Matelyn Yarbrough

SED 342
Assignment 5
27 April 2020
Adjusted Family Project

Questions:

 What lead you to the decision of specially designed courses for William and how do they

affect your view of William’s education?

 How does William react to the mainstreamed courses while at home?

 Is William’s paraprofessional a person you as a family respect for your son? Why?

 How is your communication between William’s paraprofessional and yourselves? Do you

like it the way that it is?

 How is William’s relationship with his sister? Does school come home with them?

 How has William’s relationship with his sister changed overtime?

 Is William’s sister looking forward to leaving for college in the fall?

 I heard you were originally from a different state, was that state Texas?

 Was William diagnosed with Autism when you moved? If so, how did it affect the

situation?

 Are video games encouraged at home?

 How do you make sure William is exposed to the things he likes, video games, but also

make sure he is attaining his academic goals?

 Do you find video game testing as a prime job opportunity for William?

 Does William rush through tasks at home as well?

 How do you as a family diffuse William’s frustration? Does his behavior affect the

relationship between him and you?

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 Have you ever needed/been denied/need support or services for William’s behaviors or

diagnoses?

 Does William interact with his sister’s friends when they are over? Does he seem

comfortable around them?

 Does William have cousins or extended family members around his age? How does he

interact with them?

 How does William show care and appreciation through communication at home?

 Does William prefer extra praise and affection when at home as well? Is he always with

one of you?

 Is the NBA something that William watches with you as a family or is it an independent

interest?

 Does William weightlift at home? How does he react to having a spotter?

 How does William respond best to you at home? Does oral information have to be

repeated?

 Does William help with cooking or building at home? Activities that require math

without thinking about it?

 As a family do you find yourselves talking over each other, not in a bad way but in a

passionate manner to engage in the conversation?

 When William has down time at home what does he do?

 Does William discuss his emotions towards Core-More at home? Does his mimic

behaviors of his peers in Core-More at home?

 Does William get work done better at home when his sister or you are with him?
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 Do you view William’s education and attendance with importance? Why or why not?

 How do you view the communication between you and William’s teacher? Is it

preferred?

 What is the history of William and his Autism? When did you first see it? How has it

affected him before high school?

 What is your dream for William?

 What is your nightmare?

 What are William’s needs at home? How do you meet them?

 What would an ideal school day look like for William?

3 Questions for the Family at the IEP Meeting?

1. What is your dream job for William? He has expressed interest in being a video game

tester and working in a store to make money for video games. As he begins his transition

plan, we would like to set William up with community-based jobs around video games. Is

this something that would work for you as a family? Any suggestions of video game

related work environments that William may enjoy? Possibly working as a stocker at the

local video game store?

2. During Core-More, we are concerned that William will be triggered by his peers’

behaviors, especially since he is under so much stress from math, but we do not like him

sitting alone with his paraprofessional. Would you prefer that William is with his peers,

preferably the diligent students who thrive in Core-More, or stays with his

paraprofessional at an independent table? Why?

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3. William is becoming overly dependent on his paraprofessional while at school. What

strategies do you use at home to encourage William’s independence? We would like to

mimic them at school so that William has a greater chance of responding positively.

3 Academic Goals:

1. William will be able to complete three full math assignments weekly for four weeks in

4/6 consecutive trials.

2. William will be able to find the main idea of six varying passages in 6/8 trials presented

once a week for eight weeks.

3. William will be able to complete 3/3 math story problems using basic and intermediate

arithmetic presented weekly for three weeks.

3 Functional Goals:

1. William will be able to engage appropriately with his peers when addressed 3/3 times

daily for one week.

2. William will be able to complete ¼ of his Core-More math class without his

paraprofessional in ¾ consecutive trials presented once a week.

3. William will be able to self-regulate his emotions using his self-rating chart 6/6

consecutive times presented as needed.

