Reading Comprehension 95 Written Expression 95
Spelling 90
General Information 129
Mathematics 120
Based on the reports from the classroom teacher and this testing, the multidisciplinary team determined that Angie met the district’s criteria as a student with a learning disability, and she began to receive special education services in spelling and reading. Angie worked hard in the resource room, but the teacher could tell that she was bored by the repetition and by the low cognitive level of the material she was given to read. Progress was very slow. In the general education classroom, Angie continued to excel in her math and science work. Her teacher, Ms. Allison, noted that Angie really loved science. She loved doing experiments, she loved to use scientific words (the bigger, the better), and she was excited about learning about computers. Her scores on a math achievement test indicated that she was significantly above her peers in math. On the most recent statewide achievement testing, she scored in the 85th percentile in math and science, receiving an award for her achievement. Her speaking vocabulary and expressive language skills were also both highly developed. Ms. Allison was glad that Angie was successful in these areas, and now that her reading and spelling were being taken care of by the special educator, those problems were of little concern to Ms. Allison in the general education program. Angie’s reading and spelling difficulties faded from concern, and she learned how to effectively compensate for her learning disability. Throughout all this, Angie’s mother was a significant support, telling her that she could do anything and that she knew Angie would figure out her own way to get tasks done. Ms. Peters, the resource room teacher, described Angie as a shy child who tended to become scared at times. Angie was not very secure with herself, and her self-esteem was not as high as it could be. Despite her demonstrated areas of high achievement, the difficulties in reading and spelling led others, and sometimes Angie herself, to believe that she wasn’t very smart. Ms. Peters was puzzled by this. She knew that the resource program was not challenging enough for Angie and that because of her problems in reading, she was also not exposed to some of the more challenging opportunities in the general education curriculum. Ms. Peters decided to investigate the possibility of Angie’s participating in the district’s honors program in fifth grade, while still receiving her learning disability services. The teacher in the honors program said she had heard of students who were bright and also had learning disabilities, but she had never worked with one. She wasn’t even sure she believed they existed. In addition, she said that the criteria for the honors program were “very strict,” so the idea was never pursued. Ms. Peters now wishes that she had pushed it. Angie shows such good thinking, and her oral skills reflect a much higher level of functioning than is indicated by her spelling and reading scores. Despite all the assistance Angie has received, it seems to Ms. Peters that something is still missing. Learners with Mild Disabilities: A Characteristics Approach, Enhanced Pearson 5th Edition By Eileen B. Raymond Published by Pearson, p. 77-78. Copyright © 2017 ISBN-10: 0-13-382711-9; ISBN-13: 978-0-13-382711-8
- Case Study 1: Angie
