APA reference

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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 and Explanation of Findings:

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 the CELF-3 assessment found that she is struggling with both receptive and expressive language skills: Receptive Language: 50 Expressive Language: 59 Total Language: 50 Jeannine’s Adolescent WORD Test standard score resulted in a 61, which also indicates difficulties with receptive and expressive vocabulary development. 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 on the CELF-3 and WORD Test indicate that she is functioning below expectancies in both receptive and expressive language. In summary she is able to answer simple comprehension questions, but has difficulty following step-by-step directions. She also had difficulty defining words, giving multiple meanings of words, and choosing synonyms and using appropriate vocabulary, indicating she has extreme difficulties with semantics. She can initiate and maintain a conversation with her therapist, but she cannot generalize these skills with anyone she is unfamiliar with. Pragmatics skills are difficult for her in the areas of volume control, attending to listener needs, and following the general rules of conversation.

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.

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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. 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:

• Reading tests or other content aloud to Jeannine may not be helpful because both her receptive and expressive vocabulary is significantly delayed.

• 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 her to show example of what a word means, find a picture to show the word’s

meaning, or demonstrate the meaning with materials • Symbolic play- teacher models how students take turns using semantics • Allow additional time to process information • Use of comparison, listening/sorting activities • Teaching new vocabulary in the context of meaningful subject matter • Connect background knowledge to new terms • The use of graphic organizers, word walls, “vocabugame”

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• Provide clear, concise and literal instructions. Avoid using abstract ideas and concepts when discussing the lesson and its contents.

• Provide with comparison activities, listening and sorting activities, matching pictures and word cards, identifying homophones, making compound words with flashcards, making compound words with picture cards, making sentences with picture and word cards, matching picture cards with word cards, creating lists of word families by categories (foods, furniture, drinks), identifying synonyms for common words by listing, matching pronouns with nouns, and rephrasing simple sentences and paragraphs.

• Provide assistance in developing functional vocabulary development – words that will be critical to her success as an adult.

Types of technology that would be beneficial for Jeannine include:

• Use of graphic organizers and charts may help her to categorize words and ideas • Beck and Bro app offers a drag and drop feature to learn new words in context:

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/beck-and-bo • Endless Wordplay is an app that uses a phonetic approach with rhymes to help students

learn new words: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/endless-wordplay- school-edition

• Montessorium: Intro to Words is an app that lets emerging readers and writers develop reading skills through word building - https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/alpha-writer-by-montessorium

• Flocabulary is a fun hip hop based site that connects literacy to every content area: https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/flocabulary

• Osmo Words is a versatile word game with challenges across content areas and abilities: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/osmo-words

• World’s Worst Pet has games to help students learn words they will use: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/worlds-worst-pet-vocabulary

• Ink Blot Underground is a game that digs into roots and affixes: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/ink-blott-underground

• WordFlex Touch Dictionary – interactive visual dictionary that Jeannine may find interesting and fun: https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/wordflex-touch- dictionary-for-ipad

• A Maths Dictionary for Kids is an online math dictionary for students which explains over 955 common mathematical terms and math words in simple language with definitions, detailed visual examples, and online practice links for some entries. http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/

• Vocabulary Spelling City: https://www.spellingcity.com/ • Use apps like Padlet to provide collaborative, digital word walls: https://padlet.com/ • Alpabet Organizer turns letters and words into books:

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/alphabet-organizer • MadLibs fill in the noun, verb, adverb game that provides interactive help to fill in the

blanks: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/mad-libs • SceneSpeak is like a create-and-store digital library for photo books, flash cards,

diagrams, and more. Parents or teachers can make photo books of kids' favorite stories,

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family photos, vocabulary words, and almost anything else they need to practice vocabulary skills. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/scene-speak

• WordSlapPs Vocabulary is used to teach vocabulary words specific to your child's world by allowing you to upload your own pictures and voice! You can also save your images into customizable categories and record questions to go along with them. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/word-slapps-vocabulary

• Use of online dictionary and thesaurus • Type in the word on the Describing Words website: https://describingwords.io/ and it will

find words that describe your word. • Easy Note Cards - https://www.easynotecards.com/ provides a way to create, study, print

and share interactive notecards (flashcards) for your textbooks • https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/01/15-great-dictionary-websites.html

provides the “best” dictionary websites for children. • Wordnik https://www.wordnik.com/ is an online dictionary provides definitions from

various sources • Find semantic maps online • Visual aid tools such (e.g. PowerPoint and Khan Academy)

The impacts that pragmatic difficulties may 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. 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

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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:

• Social Skills for Pre-Teens and Teens with Autism: https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/communicating-relationships/connecting/social- skills-for-teens-with-asd https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/communicating- relationships/connecting/social-skills-for-teens-with-asd

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

• Role playing conversations with less familiar adults and students with explicit instruction from the therapist and/or classroom teacher and teaching assistant

• Visual reminders of appropriate ways to interact, respond and communicate in specific settings

• Create Social Stories – Information for Teachers: https://carolgraysocialstories.com/social-stories/what-is-it/

• Speech/Language therapy • Turn-taking activities • Modeling • Positive conversation incentive charts • Role playing- helping students understand conversational roles through modeling

different roles in a conversation • Peer modeling: struggling students work with students who use classroom discourse

appropriately and practice using interview techniques • Using graphic organizers to list rules for class rules • Reading stories that show students how to appropriately respond in a given social

situation • Teach appropriate strategies for social awareness • Social skills groups • Provide opportunities to practice conversation and/or storytelling • Practice using language for different purposes

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 • Video- based instruction or modeling- the student can record themselves doing certain

skills and then watch the video later for reinforcement of appropriate behaviors

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• Visual volume control app that measures volume levels • Apps that will help students practice conversational skills (pragmatics) include: • Conversation Builder: students practice taking turns and finding appropriate responses in

different situations https://apps.apple.com/us/app/conversationbuilder/id413939366 • Conversation Coach app:

https://www.silverliningmm.com/apps/conversationcoach/default.html • Practicing Pragmatics: students practice politeness and problem-solving skills • Emotion Detective: helps students identify visual cues/body language and how to

understand a conversation • Video tutorials-create or show videos that allow students to see models of classroom

discourse • Playing with friends: teaches students how to play with students using a step by step

animated video, teaches skills such as making eye contact, taking turns. • Visual reminders • Personalized Teaching Stories from Autism Speaks and University of Washington

READ! Lab You can personalize the templates with your own photos to explain what to expect and how to act in a variety of everyday situations

o Going to a Restaurant: https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized- teaching-story-going-restaurant

o Going to a Store: https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized-teaching- story-going-store

o Handling Bullying: https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized- teaching-story-handling-bullying https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized-teaching-story-handling- bullying

o Play Date: https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized-teaching-story- play-date

o Taking Turns: https://www.autismspeaks.org/worksheet/personalized-teaching- story-taking-turns