Eastern Samar State University

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Borongan City

CASE STUDY:

Specific Learning Disability & ADHD

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject

PROFEED_11 GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Second Semester SY: 2016-2017

TTH: 9:00-10:30am

_____________________________________

Submitted by:

Balmes, Ericbon F.
Buna, Ralf C.
Platon, Jocelyn C.
Pomida, Lyra M.
Pinangay, Elvielyn L.
BEED-3B

__________________________________

Submitted to:

Dr. Felix D. Acong

Professor
Introduction:

This semester we have the opportunity to work with Student named Camille Joy
Macalalad, everyday in her Math class during 3rd period. According to her teacher,
Camille was identified with a specific learning disability in the areas of reading fluency
and mathematics calculation, with an additional weakness in processing speed. In
addition, Camille Joy was identified as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD), but is not receiving any medication. She spends one period a day in learning
support, participating in regular classrooms the remaining four periods of the day.

At the beginning of the class Camille Joy was very reserved and withdrawn
during the Mathematics period, often coming in with an annoyed and bored
demeanor. She rarely let anyone help her with assignments, claiming that she had
nothing to do, even though her progress reports proved otherwise. When she did
do work, she would delay getting started and refuse to let anyone help her. We know
that we wanted to try and work with her, but during this time we are not sure how to
get through to her or how to help. Knowing that she didnt like to concentrate on school
work, we tried to have an conversation with her about anything unrelated to academics.
Instead of prompting her with the questions, what do you have to work on? or how
can I help you? we asked her about what she was going to do after school, if she had
any siblings, what she liked to do with her friends, etc. We also made sure that we
greeted her and periodically complimented her on her clothing, hair, etc. when she
entered the classroom to try and make her feel welcome and selfconfident. Camille Joy
was not immediately receptive to our attempts at conversation, though, many times
rolling her eyes or mumbling one word answers then placing her headphones back in
her ears and turning up the song on her phone. However, after a few weeks passed,
she began to reciprocate conversation and allow us to help her with assignments.

Now, several months later, Camille Joy comes into English subject with a
positive and upbeat attitude. She engages in conversation with us, the English teacher,
and the other students in the classroom. Camille Joy gets to work
within the first five minutes of class and spends the entirety of the period working
on finishing assignments. Although she often gets distracted and still does not enjoy
completing academic assignments all of the time, she willingly works with us and gets
back on task when prompted.

In the following Case Study we will outline Camilles specified learning disabilities
in reading and math and diagnosis of ADHD. In addition, we will share observations of
Camille Joy over the course of a day and overview of her meeting. Lastly, we will
include preferred instructional strategies that attempt to aid her growth and learning,
and offer some suggestions for Camilles future teachers.

Overview of Specified Learning Disabilities:

Generally, a specified learning disability means a disorder in one or more of

the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language,
spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations (Heward,
24243). In most states and school districts, three criteria need to be met in order to
identify a students with a specific learning disability: 1. A sever discrepancy
between the students intellectual ability and academic achievement; 2. An exclusion
criterion: the students difficulties are not the result of another known condition
that can cause learning problems; and 3. A need for special education services. The
defining characteristic of a student with a learning disability is the fact that a
learning disability is a specific and significant achievement deficit in the presence of
adequate overall intelligence. The most common specific learning disabilities are
identified in reading.

In Camilles case, she suffers specifically with reading fluency and processing.
Reading fluency refers to the speed or rate of reading, as well as the ability to read
materials with expression, while processing refers to the inability to accurately and
fluently decode single words (Heward, 245). Thus, students have difficulty reading and
processing texts at a rate that enables them to adequately comprehend the meaning of
the words. In addition, students with identified disabilities in reading often carry over this
disability into written language, most notably in vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and
spelling. Camille Joy is also identified as having a specified learning disability in
mathematics calculation, meaning that she has a deficit in retrieving number facts and
solving word problems. Research has concluded that Students with learning
disabilities perform lower than normally achieving children with every type of
arithmetic problem at every grade level and almost 50% of students with learning
disabilities have goals in math (Heward, 247).

