Academic
Overall, his academic skills needed a significant amount of improvement since he seemed to lag behind the other members of his class. His teacher actually recommended additional supplementary lessons at home so that he can “catch up” so to speak with his peers.
Communication Skills
When asked, the parents indicated that their child had some issues with communicating with other people that he barely knew. Social situations seemed to scare him and it was often the case that he needed to practice interactions before he actually went and did them. Though, he did note that when it came to communicating with them he had no problems whatsoever.
Motor Skills
There were no apparent deficiencies in the child’s motor skills since the parents indicated that when it came to outdoor activities he was actually rather fast and strong.
Emotional Capacity
When asked about their child’s emotional capacity, the parents indicated that he was slightly emotionally withdrawn and at times had a hard time expressing his emotions. However, as time went on they noticed a marked improvement.
Independent Functioning
The parents indicated that their child was capable of being independent and often went to and arrived home from school by himself. He also was able to develop friendships with other people in his class without significant difficulty.
Child’s Diagnosed Disability
The parents mentioned that their child was a high functioning autistic who merely had some problems with his social skills and learning capability. High functioning autistics are far different from low functioning autistics in the sense that they can become highly successful and actually have the ability to live relatively normal lives despite having autism (McCorkindale, 2011). Such individuals are capable of working in highly intellectual careers, possess the ability to support and care for themselves, and even have the capacity to live on their own. What must be understood is that based on studies such as those by Ryan, Hughes, Katsiyannis, McDaniel & Sprinkle (2011) which examined the development of autistic children into autistic adults, it was seen that the ability of individuals with autism to take care of themselves is directly proportional to the amount and type of need-based education that they had received when they were young. It is based on this that the parents indicated that from a young age they continuously supervised their child and implemented various methods of home-based learning activities to increase his intellectual capacity to think and act independently (Kunda & Goel, 2011).
Impact on Educational Performance
Despite being a high functioning autistic, the child in question did have some issues when it came to learning and, as a result, lagged behind the class in subjects such as math and science.
Impact on Curriculum
From an academic standpoint, his current learning capacity prevents him from keeping up with the rest of the class when complex subjects (i.e. math or science) are introduced
Annual Goals and Objectives
The annual goal of the child is to be able to pass his grade and make more friends at school.
Related Services
He does not have a problem communicating with other people so additional services are not needed.
Transitional Component to IEP
No transitional component present.
Warranting special consideration in disciplinary practices
Special consideration is not needed.
The necessity of Behavioural Intervention Plan
A behavioral intervention plan is not needed as well.
Satisfaction with Current Services
Not satisfied, more consideration should be given to children with special needs.
What did I learn?
Based on what I have learned in this module, I realize it is necessary to apply greater levels of parental involvement when it comes to a child with a mild learning disability.
Reference List
Kunda, M., & Goel, A. K. (2011). Thinking in Pictures as a Cognitive Account of Autism. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 41(9), 1157-1177.
McCorkindale, S. (2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy for children with social anxiety. Learning Disability Practice, 14(7), 20-22.
Ryan, J. B., Hughes, E. M., Katsiyannis, A., McDaniel, M., & Sprinkle, C. (2011).
Research-Based Educational Practices for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(3), 56-64.