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Learning Disabilities Summary of Student

SERP 405
Dr. Maria Nahmias
University of Arizona
By: Cathryn Weiss and Tory Stout
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I. Student Description

Ashley is a seventh grade student who is twelve years old (thirteen on Sunday) currently

attending Roskruge Bilingual K-8 in Tucson, Arizona. Ashley has qualified for special education

services with a specific learning disability in reading, writing, and math. As a preschooler in

2009, she was classified as having a moderate delay. Then, in May of that same year, Ashley was

classified as having a speech delay, specifically in pragmatic language skills. Finally, in May of

2011, Ashley was classified as having a Specific Learning Disorder. In May 2013 Ashley was

dismissed from Speech Therapy. As a seventh grader, this is her seventh year receiving special

education services, and she is fully included within the general education classroom for all

subjects.

Strengths: Challenges:

● Very sociable and interacts well with ● LD in reading, writing, math.

peers.
● Student is a native spanish speaker.
● Performs well in oral and written
english language.
● Is fully included within the general
education classroom.
● Issues with maturity are currently
being looked at, no diagnosis as to if
that is caused by a disability.
● Reading level is currently at 4.5 grade
level.
● Reading decoding skills are
struggling, especially with
multi-syllable words.
● In terms of her English reading skill,
she is still considered ELL.
● Struggles with math word problems,
due to lack of reading comprehension.
● Handwriting is weak. (Sloppy, doesn’t
put pressure when writing)

Goals and Accommodations

Accommodations:
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Calculator is able to be used on tests.

Extended time for tests is allowed.

Directions are orally read to the student.

Does NOT receive reduced assignment sizes because the parent wants her to be challenged and

have to do the same work as her classmates.

Goals:

Be able to write a paragraph with an introduction sentence, 2 body sentences, and a concluding

sentence.

Solve math word problems with 80% accuracy out of 4 given opportunities.

II. Reading

Ashley was given an informal reading assessment on December 1, 2016. This assessment

addressed her ability to identify sight words, as well as read and answer comprehension

questions on passages that she read aloud and read silently.

A. Word Identification: Sight Words and Word Decoding

Knowing already that her reading level is at the fourth grade level, Ashley was given the

sight words from Level 1 to Level 4. Throughout these levels, she reached a frustrational peak at

the fourth level, receiving a score of 13/20 or 65%. Ashley would attempt to decode words, but

her difficulty with phonological awareness affected her ability to decode the words correctly.

B. Comprehension

When Ashley was asked to answer comprehension questions based on a third level

passage she read aloud, she was able to answer 7/10 comprehension questions correctly. When

Ashley was asked to read silently on a passage in the third level, she got 5.5/10 comprehension
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questions correct. On a fourth level passage when reading aloud, Ashley answered 5.5/10

comprehension questions correctly. It is important to note that these scores were achieved by

allowing Ashley to look back at the text to receive her answers.

Ashley’s struggles with comprehension are due mostly because of her lack of ability to

focus on tasks at hand. Also, the impaired fluency during her reading also impacts her ability to

comprehend.

C. Fluency

When Ashley read the passage out loud, she was fluent in her reading for the most part.

However, when she got caught up on a word, it would hinder her fluency and cause her to read in

3-4 word phrases. Ashley’s expression was monotone, but she did change her intonation slightly

to match the punctuation in the passages.

III. Writing, Written Language

Ashley written language is difficulty read and not very advanced. In 2011 on her

Woodcock Johnson IV she scored at a grade equivalent of K.0 while being in 3rd grade.

A. Spelling, Words Used and Vocabulary

When she asked to write she uses easier or sight words to fill the page about the topic.