Partnering with William’s School Personnel:

In attempts to partner with other school personnel who work specifically with William, I

will start by providing an accommodation sheet. Accommodation sheets help provide general

education teachers a look into William’s IEP without the extra and unneeded information. On the
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accommodation sheet I will provide William’s specific accommodations and services, his daily

schedule, his interests, his medications, basic demographic information, and his standardized

testing accommodations. Once I provide each of the school personnel that work with William an

accommodation sheet, I will attempt to meet with each recipient to go over the accommodation

sheet, answer any questions, and provide suggestions for implementing the accommodations into

the classroom.

The second step to providing a partnership with William’s other school personnel, I

would always make myself available to support the general education teachers in providing

William the best support. I will answer questions when they are asked and provide suggestions to

try in the classroom. With that being said, I will make my colleagues aware that I am an advocate

for William and want the best for him. Hopefully my desire to provide for William will eliminate

any unwillingness to meet William’s needs and encourage my colleagues to ask for questions

and suggestions to better services to William.

Some suggestions that I would offer to each general education teacher working with

William are as follows. For math, I would encourage the teacher to include William in a table

group, at least for half of the class. I would also encourage the math teacher to create word

problems that specifically cater to William. These word problems could be about video games or

William himself. During reading, I would encourage the reading teacher to ask comprehension

questions throughout William’s reading. Practicing frequent comprehension and recall will

develop his paraphrasing and comprehension skills. Since William is strong in writing, my

suggestion for William’s writing instructor would be to keep him writing. Allow William at least

15 minutes of class to free write in his writer’s notebook. Finally, in PE, require William to do

ten minutes of cardio before he can weightlift. This will allow to William to get the cardio he
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does not enjoy out of the way before he can the weightlifting he does enjoy. In regards to

William’s behavior, I would ensure and encourage that all who work with him are implementing

his self-rating behavior chart that I will design.

Overview of Family:

Past:

There is not much information regarding the past of William’s family. William’s family

moved from a different state to their new home when William was younger. William’s father

works and his mother is a stay-at-home mom. Although William’s mother is the one to primarily

with the school, both parents have come to previous IEP meetings and parent-teacher

conferences. William and his older sister are close and get along well. They are known to attend

youth group together and spend purposeful time with each other at home. Throughout William’s

school years he has always had a paraprofessional, although they were different for elementary

school, middle school, and high school. William’s social skills have been limited throughout his

previous school years.

Present:

William’s parents both maintain the same role in his life; his father works, and his mother

is a stay-at-home mom. His sister also maintains the same position, but will shortly be embarking

on a new journey, going to college. William’s family is concerned about how William will

handle the new transition, although he does not talk much about it. William and his sister still

spend purposeful time with each other. William still has a paraprofessional in high school. He is

starting to develop better social skills and is regulating his behavior more. As of right now,

William would like to work as a bagger at a store during the summer to earn money for video

games. His goal is to become a video game tester, there was no comment from the family.
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Future:

William’s family did not discuss their plans for themselves or for William in the future.

William’s sister will be in college at Texas University. William may be struggling with the

transition of no longer having his sister in the home with him. This change may reflect his

academic and social-emotional successes at school. William will be beginning his transition

program with the help of his parents and his school personnel. For his transition program,

William will be working as a stocker in the local video game store. William will be able to test

new games as they come into the store and decide if video game testing is really his desired

career path.

MAPS:

What is William’s history?

William is the second of two children. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

while he was in elementary school. William has always struggled with social-emotional

interactions and appropriate behaviors. Through his social-emotional difficulties and life in

general, his sister has always been by his side. The two of them get along very well and look to

each other for support. William has also been known to seek support from his paraprofessional at

school. William has had a paraprofessional since he was diagnosed with Autism although, they

have been different for each new building he has been in. He has not attached to any of his

paraprofessionals like the one he currently has. With the new paraprofessional, William has

made increasing strides with his social-emotional and behavior skills since he has been with her.

Although, when he is not constantly with his paraprofessional his successes begin to recede.

