I did this by providing them with tips to use at home, such as providing a routine for homework, and checklists at school to help the student become more organized. 

 

The client is an 8-year, 3-month old female, referred for an evaluation by her mother to determine if she had a learning disability.  The client was observed and administered the following:  Kinetic Family Drawing, House-Tree-Person (HTP), Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Reports.  The client’s level of current functioning was in the average range.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the low average to average range.  The client’s verbal/abstract abilities were stronger than her visual/concrete abilities.  She displayed a personal strength in memory and processing tasks and a personal weakness on visual/concrete tasks.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 6 to 8 years consistent with measured ability.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client is exhibiting mild levels of learning problems at school and attention problems at home. 

 

To date, the case conference has not occurred. 

 

School Case Summary #17

This student was intriguing to work with.  When I observed him the classroom, the teacher mentioned that he had qualities of a gifted student.  When I tested him, he acted very mature for his age and talked in a complex manner.  The student’s grades and IQ don’t prove any giftedness, but his thought process and complexity of his conversations, lead one to believe that he could be gifted.  This was the first student I had that wasn’t referred for academics.  His excessive anger has been a problem at home and sometimes at school.  He has just started seeing a counselor, who referred him for testing.  Through consulting with his teacher and parent, I learned that there is nothing specific that triggers his anger.  He has had several father figures in and out of his life in the past, but his mother didn’t notice anything in particular as to why he gets so angry.  My role in this case is to simply give the counselor details of my observation and evaluation. 

 

The client was an 8-year, 11-month old male, referred for an evaluation by his mother and counselor to determine if emotional or attention problems were affecting his learning.  The client was observed and then administered the following:  House-Tree-Person (HTP), Kinetic Family Drawing, Bender Gestalt II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)-Parent and Teacher Reports.  The client’s current level of intellectual functioning was in the average range.  His ability in visual concrete tasks was considerably stronger than his ability in verbal/abstract tasks.  The client’s academic achievement skills were in the average range and were fairly consistent with his cognitive functioning, sometimes exceeding what was expected.  On the achievement measure, the client demonstrated performances with age equivalents ranging from 6 to 12 years.  Personality assessment results indicated that the client appears to be experiencing significant levels of hyperactivity at home and school resulting in an inability to focus.  The client is exhibiting significant levels of conduct problems at school, which manifested in him threatening to hurt others and excessive anger.  Additionally, the client exhibited behaviors that he was at-risk for developing depression.  The client’s family genetics may have predisposed him to some of these behaviors.  Additionally, the recent restructuring of his family may have triggered built up anger. 

 

To date, the case conference has not occurred.  Gifted recommendations were made.  Attention recommendations were also made.  Additionally, it was suggested that the parent seek out a physician’s advice in determining whether the student has ADHD.