Case Study 10/502

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Case Study: Jeannine

Student Sample

November 23, 2018

SPE 502: Language Development and Challenges in Children and Adolescents

National Louis University

Fall 2018

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Jeannine

General Information:

This student’s name is Jeannine. She is 13 years and 8 months old. She has received speech and language therapy since she was two years old. Her difficulties include articulation, sentence structure, semantics and pragmatics. Jeannine was assessed through informal observation and language sampling. She was also assessed using standardized instruments including the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals- Revised (CELF-3), and The Adolescent WORD Test. These tests were used to assess Jeannine’s articulation, voice, fluency, pragmatic and receptive and expressive language skills. Jeannine appeared to be doing the best she could on the exams. The standard scores for her CELF-3 test are as follows: Receptive Language: 50 Expressive Language: 59 Total Language: 50 Jeannine’s Adolescent WORD Test standard score resulted in a 61. Jeannine’s articulation and oral motor skills were found to be age appropriate. Fluency of speech and voice levels were found to be appropriate for her age and gender. Jeannine is able to answer simple comprehension questions, but has difficulty following step-by-step directions. Jeannine is able to construct sentences, but has some difficulty in expressive language such as defining words, giving multiple meanings of words, choosing synonyms and using appropriate vocabulary. Her syntax skills are appropriate. Jeannine can initiate and maintain a conversation with her therapist, whom she knows well, but she cannot initiate and maintain a conversation with anyone whom she is unfamiliar with. Her pragmatic skills are lower in the areas of volume control, attending to listener needs and following general rules of conversation.

Impact on Academics & Recommended Interventions and Technology

Jeannine’s scores indicated that she may have an intellectual impairment. She seems to have the most difficulty with semantics and pragmatics.

The impacts that semantics difficulties have on her reading ability are: difficulty differentiating between words with similar meaning, difficulty classifying words into categories and subcategories, difficulty using known words in new ways, difficulty understanding figurative language, difficulty identifying main points in a reading, difficulty defining vocabulary, difficulty with comprehension, inability to describe narratives. The impacts on writing include: difficulty separating and using subject and object pronouns, difficulty using new words, difficulty using figurative language in writing, difficulty with written expression, and narrative writing capabilities are limited. The impacts on spelling include: difficulty with homophones or spelling words with similar meanings.

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The impacts on math include: difficulty following verbal or written directions, difficulty understanding math vocabulary/terms, and delayed computation and expression. The impacts Jeannine’s difficulties have on science are: difficulty following verbal or written directions, difficulty understanding science vocabulary, difficulty using descriptive words, difficulty participating in class or group discussions, and difficulty memorizing science facts. The impacts on social studies include: difficulty following verbal or written directions, difficulty understanding social studies vocabulary, difficulty participating in class or group discussions. The impacts on art include: difficulty following verbal or written directions, difficulty understanding art vocabulary, difficulty with spatial terms, and difficulty using descriptive words. The impacts on music include: difficulty following verbal or written directions, difficulty understanding music vocabulary, and difficulty understanding the order of music notes. The impacts on PE include: difficulty with spatial terms, difficulty communicating effectively with a partner or team, and difficulty following verbal directions.

My recommendations for intervention ideas to better help Jeannine include:

• Tests should be read aloud • Directions should be rephrased and broken down, repeated if necessary • Visuals should be named and classified into categories • Sentence completion activities • Use manipulatives for spatial/tactile learning • Use word retrieval cues • Practice symbolic play activities • Ask student to show example of what a word means, find a picture to show the word’s

meaning, or demonstrate the meaning with materials

Types of technology that would be beneficial for Jeannine include:

• Use of graphic organizers and charts will help students to categorize words and ideas • Use of online dictionary and thesaurus

The impacts that pragmatic difficulties have on Jeannine’s reading ability are: inadequate reading comprehension, reduced ability to follow discourse in a story, difficulty following storylines, difficulty with volume control when reading in groups, reduced comprehension of figurative language/slang used in texts, and difficulty with predicting and making inferences based upon background knowledge and evidence in the text. Impacts on writing include: difficulty writing using figurative language forms, failure to provide context to thoughts, difficulty writing dialogue, difficulty constructing grammatically correct sentences, and difficulties with use of symbolism, figurative language, and theme.

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Impacts on spelling include: difficulty spelling words and pattern of difficulty in letter formation, sequencing and spelling. Impacts on math include: difficulty comprehending word/story problems. Impacts on science include: difficulty following written or oral instruction, and difficulty inferring based upon evidence and prior knowledge. Impacts on social studies include: reduced reading comprehension, difficulty explaining an event/providing context for an event, and difficulty understanding perspective from another time period. Impacts on art include: difficulty following oral directions, difficulty following step-by-step directions, difficulty describing artist’s intentions and/or meaning behind artwork, difficulties interpreting works of art based on their meanings and symbolism, and disrupting creative environment Impacts on music include: reduced comprehension of lyric meaning, difficulty following oral instructions, difficulty with volume control when singing, difficulties recognizing the tone, mood, or voice in a musical piece, and challenges with incorporating own emotions/expression when given freedom to explore in music. Impacts on PE include: may have trouble comprehending indirect requests from teacher, difficulty following oral instructions, and difficulty communicating and working in teams.

My recommendations for intervention ideas to better help Jeannine include:

• Structured therapy sessions that teach skills to communicate with others in appropriate ways

• ABA- Applied Behavior Analysis • Visual reminders of appropriate ways to interact, respond and communicate in specific

settings • Social work activities • Speech therapy • Turn-taking activities • Modeling • Positive conversation incentive charts

Types of technology that would be beneficial for Jeannine include:

• Visual conversation cards • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)- devices that provide

pictures/visuals/words to an individual to help communicate

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• Video- based instruction or modeling- the student can record themselves doing certain skills and then watch the video later for reinforcement of appropriate behaviors

• Visual volume control app that measures volume levels