Running head: EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE AND LEARNING DISABILITIES 1

Special Needs Student Observation: Emotional Disturbance and Learning Disabilities

Jason Gordy

College of Western Idaho

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General Information

I will refer to the observed student as Jordan for the sake of privacy and nondisclosure.

Jordan is a 16 year old, caucasian male that has a history of social and emotional disturbance,

along with a diagnosis as being on the spectrum for Autism. Jordan’s emotional disturbance is

referred to as behavior issues by his teachers and relatives when he is around. He lives at

home with his mother and father with no siblings in a middle class household. As an only child,

Jordan is used to getting a great deal of attention at home, where he has expressed that he

feels very comfortable. His favorite activities are going on trips, particularly camping, with his

parents, which he enjoys on weekends and breaks from school. Upon meeting Jordan, his first

sentence spoken to me was that there were 42 school days left until summer vacation. To him

this means a few months of relief from the stresses of the crowded and noisy halls of school and

the crowds of people that sometimes make him feel overwhelmed.

Jordan’s typical school day begins at 8am, where he spends his first period of the day in

the Excel classroom. Excel is a specialized program implemented by Capital High School to

provide the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities or special needs. During

an Excel class period Jordan is encouraged to ask questions and get help with his homework,

or he can put on his headphones and check his phone if he needs a break or is having difficulty.

A typical Excel classroom can be expected to facilitate anywhere from 1 to 4 students in a given

class period. A sample of Jordan’s daily class schedule consists of Excel for first period, math

in an extended resource classroom setting for second, P.E. for third period, Excel fourth period,

Life Skills fifth period, Occupational Prep and working in groups for sixth period, and Excel or

music for the seventh and final period of the school day. His mother drops off Jordan and picks

him up from school every day, and she is with him after school with his father until his bedtime

around 10pm.
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Physical Development

Jordan has some distinguishing physical features in that he is 6 feet 3 inches tall, is

slightly overweight, has deep red, curly hair, green eyes, pale skin, and rosy red cheeks. He

wears glasses because he has poor vision without them. His physical maturation is comparable

to his peers and normal for a 16 year old boy. Although he can not grow a beard, and his voice

is slightly higher than would be expected of a 6 foot 3 in tall person, Jordan has a man’s size

and physique.

Jordan’s overall health is good in that he does not have any chronic health issues on top

of his learning disability. He has not broken any bones or been hospitalized for illness in his life.

Physical fitness and exercise is not a preferred activity for Jordan, as he does not like to run or

sweat. I observed Jordan in physical education class, and he warms up by pedaling lightly and

inconsistently on a recumbent bicycle. He is not motivated by physical activity. When

participating in P.E. class Jordan always walks and never runs. Regarding large muscle

development, Jordan can do things like pedal a bicycle and awkwardly dribble a basketball.

Additionally, his small muscle development seems normal, as he does not have any difficulty

writing with a pen and paper or demonstrating precise motor skills on the screen of his

smartphone.

Cognitive Development

Jordan is a Sophomore in high school that has a history of being emotionally disturbed.

Additionally, Jordan is on the spectrum for Autism, has been diagnosed with a learning

disability, and displays disruptive behavior. Jordan divides his time between the extended

resource classroom, where he participates in a classroom setting of nearly twenty Special

Education students, and the Excel classroom. He spends 4 of 7 periods each day in the

extended resource classroom setting. In the 3 periods he spends in the Excel classroom
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setting, Jordan, receives one on one instruction in the least restrictive environment. His

Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for Excel and the extended resource classroom

are as follows: ask for help when needed, stay on task, comply with staff directives, and

complete work.

In the extended resource classroom, Jordan becomes agitated or frustrated easily. He

does not show much interest in subjects such as reading, math, physical education, music, life

skills, or occupational prep. Jordan seems to prefer the Excel classroom setting where he likes

to talk about his YouTube channel and some of the YouTube channels/celebrities that he

follows. Jordan is motivated to do his schoolwork by discussing trips he has planned with his

family for Spring Break and over the summer. He likes to go camping when school is not in

session, and he keeps a running tally of the number of school days left before summer vacation,

which was 44 when I observed Jordan for the assignment.

Jordan demonstrates capabilities well within the formal operational stage of Piaget’s

stages of cognitive development because he is capable of hypothetical and deductive reasoning

and is able to think about abstract concepts. Jordan understands he is disordered for emotional

disturbance, but he refers to it as a disorder and not a disability. He made to sure correct a

classmate who said Jordan had a disability by expressing that it was a disorder, not a disability.