For example, before Thanksgiving she was asked to write about what she was thankful for and

she only used words she knew how to spell. Those would be words such as “thankful,”

“because,” “alive,” “baby,” “things.” These words are the words she has chosen to use in her

passage as a seventh grader. Her vocabulary is clearly not at grade level and she doesn't like

leaving her comfort zone. When she does you can tell that she is not trying to learn new words or

the spelling of these words, even when they are right in front of her.
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B. Handwriting

Ashley struggles with her handwriting when she is not writing on graph paper or lined

paper, even then, she struggles to stay within the lines. Ashley’s spacing between letters is not

consistent and this can make it difficult to read words she has written, even if they are spelt

correctly. The sizing of the letters is inconsistent within sentences and within words, for example

in the thanksgiving paper, she wrote “thanksgiving” really small, and then wrote “thankful” on

the next line large. Capitals and lowercase letter rules are not consistently followed in her words

and sentences. All of her letters are formed correctly, except for the letter “y”, which can tend to

look like the letter “s” or the letter “g”. There are no transpositions.

IV. Mathematics

Ashley is hesitant at doing her math. She constantly makes up reasons to why she should

delay her math work. Although overall from her samples of work, she is pretty good with her

numbers.

A. Numbers

Ashley continuously shows that she knows her place values of tens and ones and even her

decimal place values. In her work she lines up the numbers correctly when solving problems.

B. Calculations

When Ashley is focused on her math she is good at calculation although she does finger

count and use a calculator occasionally. On her Woodcock Johnson IV from 2011, which is

when she was in 3rd grade, she received a grade level equivalency of K.3 on the Math

calculations subtest. This shows how she struggles with calculations and math fluency. Although
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this test is 5 years old it still shows how delayed she was and still is, and that shows in her class

work.

C. Mathematical Reasoning

When doing math word problems Ashley understands when the problem is asking her to

do addition or subtraction but not if it is asking her to divide or multiply. This is because a lack

of math word knowledge. When it comes to cue words about division or multiplication she

assumes it is addition or subtraction. Also that could be her avoiding to have to solve those types

of problems.

D. Problem Solving Strategies

Ashley lacks in the area of problem solving the only skill she uses to try solve problems

is finger counting. Most of time she is just asking if she can be done then writes random numbers

to finish the work sheet.

V. Cognitive Processes

A. Memory

Ashley was given the Woodcock Johnson test in 2011, when she was in third grade.

According to this test, she received a standard score of 79 in long-term retrieval, and a score of

69 in short-term memory. Her long-term retrieval is low, and her short term retrieval abilities are

very low.

B. Problem Solving

Ashley possesses problem solving skills. However, sometimes her decisions can be poor

as she is immature in her general thinking and behavior.

VI. Behavior, Attention, Motivation

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Ashley struggles to maintain appropriate classroom behavior at most times during

the school day. She uses any excuse to get out of the classroom, for example, asking to go to the

restroom, or to get a drink of water. Ashley also finds it difficult to stay focused and motivated

on subjects she does not feel confident in. She will start to get frustrated with herself and become

upset. When Ashley feels a subject may be too difficult, she will continuously ask the teacher,

“Miss, do I have to do this?” When she asks these questions, it is evident that she has already

given up.

Ashley does not behave in a negative way, but she does behave in a way that distracts

herself and her students from a learning environment. This distracting behavior makes it difficult

for her to get back on task. Ashley is currently being assessed to discover if there is a attention

deficit disorder affecting her ability to stay focused. However, this has yet to be officially

diagnosed.

VII. Summary of Student and Recommendations and Accommodations

Ashley is a student who greatly benefits from modifications and accommodations in all

subjects of her learning. During her last IEP meeting, on December 6, 2016, there was not much

new to report. However, the IEP team has decided to test academic, cognitive and behavioral

skills during this school year to get an updated idea on her strengths and difficulties. Ashley puts

forth effort in her school work, but also gets easily distracted and frustrated. With correct goals,

modifications, and accommodations, Ashley will be able to complete her education.

VIII. References

Cortiella, C., & Horowitz, S.H. (2014). The State of Learning Disabilities: Facts, Trends

and Emerging Issues (3rd ed.). New York: National Center for Learning Disabilities