Case Scenario Introductions

Note: You may select one or more of the following case scenarios to complete. If this is an assignment for a class, you will submit your answers to your instructor.

Case Scenario One: Paul

Paul is a 10-year-old fifth grade student. This is his first year at Heritage Elementary. He started receiving early childhood special education services at the age of 3, with a verification of developmental delay. When he was re-evaluated in elementary school, his verification was updated to mild intellectual disability, with speech/language disorder as a secondary disability. His Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals focus on early reading skills, communication, following directions, and self-control.

Paul’s parents divorced last year. He now lives with his mother, grandmother, and two older brothers and sees his father on Saturdays. Paul enjoys listening to music, drawing, swinging, and taking walks with his mother. He loves spending time with his grandmother and gets along well with his brothers.

Paul reports that he does not like going to school. He feels that other kids in the class are mean, the work given is too hard, and the teacher’s directions don’t make sense.

Paul’s Mother

Paul’s mother is a nurse and typically works 12-hour shifts four days per week. She does her best to support the kids with their homework because she really values education, but her work schedule prevents her from attending most school activities. Paul’s grandmother cares for Paul and his brothers while she is at work. They also have support within their church community. At home, Paul follows simple routines and directions well.

Paul’s mother is concerned that Paul is feeling sad and says he doesn’t like school. In addition, she is worried that he will not make progress with his goals because his past progress reports from his last school indicated he was not making progress or making some progress, but never achieving the goals set. When she brought up her concerns about limited progress with his past IEP team, she felt that they did not really care or listen, and she felt pressured to sign forms even when she disagreed with the documents. Overall, she is hesitant about how well the school can support his needs. After the divorce, she decided to move in with her mother so Paul could attend a new school. Paul’s mother requested an IEP meeting to talk about her concerns. She would like to find better ways to communicate with the teacher, have increased structure for Paul in the classroom, see Paul make friends, and learn more information about what academic skills they are working on.

Paul’s Teacher

Paul’s special education teacher has been at Heritage Elementary for three years. She received her master’s degree in special education. She enjoys going on walks with her two dogs and playing board games with her friends.

She has developed positive relationships with students in the school and past students often stop in to say hi. Connecting with Paul has been challenging. She prides herself on responding quickly to parent emails. In her classroom, she provides students with options and has found that this helps increase student interest and motivation. She is implementing a new reading curriculum, which is exciting but also an increase in workload. She regularly collaborates with Paul’s speech-language pathologist and integrates her suggestions into the classroom.

During reading instruction, Paul sometimes refuses to respond or complete work, but she believes he can do the work. She has noticed that Paul gets overwhelmed easily and sometimes becomes destructive in the classroom. Other kids in the classroom tend to stay away from Paul because they are worried he’ll hurt them if he gets upset. She has tried calling Paul’s mother to talk about the concerns, but his mother never answers her calls. She also requested support from her administrator to address the behavior concerns.

Case Scenario Two: Kamaria

Kamaria is a 15-year-old 9th-grade student. She has attended Summit High School for the past two years and will continue in the transition program through age 21. She was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and a mild intellectual disability at the age of six. Her Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals focus on communication, social skills, and job skills.

Kamaria lives with her mother, father, and four younger siblings. She enjoys gardening, watching shows with her mother, and playing with her cat. She would like to work at a veterinary clinic or hospital after she is done with school. She has a best friend who is in the same classroom. They like talking about animals, hanging out, and dancing.

Kamaria gets overwhelmed with changes in routines at school. For example, if activities are switched or the bus comes late, she looks tense and says what should be happening repetitively. She is easily frustrated when people do not understand what she is trying to say. When she is frustrated, she shuts down and refuses to talk or move from her favorite spot in the classroom.

Kamaria’s Father

Kamaria’s father and mother moved to the U.S. from Mexico just before Kamaria was born. They primarily speak Spanish in the home. Her father can communicate in English in most situations, but her mother’s English is limited mostly to greetings.

Her father works as a mechanic and her mother is a stay-at-home parent, caring for Kamaria and her four siblings. She is also involved in volunteering at the Catholic church down the street from the school. They have a large extended family that is very protective of Kamaria.

Kamaria’s father has a good relationship with her. He often worries about her being out in the world and wants to make sure she is protected.

