week 3 assignment 2
I need this assignment done as followed everything in the instructions APA style need back asap the file is attached also.
Inclusion Letter [due Mon]
Assignment Content
Readthe information about Jeremy’s educational and family background.
Writea minimum 260-word letter to Jeremy’s parents that justifies your position on his academic placement.
Submitthe assignment.
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. page 1 of 4
Evaluation Report: Jeremy
Identifying Information
Name: Jeremy
Age: 4
Grade: Preschool
Reason for Referral
Jeremy was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism at two years and ten
months of age. The diagnosis was made after his parents became concerned just after his second
birthday. In a matter of weeks Jeremy had stopped using the twenty words he had previously
learned. He no longer showed any interest in his parents or toys. Although his eye contact was
never as good as his parents thought appropriate, he now refused to look directly at anyone. He
began throwing and lining up toys, and spinning objects. He preferred to spend his time
bouncing repetitively in place and flapping his hands and fingers. Whenever his parents tried to
intervene, Jeremy would scream, cry, bite his hand, and bang his head on the floor again and
again.
Professionals at a developmental disabilities clinic at an area hospital assessed Jeremy and
arrived at a diagnosis of childhood autism based on his developmental history (significant loss of
skills around his second birthday), a score of 58 (severely autistic) on the Childhood Autism
Rating Scale, and consultations with a speech therapist and occupational therapist.
Jeremy was enrolled in a self-contained early childhood and special education classroom located
in his local school district at age three. His language, fine motor, self-care, and social skills were
assessed and found to be at the twelve- to eighteen- month developmental level. Jeremys gross
motor skills were determined to be age appropriate. Last year he attended the special program in
the mornings only.
This year, Jeremy attends the self-contained classroom in the morning and a general preschool
program in the afternoon. He also receives private speech and sensory integration therapy and
participates in private piano and swimming lessons. Jeremys educational team agreed that next
year he should attend a full-day integrated Montessori kindergarten class. Twenty typically
developing children and six children with disabilities are enrolled in the Montessori classroom.
Four adults currently manage this classroom: a teacher specially trained to set up and teach using
Montessori methods and curricula, a teacher assistant with some Montessori training, an early
childhood special education teacher, and a special education teacher assistant. This team of
teachers often consults with speech, occupational, and physical therapists to ensure they are
meeting the individual needs of students in the class.
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. page 2 of 4
Test Results
The most recent evaluation was conducted when Jeremy was four years and two months old. The
results were: language skills, 23 months; social skills, 30 months; fine motor, 36 months;
cognition, 48 months; gross motor, 42 months; and self-care, 42 months. The Child Autism
Rating Scale was also administered, and this time Jeremy received a score of 35 (mildly-
moderately autistic).
Observations from Teachers and Test Administrators
Speech/Language Skills
Jeremy repeats single words and clich phrases. He expresses his desires and needs with single
words. He uses two- to three-word phrases when prompted. He inconsistently answers simple
yes-and-no questions. Receptively, he follows simple one- and two-step directions. Jeremy
listens to short stories and can use pictures to sequence up to three events in the order they
occurred in the story.
Social Skills
Jeremy is beginning to play appropriately with some toys, but he usually prefers to play with the
same toys every day. He has difficulty selecting play items and transitioning from one activity to
another. He needs constant adult attention and reinforcement to remain engaged during free
playtime. He sometimes bounces in place repetitively until redirected. Although Jeremy prefers
to play in areas without his peers, he often refuses to enter a play area unless an adult is beside
him. He has begun to greet familiar people, including several peers, and sometimes makes
unprompted eye contact when greeting or requesting.
Fine Motor Skills
Jeremy uses a variety of writing tools, but needs to be reminded to hold the tool correctly. He
prints the letter J for his name. He has difficulty with tasks requiring the simultaneous use of
both of his hands. He has difficulty crossing midline during specific fine motor tasks. Jeremy is
beginning to explore materials such as finger paint, sand, and rice. He needs assistance with
scissors. Jeremy manipulates blocks, one-inch pegs, and noninterlocking puzzles.
Cognitive Skills
Jeremy performs cognitive tasks at age level when provided with materials that allow him to give
a nonverbal response. For example, he categorizes items by color, shape, size, and use. By
pointing, Jeremy identifies pictures of items that are soft, hard, rough, big, small, tall, short, and
long. He can order up to five items by size without a model. Jeremy identifies same and
different, parts of a whole that are missing, and what comes next in a sequence of three pictures.
Jeremy identifies all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet and matches three- and four-
letter words with their corresponding pictures. Jeremy reads simple sentences such as, The car
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. page 3 of 4
is red. He identifies the numerals 1 through 20 and matches the numerals 1 through 12 with
their corresponding number amount. Jeremy uses manipulatives to answer one-digit addition
problems.
At first glance, Jeremy appears to have strong gross motor skills; upon closer examination,
however, it is apparent that the gross motor movements he exhibits are repetitive and
uncoordinated. He has low muscle tone. He runs, but with an awkward gait. He does not swing,
climb up the sliding board, or ride a tricycle. Jeremy has difficulty following a sequence of motor
movements during adaptive physical education class.
Adaptive Skills
Jeremy puts on and takes off his pants, shirt, shoes, and coat. He manipulates zippers and other
clothing fasteners. He uses a spoon, fork, and cup independently. Jeremy uses the toilet but needs
constant adult attention and praise. He will not go to the toilet without an adult.
Additional Information
Parental Concerns
Jeremys parents hope he will be able to attend first grade the year after next with his peers at his
neighborhood elementary school. They are very pleased about next years placement in the
Montessori kindergarten, and the work being done with him in his current early childhood
special education and integrated preschool settings. They would like Jeremy to be in general
education, with support as needed. His parents do not understand why educators do not value
Jeremys cognitive skills as much as they do. They wish his teachers would use his cognitive
skills to compensate for areas in which he has more difficulty. They feel as though they are
always trying to convince other people that Jeremy is smart and can learn.
Jeremys parents hope he will have the option of some kind of postsecondary education, be it
going to college or a trade school. They hope he can someday choose a vocation that makes him
happy. They hope he will not require assisted living as an adult. They are afraid to hope that
Jeremy will someday marry and have a family. Their biggest fear is that society will regulate
Jeremy to a life of dependent care.
Summary and Recommendations
Jeremy is a physically healthy preschool student diagnosed with autism just after his second
birthday. He has received an array of early childhood education services and has made great
strides in all developmental areas. While there is no denying his progress, Jeremy lags behind his
typically developing peers in most domains. He has supportive parents who are concerned that
professionals might not recognize their sons abilities and focus too much on his disabilities. It
appears that he would benefit from another year in his special education preschool and
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved. page 4 of 4
collaboration with the team from the school where he is scheduled to attend kindergarten. At this
young age it is difficult to predict with any accuracy how much progress Jeremy will make in the
next six to nine months, so open communication, collaboration, and planning among the
preschool staff, the elementary school staff, and Jeremys parents is essential during this time.
