Case Study

Demographics
Full Name: Megan Marie Morris
Grade Level: 5
DOB: May 26, 2008
Background Information:
Family: Megan lives at home with both of her parents and a younger brother who is 8
years old. The family has always lived in Canada and both parents are professors at a
local university. The family is of above average income and travels extensively during
the summers. Megan’s general knowledge has been enhanced by these travel experiences.
Megan was exposed to a rich literacy environment with lots of books in the home and
parents who read to her on a regular basis. Parents report that Megan’s relationship with
her younger male sibling is positive, however she struggles with self-regulation and
impulse control.

Academic: Megan attended kindergarten and was generally able to function within the
classroom. She displayed signs of having attentional issues and experienced some
problems with peers. Megan has previously required additional supports in the classroom
and displayed challenges with self-regulation. In spite of access to various supports for
the past 4 years Megan has continued to fall behind in Mathematics and literacy, as well
as displaying maladaptive behaviours in the classroom due to various frustrations due to
struggles with self-regulation.

ISP Basic Data:

Student Strengths:
- Communicates well with adults and has a strong vocabulary.
- Personable and strives to please others.
- Energetic and enthusiastic when properly engaged.
- Strong artist and enjoys music.

Student Interests:
- Music
- Art – Drawing, Painting, Coloring
- Animals – Dogs, Tigers, Hippos
- Technology – iPad (Apps, Games)
- Travelling

Learning Preferences:
- Benefits from combined visual and auditory instruction.
- Works best individually but can find success when working near positive role models.
- Prefers quieter areas in the classroom.
- Needs organized workspace.
- Work broken down into manageable chunks.

Current Levels of Performance:

 Megan struggles with writing, reading, and mathematics. She often displays maladaptive
behaviours in the classroom when reaching a level of frustration in her class assignments.
Megan is working at a Grade 4 level in mathematics and her reading comprehension is at
a Grade 3 level. Megan tends to struggle with transitions and perseverates on the
organization of materials. She is easily distracted and often requires redirection to return
to the task presented. Megan requires close supervision to complete assignments. She
struggles with peer interaction and interpersonal relationships with classmates, often
getting frustrated when she is denied requests and doesn’t get her way. Megan often
verbalizes frustration using inappropriate language. She can act impulsively and can
occasionally respond physically toward others. She expresses frustration about
schoolwork by whining or crying in response to personal/school experiences. In class
Megan has displayed repetitive patterns of behaviour, excessive rigidity and a reliance on
routine. When Megan experiences change, she often becomes agitated and partakes in
self-injurious behavior by picking the skin on her hands. Megan also struggles with fine
and gross motor skills. She struggles with writing on lined paper and displays bursts of
anger when writing as it is not legible. Megan has a tendency to struggle with physical
tasks requiring movement and coordination in gym class which leads to frustration and
problems with her peers.

RTI, UDL and Instructional Strategies & Supports:

Instructional Strategies/Supports/Interventions:
Math:
o Break down complex questions to promote scaffolding.
o Model and support how to explain mathematical thinking.
o Provide teacher talk time.
o Provide a quiet space for working on math.
o Provide headphones to reduce noise level and stimulation.

Successes:
o Megan has responded well to breaking down tasks into smaller chunks. She has
found more success when given short written out instructions or checklists with
just a few items. She finds it helpful to have a space to work beside the teacher for
additional support. Megan concentrates better in a quieter environment.
Headphones have been effective in reducing distraction and background noise.

Literacy:
o Model how to use appropriate supports such as graphic organizers etc.
o Provide positive encouragement when independence is demonstrated.
o Provide small group reading instruction.
o Writing conference time with teacher.
o Provide computer assistive technology software to assist written expression.
o Provide opportunities for peer feedback.
o Modify writing assignments for length and provide choice of in topics.
o Allow choice of modes of expression for completing assignments.
 Successes:
o Megan demonstrates a high level of engagement when given the opportunity to
choose how to express her learning. She finds success in small group instruction
and displays more confidence during these designated work times. Megan is able
to express herself better when using the assistive technology such as speech to
text or word prediction software. Modification of writing assignments has been
found to be effective. Megan is responding to positive peer feedback with
responsible partners.

Self-Regulation:
o Model and support appropriate verbalization of feelings and how to ask for help.
o Provide body breaks and opportunities to emotionally regulate.
o Allow use of sensory resources such as fidget objects and or other tactile tools.
o Provide quiet space in the classroom where Megan can go when frustrated.
o Provide noise cancelling headphones to limit distraction and background noise.

Successes:
o Megan is beginning to use more appropriate language when frustrated and
learning how to ask for help appropriately. Megan is benefiting from body breaks
and is able to use different strategies to emotionally regulate. She has been
utilizing the sensory resources which have been provided. She tends to use a
squeeze ball to help release tension. Megan has been voluntarily using a quiet
space apart from her desk and her noise cancelling headphones.