Sarah Nordgren EDUC 342 March 7, 2013 Tutoring Paper #1 The student that I am primarily working with is a seven-year-old

male, currently in the first grade. I will refer to him as Student A throughout the following description in order to keep the student anonymous. Based on the information that the teacher provided me with, Student A has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Teaching in Todays Inclusive Classrooms uses the American Psychiatric Associations definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. ADHD is defined as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development (Gargiulo & Metcalf, 2013, 102). It affects about 3 7 percent of the school-age population (Gargiulo & Metcalf, 2013, 102), but it does not qualify as a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, students with ADHD can be accommodated under the other health impaired category of IDEA. In addition to that, students with ADHD can also be accommodated with a 504 plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PL 93-112). According to the teacher, Student A has a Disruptive Behavior Disorder and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for language development. He is pulled out of the classroom for speech therapy. He is also pulled out during the day for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy to improve his fine motor skills.

When Student A is having a particularly hard time focusing in class he is able to wear a weighted vest to help him concentrate on the task at hand. The vest is kept in the same place every day, near Student As desk. He is able to get up and put it on whenever he feels necessary. The teacher will also prompt him to retrieve his vest when she feels he is becoming distracted or disruptive. When the class gathers on the rug for circle time, Student A uses a sensory cushion. This cushion is a partially inflated rubber cushion that has small bumps all over it. This provides sensory input for Student A so that he can get the feeling of movement without actually moving too much. This prevents him from disrupting his classmates and the teacher during instructional time. The cushion is primarily used for sitting on the rug since this is when he has the most difficulty sitting still. However, he is able to use this cushion whenever he sees fit. Student A prefers activities that involve kinesthetic or tactile learning. During the lessons that I have implemented so far, he is most engaged when I utilize manipulative devices or models. For example, he told me that he enjoyed working with the activity globes that I used during a social studies lesson last week. Through observation, I have noticed that he is able to remain focused for longer when I incorporate arts and crafts into an activity. This was evident last week when I taught a lesson that required students to cut things out and glue them down. Student A was able to work independently on this activity for the duration of the lesson without having to be redirected. According to the teacher, Student A works better independently than he does in a group. I have also observed this pattern and agree that Student A is less

distracted and more productive when he is working alone. The classroom set-up has five clusters of desks, with four desks in each cluster. The teacher believes that Student A should be separated from the cluster of desks. Therefore, his desk has been pulled out of his cluster and he sits by himself. According to the teacher, this desk island keeps him from disrupting those around him. The teacher often prompts me to work one-on-one with him, which is helpful because I am able to make observations throughout the day. Student A tells me that he misses working with his group, but based on my observations, he works more efficiently independently. Student As mother frequently sends notes to the teacher about his progress. Her most recent note said that the doctor recommends an increase in his dosage of medication since he has grown so much. The mother wants to avoid this at all costs. She has also noticed some social issues that she is concerned about and she wants to hear the teachers opinions about that. Academically, Student A is currently performing above average, according to the teacher. He performs above grade-level in reading and was benchmarked to be in the green group, which has the highestperforming readers. The teacher said that he is an able reader, but he has difficulty with the independent aspect of his advanced reading group, which she believes is from his ADHD. I have had multiple opportunities to observe Student As reading during class time and when they are in their reading groups. When reading aloud, his fluency is advanced compared to his classmates. When asked to answer questions about what he read, he demonstrates advanced comprehension. I have also observed that when Student A gets reprimanded for disruptive behavior, he is

sincerely apologetic of his bad behavior. He often gets distracted or distracts others and then gets frustrated that he cannot control this behavior. An informal assessment that involves kinesthetic or tactile learning might be helpful in detecting specific academic problems because he has exhibited a preference for this learning style. Therefore, Student A would be assessed in a way that he is successful and comfortable with. For example, I could use the following informal assessment for subtraction skills. Cut the trees out and laminate them so they can be used again. Do this for the subtraction cards as well. Give the student a tree and a bag full of apples, which are hole punches of red card stock. Have the student pull a card and then add the larger number of apples to the tree. Then he or she can take away the smaller number of apples. The remaining number of apples is their answer. The student can record the problems and answer on a separate sheet of paper. (Idea from www.teacherspayteachers.com)

10 5

13 7
These are some examples of subtraction cards that can be used.

This is an example of a tree that can be used.

REFERENCES 1. Gargiulo, R., & Metcalf, D. (2013). Teaching in todays inclusive classrooms. (2nd ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth. 2. Kelly, S. (2012). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com