Kristi Carson
Perspectives Assignment
Liberty University
October 1 2022
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The person I chose to interview is Lorraine Scibetta. Lorraine is the owner of Kenmore
Elites where I have been observing and volunteering for the duration of this course. Lorraine’s
daughter, Kelly, is 18 years old and was diagnosed with cognitive delays and disabilities at the
age of 3. Kelly is on the autism spectrum, but her autism is mild. Kelly did not walk until the age
of 5 and did not put together more than 3-word sentences until about 4 years old. Kelly’s
disabilities are believed to have been from the effects of seizures as a baby, which has led to the
diagnosis of epilepsy. Kelly has gross and fine motor skills yet lacks stability and has a notable
speech impediment. Kelly is the happiest and most outgoing young woman I have ever met, she
likes to socialize, enjoys music, and loves to dance.
While Kelly may look to be a neurotypical person, she is cognitively at the age of a 5- or
6-year-old. She can have outbursts that mirror those of a toddler when she does not get her way
or doesn't understand why or how in certain situations. Kelly walks with an awkward gait and
has trouble with balance. Kelly can read books at the first-grade level but struggles with anything
more than 2 sentences per page. She also has a processing disorder which makes it hard for her
to comprehend what she is reading. When it comes to math Kelly enjoys counting money, along
with basic addition and subtraction.
In a classroom setting Kelly benefits from small class sizes, as she becomes overwhelmed
and overstimulated easily. She is afraid of crowds and loud noises. Kelly learns easiest with
alternative instructional formats such as visual diagrams, charts, and drawings. Visual learning
also helps students to develop visual thinking, which is a learning style whereby the learner
comes to understand and retain information better by associating ideas, words, and concepts with
images (Raiyn 2016). Kelly has a photographic memory which helps in terms of retaining
information through the visual learning method.
Kelly also enjoys using her school iPad to learn. She uses many game-like apps that help
assist her in learning math and reading. The use of technology not only makes it easier for Kelly,
but I can imagine it would for the teacher as well. The iPad is able to recognize her voice and
correct if she is wrong when sounding out words for reading. The iPad or app also collects her
data and can assign diagnostics tests to collect current levels. Her math apps also help the teacher
save money on manipulatives and time with cleanup to transition to the next subject. Just like her
reading apps, the math apps also collects data and progress levels. As technology advances so
does the potential it holds for the classroom (Raskind, Smedley, & Higgins)
Being that Kelly really enjoys the iPad, it can also be used as a reinforcement for her to
use for free use once work is completed or a new goal is accomplished. While this may also be a
reward it can also be used as a punishment in that if it is something she is using frequently in the
classroom it can be taken away. When Kelly exhibits defiance, which may come from the lack of
understanding, she can be directed to a time away corner where there are manipulatives and
calming activities to help her relax and explain what she wants or needs. Calm down corners can
include many different tools to help students calm down and get back to the classroom mindset.
This concept allows the student a choice in how they calm down best. Allowing students, the
choice about what they do in the classroom may increase their motivation and participation
(Kosky & Curtis, 2008).
Bringing a student into my room with the disabilities and cognitive delays that Kelly
displays would require me to make many adjustments to my current room. While I do work in a
school that only requires all classrooms to only have six students with one teacher and one aide
in each room, I would need to adjust my learning model, curriculum level, and adjust my
instructional format to meet her needs. Most of my current students are kinesthetic learners. We
do a lot of hands-on activities in my room to keep the students engaged. Kelly may enjoy the
kinesthetic approach but may also become overwhelmed or stimulated by the materials.
I enjoyed getting to have this opportunity to learn more about students' needs and wants
through the eyes of a parent. Lorraine is very involved in Kelly’s education and is a strong
advocate for her. Lorraine keeps Kelly involved in the school community and communicates
clearly with her teachers about her goals for Kelly come graduation. Kelly is starting her
transitional period as she starts to age out of school, come 21, and hopes Kelly can build the
social skills she needs to navigate the outside world.
References
Kosky, C., & Curtis, R. (2008). An action research exploration integrating student choice
and arts activities in a sixth grade social studies classroom. Journal of Social Studies Research,
32(1), 22-27
Raiyn, Jamal. (2016). The Role of Visual Learning in Improving Students’ High-Order
Thinking Skills. Journal of Education and Practice. 7. 115-121.
Raskind, M., Smedley, T. M., & Higgins, K. (2005). Virtual Technology: Bringing the
World Into the Special Education Classroom. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(2),
114–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/10534512050410020201