William’s interest in video games has developed since a young age. His father and him used to

play basketball video games together, which in turn created William’s knowledge and
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fascination with basketball teams, courts, and mascots. William has always been a bigger child

with little physical interest and endurance. He has recently found enjoyment in weightlifting and

has taken off in the gym.

Family Characteristics Family Interactions Family Functions Family Life Cycle

What is your dream for William?

My dream is to become a video game tester. I do not like to talk about what I want to be

often. Starting this summer, I want to try and get a job to help me pay for new video games. (If I

were William, I would think…) I want to move in with my sister once she graduates college. I

want to be as independent as possible.

(If I were William’s sister, I would think…) My dream for my brother is for him to be

successful in whatever he chooses. We have always been close, and we frequently play video

games together as a way to bond. It would be amazing to see him take what he is good at and

interested in and start a career. I hope to see him move out of the house into a group home after

he graduates.

(If I were William’s mom, I would think…) I hope my son succeeds in what he wants to

be. (Based on case study.) We have always had realistic goals for William so, (If I were

William’s mom, I would think…) we know he may not become a video game tester, but he could

benefit to a job related around video games. I am not sure if I want him to leave the home. If the

opportunity presents itself, I feel as if I have to, but I just want to protect him and keep him safe.

(If I were William’s dad, I would think…) I agree with my wife about my dream for

William. Although, I do think it is important for William to move into a group home upon

graduation for his own growth. William has a tendency to become over dependent on those who

support him, and I believe that he will benefit from a little bit of independence.
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William William’s Sister William’s Mother William’s Father

*Most of the information was developed for completion of MAPS based on perspective.

What is your nightmare?

(If I were William, I would think…) My nightmare is that my sister will never come back

to see me. I am worried that she will not come back and help with me with becoming a video

game tester. She has always been my support system. What will I do without her?

(If I were William’s sister, I would think…) My biggest nightmare is that William will

not be able to cope with me moving away to college. I am scared that it will put a permanent

damage on our relationship and his growth at school and home. I do not want to be the cause of

his anxiety and regression.

(If I were William’s mom, I would think…) My biggest nightmare for William is that he

will not be able to handle life outside of school. I am concerned that he has a comfortability at

school and with his school personnel that he will not be able to make the transition to

community-based employment and adulthood. I am worried I did not do a good enough job as a

mother.

(If I were William’s dad, I would think…) My biggest nightmare for William is that he

will not be able to succeed with independence. I do not believe that he needs to live with us for

the rest of his life. I hope that is true. He has the potential, although I am worried that I am

putting too much pressure on him and am going to cause a further issue.

William William’s Sister William’s Mother William’s Father

*Most of the information was developed for completion of MAPS based on perspective.

What are William’s strengths/gifts?

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William is an amazing writer. He frequently writes poetry and short stories. William’s

writing includes correct spelling and conventions as well. William is also an organized, high

achieving student. William likes to stay organized so he can receive A’s and B’s. William is also

funny and interesting to be around. People appreciate his company and are often found laughing

along with him. He has an incredible memory. William can tell anyone every basketball stadium

and mascot in the NBA. William has also found a new liking in weightlifting and is fairly

successful with it.

Academic Social-Emotional/Personal Both

What are William’s needs?

William requires additional support in the area of math. He needs support to develop his

abstract thinking and application to math problems and words problems. William also needs

support with paraphrasing and comprehension in reading. He does great decoding; he just needs

the extra push for paraphrasing and comprehension. William also needs supports in choosing the

best reaction/response for communication. He often finds himself making immature jokes or

gestures and having one-way conversations that focus on himself. William also needs additional

help in learning how to regulate his behavior. He often has breakdowns when overly stressed or

frustrated.

Academic Social-Emotional/Personal

What would an ideal day at school be like for William?

