Part 1: Short Answer Responses Evaluate The Following Case

Part 1: Short Answer Responses Evaluate the following case studies and

Evaluate the following case studies and, in words, classify the IDEA disability category for each student. Provide a rationale for your identification choice that takes into consideration each student's developmental milestones.

Paper For Above instruction

Tomas, Kindergarten

Tomas, a kindergarten student, initially demonstrated enthusiasm and interest in learning and socializing but later faced significant challenges that suggest an IDEA disability. His difficulties with recognizing letters, shapes, following instructions, and focusing align with deficits in early literacy and cognitive development. Specifically, his academic struggles, impulsivity, and frustration may indicate an Intellectual Disability (ID). According to IDEA criteria, ID involves deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior originating before age 18 (Schalock et al., 2010). Tomas's developmental milestones, such as language and motor skills, seem appropriate for his age, but his challenges in academic tasks suggest a classification consistent with ID, as his struggles go beyond typical delays for his age group.

Harper, 3rd Grade

Harper, a third grader, exhibits specific sensory sensitivities and obsessive interests. Her difficulties with loud noises, fire drills, and her self-regulation challenges point toward a sensory processing disorder. She also demonstrates intense interest in weather, which is a characteristic associated with hyper-focus, common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Her behavior during school assemblies and her refusal to leave the classroom during fire drills suggest heightened sensory sensitivities, a hallmark of ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, her academic strengths in math combined with these sensory challenges fit best within the IDEA category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) with associated sensory processing issues or possibly Autism Spectrum Disorder, depending on additional evaluations. But based on her social and sensory profile, ASD is a strong consideration, especially given her obsessive interests and sensory sensitivities.

Austin, 5th Grade

Austin’s history of a severe head injury resulting from a bicycle accident and the subsequent cognitive and memory difficulties suggest a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). IDEA recognizes TBI as a disability if it adversely affects educational performance (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). His challenges with processing speed, memory, and language, especially following a well-documented injury and post-concussion symptoms, support classifying him under TBI. His previous academic strength in math indicates that his current deficits are acquired rather than developmental and meet the criteria for special education under TBI, which may involve impairments in attention, memory, or executive functioning attributable to brain injury.

Mary, 9th Grade

Mary, having recently moved from Mexico and experiencing language and academic difficulties, exhibits characteristics consistent with a Speech or Language Impairment and possibly a Specific Learning Disability. Her limited English proficiency and reading level at the third-grade level in Spanish, alongside difficulties in writing and comprehending word problems, suggest language-based learning challenges. According to IDEA, a Language Disorder or SLD in Reading/Writing align with her profile, especially considering her struggles with literacy in both her native language and English (Lenz et al., 2010). Her proficiency in math, particularly algebra and geometry, indicates that her learning difficulties are specific to literacy areas rather than overall cognitive impairment. Thus, her disability classification is most consistent with SLD, specifically in the areas of Reading and Written Language.

Conclusion

In summary, Tomas likely aligns with the IDEA category of Intellectual Disability due to delays in core academic skills and adaptive behaviors. Harper’s sensory sensitivities and obsessive interests suggest a classification within Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially given her sensory challenges and focused interests. Austin’s post-trauma cognitive difficulties substantiate a classification of Traumatic Brain Injury. Mary’s struggles with literacy in Spanish and English, coupled with her recent migration, point towards a Specific Learning Disability in Reading and Written Language. Accurate identification among these categories must be confirmed through comprehensive evaluations, but these classifications are supported by developmental milestones and observed behaviors in each case.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
• Lenz, C. A., et al. (2010). Language development and learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(4), 385-397.
• Schalock, R. L., et al. (2010). Intellectual disability: Definition, classification, and systems of support. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
• U.S. Department of Education. (2017). A guidelines for the identification and classification of traumatic brain injury. Office of Special Education Programs.