He is unsure about Kamaria’s teacher at the high school. He feels the teacher is sometimes too hard on Kamaria (pushing her to do new things that are outside of her comfort zone). Kamaria’s father wants to make sure that she is doing okay at school and too much pressure is not being put on her. After she is done with school, the family plans to have Kamaria continue to live with them, helping around the house with things she can.

Kamaria’s Teacher

Kamaria’s teacher has been teaching students with disabilities at the high school level for 15 years. He is married and has two children, ages 12 and 10. He enjoys coaching his kids’ soccer teams and bike riding. He speaks some Spanish, but it not fluent in the language.

Overall, he has a positive relationship with Kamaria. He feels he is tuned in well to her emotions and can recognize if she is getting overwhelmed. However, if he is not able to prepare her for the changes in routine or help her calm down right away when she is frustrated, it has been very challenging to get her to respond and come to do the task being presented. He values Kamaria’s input and is working to find work site options that match her interests in animals and helping others. His classroom regularly has student teachers because he is a strong teacher.

Kamaria’s teacher has had limited connections with the family. Kamaria takes the bus, so he rarely sees the family in person, and when he tries to call the family with the school interpreter, no one answers. He thinks that the family has low expectations for Kamaria and she is not performing to her potential. He would like to find ways to help Kamaria calm down when she is overwhelmed or frustrated so that she is better prepared for a job training site. He would also like to get Kamaria connected with a job coach.

Case Scenario Three: Ava

Ava is a 6-year-old who just started kindergarten. She was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis cerebral palsy (CP) when she was 6 months old. She experiences seizures on a frequent basis and uses a wheelchair and augmented and alternative communication (AAC) device. She has been receiving early intervention services through the school for the past five years and sees specialists (e.g., developmental pediatrician, neurologist, physical therapist, speech therapist) on a regular basis outside of school. Her Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals focus on communication, completion of daily routines with support, and large motor skills.

Ava lives with her mother. Her aunt and respite provider also help with her care. Ava enjoys playing basketball, painting, getting her nails done, and being around people.

Ava prefers to do things on her own. She sometimes kicks and pushes people away when they are trying to help her with daily routines and tasks. She follows instructions better for the school nurse and one paraeducator, but they are not always available to help.

Ava’s Mother

Ava’s mother works for a local nonprofit agency. She has been very involved in Ava’s treatment and advocacy. She has attended several trainings about cerebral palsy (CP) and special education. She is a community volunteer board member for the state-level CP organization.

She has a good relationship with Ava. She wants Ava to be as independent as she can. She has been happy with the progress Ava made in early intervention and felt the team understood their family’s needs. To support the transition to kindergarten, the early intervention team and elementary school individualized education program (IEP) team met before school started to update the IEP and share suggestions. However, the transition has been challenging.

Ava’s mother is concerned about her daily care at school because Ava has been kicking and screaming when it is time to go to school, which is not like her. Ava’s mother would like Ava to enjoy school and continue making progress with communication, motor skills, and daily routines. She would also like to have better communication with the school team about Ava’s day.

Ava’s Teacher

Ava’s teacher started her career in teaching seven years ago as a general education fifth-grade teacher. She returned to school to get her master’s in special education. She has been in her current role as the special education resource teacher for grades kindergarten through third for the past three years. Outside of the classroom, she likes traveling and spending time with her boyfriend and family. She has a younger sister who has Down syndrome and lives in supported housing. They enjoy going to movies together almost weekly.

Ava is the first student she has had in her classroom with cerebral palsy (CP), and the first student to use an augmented and alternative communication (AAC) device. She has been trying to learn more about CP so that she can best meet her needs. Ava’s teacher feels she has an okay relationship with Ava but has struggled to figure out how to help her when she gets aggressive. Paraeducators are becoming afraid to work with her because Ava left a bruise on one of them after kicking her in the shin and the other is pregnant.

Ava’s teacher was glad to meet Ava’s mother at the initial individualized education program (IEP) meeting. She thinks she could learn a lot from her about Ava’s needs. Yet, she also feels a little intimidated by Ava’s mother because she has such in-depth knowledge about CP and a high level of advocacy skills. She is worried she will make a mistake or seem unprepared. She has tried sending updates via email but has not heard back from Ava’s mother.