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Dr. A, School Psychologist Debra Bassett, School Psychology Ed.S. CandidateDevelopmental/Social/ Family Questionnaire Review of Files and Previous Testing 1/1/12Observations and Student InterviewTeacher and Parent BASC-2

Developmental/Social/ Family Questionnaire

John is a 9-year-old boy in the third grade at ABC Elementary. He is undergoing a triennial review and has been receiving services for a Specific Learning Disability. John’s biological parents, Jane and Bill, divorced in 2004 and have both remarried. They share joint custody of John. John has a biological sister (age 6) and brother (age 19), as well as a step-sister (age 14) and step-brother (age 16). Jane completed the Developmental/Social/ Family Questionnaire. She indicated that John was healthy at birth, with no concerning medical issues during childhood. In the past, he experienced speech or language problems and presently experiences learning problems. Jane indicated that ever since kindergarten, she’s been concerned about John’s spelling and reading skills. An evaluation by Children’s Hospital resulted in a diagnosis of Developmental Dyslexia. John’s strongest areas in school include math and social skills, with his weakest areas in writing and reading. According to Jane, John has had good school experiences and is eager to learn. John repeated the first grade but has since received reading and math support, as well as occupational therapy. At home, John receives additional parental support with reading and writing skills. John’s family history does not include reading or learning difficulties.

In terms of social/emotional behaviors, Jane describes John as outgoing, social, and affectionate. He gets along well with family members and develops friendships easily. His self-esteem has improved quite a bit over the past year. A current stressor in John’s life includes the absence of time with his father, since Bill’s employment takes him outside of Colorado. In John’s free time, he enjoys video games, Legos, and riding bikes. He completes responsibilities at home, which include cleaning his room, washing dishes, and putting away laundry. Discipline at home includes a counting system, with noncompliance leading to a loss of allowance and additional chores. Jane is not concerned about any behavioral problems at this time.

Review of Attendance/School RecordsFor the current school year, John has demonstrated good attendance. On three

occasions, he has missed periods of the school day for medical appointments. However, his teachers indicate that he is diligent in gathering and completing missed assignments. John’s records do not indicate any discipline problems or unexcused absences. John will participate in TCAPS testing this year.

Observations/ Interview with StudentOn January 2, 2012, a thirty-minute observation of John was conducted in his

classroom during lecture, individual seat work, and group circle time. Although John

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often fidgeted in his chair, he remained quiet and did not disrupt other students. He did not look up or make eye contact with the teacher as she lectured. It was apparent, however, that he listened to the lecture since he was able to quickly follow instructions and often raised his hand to accurately answer questions. Items on his desk were distracting to him at times, but he was able to redirect his attention on his own or when prompted by the teacher. When encouraged to share answers one-on-one with classmates, John continued to work on his task by himself and did not leave his seat to talk with his classmate. Ms. Brown commented that since winter break, she has seen huge improvements in John’s behavior, stating that he has been more focused. She commented that John is a peacemaker in class and often helps the other children.

An interview was conducted with John regarding his feelings about school and his schoolwork. He said that he enjoys coming to school and spending time with his friends. John enjoys learning lab and his special education teacher, as well as the students in learning lab. John indicated that he feels frustrated with spelling assignments, although he acknowledged that he’s improved a lot over the last year (i.e. provided examples of recent spelling tests and teacher comments). He said that he likes video and computer games and wishes he could learn spelling “that way.” The interviewer inquired as to whether John has educational computer games and he replied “no.” During the interview, John was well-spoken and appeared comfortable.