Overview of ADHD:

Based on the criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSMIVTR), children diagnosed as having Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a persistent pattern of inattention and/or
hyperactivityimpulsivity that is more frequent and sever than is typically observed
in individuals at a comparable level of development (Heward, 253). Research
concludes that a significant percentage of students with ADHD, ranging from 25
50%, are also identified with another learning disability, and suffer from emotional
and behavioral problems. A 2000 study from the American Psychiatric Association
reported that ADHD is prevalent in 35% of all schoolage children, and the
diagnosed numbers are on the rise. While ADHD is gaining prevalence, the cause of
the underlying causes are not known. Some research concludes that ADHD is a
biological disorder, while others claim that genetics or biochemical differences in
the brain are the stem of the disorder (Heward, 255). Whatever the cause, children
with ADHD present unique challenges in the classroom setting.

After spending one period a day with Camille Joy we believe that she exhibits
many of the symptoms from both her specified learning disabilities in reading and math,
as well as symptoms of ADHD. When completing homework assignments, she
consistently asks us to read larger passages and struggles with sounding out words and
reading at a fast rate. She also has significant difficulty with spelling and needs
sentences repeated in order to
understand the meaning. When completing math problems, she has trouble
remembering multiplication facts even if she has just calculated the same problem
minutes earlier, and asks to use a calculator for most assignments. In addition, we do
notice that Camille Joy exhibits several of the symptoms of ADHDshe has a difficult
time staying on task, and fidgets with her pencil, phone, or other device (slinky,
eraser, etc.), which often times distracts her from focusing on her work. However, if
prompted, she does get back ontask and can concentrate for longer amounts of
time.

Observations of Student:

Camille Joy Macalalad a nineyearold male in 4th grade. From the beginning of
the year until now, Camille joy has gone from withdrawn and uninterested in completing
work, to positive and focused on completing missing assignments. Her moods can
vary from day to day, but for the majority of the time she will comply with doing
work when prompted. She engages in conversations and is respectful to both
myself and the other adult learning support teacher in the room. She is a very social
girl, always talking to the other students in class and to her large group of friends
outside of class. Sometimes she asks if her friend can spend the period with her in
Mathematics to complete group work. Her attendance in school is pretty
consistent, but she does tend to be tardy to class by about a minute a few times a
week.
In addition to observing Camille joy in class every day, we observed her over the
course of an entire day. We shadowed her in 3 of her regular classes, including
English, MAPEH, Math, Filipino. Overall, we was not entirely
surprised by what we observed of her during the day. She was more withdrawn when
she did not know anyone in the class and as the day progressed she did not seem as
tired. She signed out to go to the bathroom in almost every class, and was offtask
for a portion of each period. She only became ontask when prompted or when not
distracted by another classmate.
Period 1: English

Camille Joy does not stand up or recite the pledge of allegiance. She signs out of
class before the morning announcements began and signs back in during the
announcements. The class is participating in the Read Naturally program that day
with Mrs. Andaliza, the regular English teacher, is absent and there was a substitute in
the room, along with a substitute paraprofessional which is the practice teacher.

The student teacher helps Camille Joy get started with Read Naturally on the
computer. Camille Joy signs out again at 8:32 AM. Mrs. Andaliza leaves the
classroom to look for Camille Joy at 8:39 AM and returns with her at 8:40 AM.
Camille Joy sits in the front right corner of class, close to the teacher desk. Mrs.
Andaliza keeps prompting the students to subvocalize, or speak aloud, but Camille Joy
is not talking or reading. She is distracted and does not talk to any other students
in the class the entire period. In the middle of class Camille Joy comes back and sits
with me at the teachers desk. I prompt her to read and she says, Im bored, we
always do this. She begins to play with some starshaped confetti that was spilled
on the desk. Mrs. Andaliza asks if one of us would read with her. Then our leader read
with her for the last five minutes of class. She appears very tired.