(If I were William’s parents, I would think…) An ideal school day for William would be

removal of the Core-More Math course. Core-More has caused more emotional turmoil in the

home than any that we have experienced at school. We would also like to see William only have

a paraprofessional in high stress classes like math. The minimal dependence the better. We
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would like it if William was more included with his peers. It would be ideal if he was included in

group discussions and group seating, his social-emotional skills are not going to get better if he is

being secluded from his peers. We would also be interested in his physical education class to be

changed to a weightlifting class. He is interested in it and wanting to become more physically

active. Lastly, we would like to see him learning and participating in more life skills while at

school.

William’s Mother William’s Father

*Most of the information was developed for completion of MAPS based on perspective.
*Most of the information was
Social Welfare/Friends
developed for completion of Matelyn Yarbrough
Parapro eases communication
SED 342
stresses. Assignment 5
ecomap based on perspective.
Once a week date night. 27 April 2020
Ecomap:
*Developed for ecomap.
Extended Family
Hangs out with friends
Both sets of grandparents
frequently.
live in previous state.
Work *Developed for ecomap.
*Developed for ecomap.
Works full-time One aunt lives locally but
Stay-at-home is not with family often
mom. *Developed for ecomap.

Family/Household
Father Mother

Recreation
William Daughter
Video games
15 “18” Culture/Religion
played together.
*Based on MAPS
Christian family.
perspective. Church is difficult to
attend when William
Youth group is struggling socially.
Health Care *Developed for ecomap.
Health insurance
through father’s work.
Family does not need
frequent medical visits. School
*Developed for ecomap. Freshman in high school.
Key: Struggles in math and social skills.
Direct relationship to William. Has/had paraprofessional(s).
Direct relationship to William’s mother. Communicates with school.
Direct relationship to William’s father. Attends parent-teacher conferences and
Direct relationship to William’s sister. IEP meetings.

Applies to whole family. Graduating senior in high school.

William has specific impact on outcome. Attending Texas University in fall.

Connects family to family life.

Combinations of two highlights applies to 2 people.
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Summary:

The first step I would take to cultivate a partnership with William’s family is to take

advantage of William’s mother’s communication with the school. Through purposeful and

specific communication, I can begin to build a relationship with William’s mother. I will be sure

to send daily emails about William’s day including the good and the bad. I will also have weekly

phone calls including a weekly overview of William’s time at school. Through the constant

communication, I can begin to build a trusting relationship with William’s mother and hopefully

father as well. I would like to have in person contact with William’s family outside of meetings

and overly professional settings. With that being said, I will be sure to engage in natural

conversation when I see William’s family around school or town. William’s sister is also a

fundamental part of William’s family. To ensure that I am connecting with her as well, I will talk

to her in the hallways in a casual manner and encourage her to know that I am here to support her

as much as her brother.

To empower William’s family, I first have to build a trusting partnership through the way

mentioned above. Once I have built a trusting partnership, I will begin to empower William’s

family in a way that is specific to their dynamics. For William’s sister, I will be a resource for

her to discuss how she is feeling with the transition to college. I will provide her with different

support groups that may help her work through her emotions and decisions. I will empower her

to attend these support groups and to continue on her pathway without looking back. For

William’s parents, I will also provide them with support groups to attend and resources they may

need to answer questions. I will empower them to partake in the resources I provided and to

implement them into their home. I will be sure that they know William is safest at home and if

anyone will make the largest impact on him, it is them. Specifically regarding, their oldest child
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leaving home, I will empower William’s parents to have discussions with William about his

sister moving on to college. I will also empower them to help William with the transition by

providing researched-based practices that may help William with the new routine. Through the

experience of their oldest child moving to college, I will empower the family to not fall into

temptation. I will remind them that they are a strong family and that their daughter needs this

experience. William will overcome this new roadblock and so will his family but only by the

support of his family. I will be sure to leave the family with the phrase, “No one can make an

impact like you.” I am going to empower William’s family through constant support and

encouragement. William’s family shows the love and confidence needed to support William;

they just need the resources to do it.