Jordan struggles with focusing and not talking out of turn when he is in an extended resource

classroom setting. He will often speak negatively of his schoolwork and even his teachers when

he gets frustrated with the work. I observed an outburst in 4 of the 6 classrooms in which I

observed Jordan. His art class was the only subject that I observed Jordan engaging with his

assignment and working with confidence. For his art assignment, Jordan drew on a tablet and

edited his own short animated video. Technology is a key component to Jordan’s Individualized

Education Program (IEP), and he checks his phone whenever he needs a break from his
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schoolwork. Jordan is able to approach his schoolwork with a more clear mind after about 5 or

10 minutes of phone time.

Socio-emotional Development

Jordan struggles to connect when it comes to interaction with his peers. He is often introverted

and keeps to himself before class when many students are socializing with each other. Jordan

will not be the first to engage in a conversation with another student, and he has difficulty

controlling his urge to interrupt the lesson by speaking out of turn while his teachers are giving

instructions. He gives brief and vague responses, while he physically shuts down by avoiding

eye contact and changes the subject by talking about a bit of information that he finds

interesting such as how to monetize a YouTube channel, features of technological devices, or

camping. Forming relationships with peers is a difficult feat for Jordan because his

communication is impaired due to his Autism spectrum behaviors such as environmental

overstimulation, noise sensitivity, and physical and obvious signs of frustration such as

pounding on the desk or shouting out of turn while the teacher talks when Jordan's school work

becomes overwhelming for him.

Jordan suffers from being emotionally disturbed, and he often exhibits outbursts of frustration

with his teachers. He frequently verbalizes that he hates his Excel teacher and makes rude

comments toward her when he receives instruction or is asked to perform tasks that he does not

want to do. I did not observe Jordan being rude or aggressive toward anybody else besides his

Excel classroom teacher. However, he seems unmotivated to carry a conversation with adults.

Jordan did not show signs of low self-esteem or a damaged self-concept. He corrected another

student when that student described Jordan as having a disability by stating that his emotional

disturbance is a disorder, not a disability. Jordan is aware that he has special requirements

when it comes to his education, but he speaks of himself and his personal life the same as most
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kids speak of themselves. He seems optimistic about his future and is excited to graduate high

school in two years. Although peer interaction and public speaking are difficult for Jordan, he

expressed self-confidence in his life skills class when he was asked to perform tasks such as

folding clothes and delivering supplies to other classrooms in school.

I believe Jordan falls into the competence or industry versus inferiority phase of socio-emotional

development, according to Erickson. Jordan has a clear understanding of rules and how they

pertain to him and his peers. However, activities that require teamwork or progressing from free

play to playing with structured rules presents a challenge to hold Jordan's interest. Jordan finds

comfort in predictability and structure when it relates to his schoolwork or things like family or

household traditions such as camping the first week of summer vacation every year. His Excel

teacher explains that Jordan falls behind and becomes distracted easily, but having activities to

look forward to help him to stay on track regarding his studies.

Conclusion

In summary, Jordan demonstrates a typical level general development because he is

interested in similar topics and activities as most high school students such as a love for nature,

enthusiasm for technology, social media, movies, and pop culture. His physical development is

at a typical level in that he does not have any physical impairments or disabilities, and he is of

average physical maturation for his age. His cognitive development is at typical levels because

he comprehends order and structure in the world around him, and he demonstrates an ability to

receive instruction and construct rational and comprehensive solutions to problems presented

in his schoolwork and every day life. The primary area where Jordan displays developmental

levels below typical are in socio-emotional development because his learning disability and

emotional disorder can cause him to disregard the rules at times when he becomes

overwhelmed.
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Jordan’s strengths lie in his creativity and enthusiasm for subjects or material that he

finds interesting. He enjoys his life skills class because relevance to daily life and activities is

emphasized by his instructors, so he feels like he is actually getting something out of the class.

Jordan’s academic weaknesses are in math, where he falls behind the most. Much of his time

in the Excel classroom is spent reviewing math material and solving homework problems with

his instructors. Specific strategies implemented are offering choices to Jordan, providing a

distraction for him when he becomes disruptive, separating Jordan from the class or group

when he becomes disruptive, bribery, and the use of behavioral reminders.