Period 2: MAPEH

Camille Joy sits in the front seat near the right of the room. She is talking to other
students in class. She is reading over papers while the teacher is talking in the front
of the room. She is prompted by the teacher to see if she has a table of contents in
her notebookshe says no. She talks out in classAre you trying to say that our
friends make us do bad things? She talks with out raising her hand and continues
to talk out during class. She points out other kids in class and answers/questions
the teachers questions. She puts her head down for a few minutes at the end of
class.
Period 3: Math

Camille Joy has a worksheet, but none of it is completed. She sits in the
front/center of the room. She answers questions but doesnt raise her hand. She is
prompted by her teacher to finish the worksheet. She works on the worksheet after
being prompted. She begins talking about a sticker and plays with the sticker while the
teacher is explaining the lesson. She tries to leave to go to the bathroom but the
teacher says she has to wait. She takes off her sweatshirt and fixes her clothes while
the teacher is explaining directions. She continues to answer questions without
raising her handshe gets the answers correct. She signs out to go to the bathroom
at 11:26 AM when the other students begin their independent work. She comes
back at 11:33 AM. She is prompted by her teacher to start homework and begins
working on it. She raises her hand to ask the teacher for clarifications of problems.
The teacher checks her work. Camille Joy doesnt show her work and says, Why do I
have to do this?

Instructional Strategies employed for Student Growth and Learning:

Camille joy receives specially designed instruction, in order to improve her

learning and help her to achieve her goals. Camille joys instructional needs include
getting and staying ontask, improving reading fluency and comprehension, and
completing assignments on time.

Instructional strategies have been implemented and seem to be successful in

addressing these needs. Strategies include testing accommodations (extra time, test
modifications, small environment, and clarification of directions), direct instruction in
reading, study guides/notes, monitoring of progress, frequent understanding checkins,
and calculator use. Other instructional strategies that have been implemented in her
regular classrooms are preferential seatings, frequent prompting, repetition of
directions, and oneonone assistance with tasks. During our experience with Camille
Joy, We have implemented several instructional strategies we believe have helped her
to stay on task, complete
assignments on time, and improve both reading, writing, and spelling skills.

When Camille Joy enters the English class, we greet her and immediately ask
her what she needs to do. We go over each subject until she stops us at the one she
needs to work on. She has gotten into this routine every day and knows that she will
either work on completing an assignment or spend the class reading. Once she
knows what she needs to work on, we get started and continue to work the entire
period.

Although she frequently gets off task, we continually prompt her by giving her
manageable tasks to complete as we are working. Many days we will complete science
or social studies worksheets in which she must read from the text book and answer
questions. She does not like reading large amounts of text, so we read the text in the
book. However, in exchange she must read the question and write the answer.
By reading smaller chunks, she still gets practice reading, but does not feel discouraged
or overwhelmed. When we get to an answer in the book, we repeat the phrase 3 4
times while she is writing.

Camille Joy has trouble spelling, so we concentrate on making sure she spells
every word correctly that she writes. She got frustrated at first, but now knows that we
will stop her and make her rewrite the misspelled word, so she will now stop and ask us
how to spell the word before she even begins to write it. Over several months she has
gotten less dependent on us for spelling and has learned to spell many words correctly
that she had spelled incorrectly before. If we are working on a longer writing
assignment, we switch roles and we do the writing. Again, she gets overwhelmed and
frustrated with a large amount of writing, so we let her take a more manageable task.
We prompt her with the question or portion of the essay that she needs to write, and
she tells us her thoughts. We act as her scribe and write her thoughts. In this way, she
is still essentially writing the essay, but not physically writing it, which helps her to stay
focused and willing to complete her work on time.

Suggestions for Future Educators:

Camille Joy has proven to us that with a little help, she can achieve her goals
and improve her skills in reading, writing, and math. Our primary suggestion for
future educators is to create a consistent classroom routine and hold high
expectations for Camille Joy. We believe that if Camille Joy is consistently prompted
and expected to achieve a high level of work, Camille Joy will reach to that level.
Camille Joy resisted spelling words correctly and would at times refuse to spell the word
correctly. However, with consistent prompting and instruction, her attitude shifted
and she gradually complied and followed the routine. Sometimes she often jokes
that I am such a mean teacher and that we want her to learn, but we really believe
that she wants and needs her teachers to push her and trust that she does have the
ability to achieve academic and personal success. I believe that Camille Joy wants to
be just like any of the regularly achieving students, and with a consistent routine
and trust in her abilities, also we believe that she can reach and exceed her goals.

References:

Heward, William L. Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special

Education.

http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3016&context=etd

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1132&context=teachlearnfacpub

A Guide to Intervention and Classroom Management. Paul H. Brookes

Publishing Co., 2001.