John
John is a sixteen year old student with a specific learning disability in reading
fluency, reading comprehension, written expression, and oral language processing.
John demonstrates strengths related to managing money, but struggles with use of
calendar or other planners. In reading, teacher records indicate that John reads
at an eighth grade level with fluency, but struggles with oral reading comprehension
and written expression. John’s reading and writing performance require accommodations
for testing and participation in the general curriculum, including extended time,
read-aloud, and computer software resources to support listening comprehension and
writing.
Currently, John receives special education services in an inclusive setting as well
as a resource setting. First, a general education teacher and a special education
teacher co-teach his English courses. He also attends a weekly study skills session
with a special education teacher who works on the development of independent study
and organizational skills. He will finish his Sophomore year in high school in less
than two weeks.
John tends to be fairly quiet when he is in new situations and when he is around
people he doesn’t know. Also, he told his mother that he is embarrassed by his disability.
His mother expressed at his last meeting that these feelings deter John from discussing
his disability with his teachers, from asking teachers for additional help, or from
telling his friends about his disability status. During his freshman year, he chose
not to attend his IEP meeting, even though his teachers and parents encouraged him
to attend. This past year, he attended the IEP meeting but participated passively
by signing forms, making few comments throughout the meeting, and making little
eye contact with the other team members present.
John receives accommodations in several courses, including additional time on tests,
separate testing area, and reading aloud of test question teacher-made and state-mandated
testing. He has maintained a 2.3 GPA for the past two years. His teachers said that
John does well when he is interested in the topic, however, at times he draws in
class. This causes him to miss information that he then must make up at home by
reading the textbook, which can be an arduous task given his problems with reading
comprehension. At his last IEP meeting, one teacher stated that he would really
benefit from a strategy that prompts him to pay attention for the whole class session
so he can review his notes in the evening rather than playing catch up to gain missed
information. This line of discussion then lead to his parents voicing concern that
John’s inability to maintain focus could be a potential problem in a work setting
as well.
Remarkably, John has not been absent a single day during his Freshman and Sophomore
years in high school. According to his parents, he likes school. John benefited
from weekly speech and occupational therapy services throughout elementary school.
In eighth grade his therapists and his parents agreed that he made sufficient progress
to warrant less service in both of these areas. He currently receives related services
of speech and occupational therapy one time each month on a consultative basis,
so direct service is no longer provided. These consultative sessions are in place
to evaluate John’s progress and to ensure that John maintains the skills and strategies
that he gained in elementary school.
Around his friends and family, John is outgoing and witty. John plays soccer on
the Junior Varsity team at his high school. He hopes to make the varsity team next
year. He has plans with a group of friends on most weekend evenings This summer,
he plans to get a job this summer at a game booth on the boardwalk. His mother and
father are excited for him to have the opportunity to gain work experience and manage
money for the first time. They are willing to drive him to work when they can, but
they both work full-time and employees younger than 18 typically work the day shift.
Several other students from school will be working on the boardwalk who are willing
to drive him to work when their schedules are similar, but John is concerned about
what will happen when neither his parents nor his friends are available to drive
him.
Upon graduation, John plans to attend Ocean County College, which is about twelve
miles from his house. Many of the graduates of his high school attend OCC for the
first two years of post-secondary education. He plans to live at home and work part-
time on campus until he finishes an associate’s degree. At that point, John will
attend a four-year state college to continue his degree. He is most interested in
the careers related to business data processing and medical technology.
OCC has a disability services office on campus. Personnel visited his high school
during a recent college fair to tell students about the services available to students
with disabilities. John told his mother that he is willing to go to the office to
ask about services, but he wants her to go with him. John, his parents, and the
special education teacher agree that OCC will be a good place for John to continue
his education, become more independent and confident, and determine his career goals.
This document was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs Grant No. H326J050004. Marlene Simon-Burroughs served as the
project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions
or polices of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department
of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this
publication is intended or should be inferred. This product is public domain. Authorization
to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this
publication is not necessary, the citation should be: National Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center (2007) Indicator 13 Training Materials, Charlotte, NC,
NSTTAC.