CognitivePrevious Evaluation: WISC-IV

John was administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) to assess his overall cognitive abilities in February 2009 at ABC Elementary. It is determined that these WISC-IV scores are still a valid representation of John’s cognitive abilities, and therefore this assessment was not repeated in 2012. The WISC-IV is a cognitive assessment for children aged 6 through 16 years and is comprised of 10 core subtests. The standardization of the WISC-IV generates a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 on the Full Scale Intelligence Quota and all four indexes scores. About 68% of those who are assessed will score between 85 and 115 on each index. The following is a summary of John’s performance:

Composite Score CI-95% DescriptionFull Scale IQ 91 86-96 AverageVerbal Comprehension (VCI) 91 85-98 AveragePerceptual Reasoning (PRI) 108 100-115 AverageWorking Memory (WMI) 86 79-95 Low AverageProcessing Speed (PSI) 85 78-96 Low Average

The Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) is derived from a combination of ten subtests scores and is considered the most representative estimate of global intellectual functioning. As measured by the FSIQ, John’s general cognitive ability was within the Average range of intellectual functioning. John’s verbal reasoning skills and concept formation, as measured by the VCI, fell in the Average range. His strongest abilities in this area were

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seen in comprehension tasks requiring him to assess social situations and exhibit social judgments and knowledge of typical standards of social behavior. Weaker areas included vocabulary knowledge and identifying how words and concepts are conceptually alike. John’s abilities in Perceptual Reasoning (PRI) were more developed that his verbal reasoning skills. His scores demonstrate a personal strength in performing tasks that involve abstract categorical reasoning when verbal expression is not required. For example, he can look at three rows of pictures and select a picture from each row to form a group with common characteristics. The scores suggest he does well problem solving using nonverbal concepts and has strong visual-motor coordination, visual perception, and organization skills.

John’s Working Memory (WMI) performance fell in the Low Average range. This suggests that his ability to sustain attention, concentrate, and exert mental control are a weakness relative to his overall nonverbal reasoning abilities. Processing complex information may require more time and energy for John compared to other children his age. This may result in more frequent errors in a variety of learning situations. John’s performance on the Processing Speed (PSI) tasks also fell in the Low Average range, suggesting that he has occasional difficulties processing simple or routine visual material quickly without making errors. Tasks involving visual scanning and tracking may also drain John of mental energy, leaving him less time and energy for other complex tasks.

Social/ EmotionalPrevious and Current Evaluations: BASC-2 Classroom Observations

Assessment in February 2009 at ABC Elementary also included Parent and Teacher versions of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (Second Edition) (BASC-2). The BASC-2 is a set of rating scales that measure the behaviors of individuals between the ages of 2 and 25. The BASC-2 evaluates both the positive and negative aspects of a student's behavior both at school and at home. Specifically, the scales on the BASC-2 measure a student's disruptive behaviors, emotional issues, school problems, personal adjustment, and positive behaviors. In addition to these scales, the BASC-2 notes critical items. When endorsed, these items indicate an area of concern with a need for further investigation.

In February 2009, the Teacher BASC-2 was completed by Ms. Apple. Ms. Apple observed Clinically Significant problems warranting intervention. These included Attention Problems, Learning Problems, and Withdrawal. Ms. Apple also observed three behaviors scoring in the At-Risk range, specifically Hyperactivity, Aggression, and Depression. Scores in the At-Risk range may identify a significant problem that may not be severe enough to require formal treatment but has the potential to develop into a problem and needs to be carefully monitored. John’s mother, Jane, also completed a BASC-2 and rated the Anxiety, Attention Problems, and Depression scales in the At-Risk range. Both BASC-2 assessments demonstrate that John exhibited some similar

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behaviors of concern in the both the home and school environments, specifically in the areas of Attention Problems and Depression.

In January, 2012, John’s current social/emotional functioning was assessed through a teacher BASC-2, completed by Ms. Brown, and a parent BASC-2, completed by Jane. All emotional and behavioral scales fell in the normal range for the Teacher and Parent BASC-2 assessments. This indicates that within the school and home environment, John does not behave in ways suggestive of a high level of maladjustment or in a range that needs to be monitored. According to current assessments, multiple areas of his behavior have improved across environments.

Recommendations

Given the information gathered, the following items are recommended:

To aid his low working memory and processing skills, John may benefit from tools such as story maps and strategies in note-taking. By writing down certain information, he will not need to expend the mental energy required to hold the data in his working memory. This should free up energy for other tasks and reduce frustration.

John’s parents will be provided with different resources aimed at improving reading, vocabulary, and spelling skills. These resources include free computer programs and workbooks for home.

John’s involvement with the special education classes shall continue according to the recommendations of the Special Education Teacher included with this IEP.