SPE 594 Ecological Inventory The University of Alabama Kimberly Odom

Student Name: Evan Makenzie Student Profile: Evan Makenzie is a fifteen year old adolescent boy who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. He is a recent transfer to Kent Education Center from Richmond, Virginia and is served in a self-contained classroom consisting of sixth graders to seniors. Evan currently takes Topamax for his seizures and has not suffered from an episode in the past five years. He is unable to form words or walk. His parents are supportive and actively involved in the education of Evan, including communicating with the teacher through daily notes. Evans strengths include: feeding himself chopped foods with his left hand; giving objects; pushing away objects he does not want to play with; reaching someone elses hand to objects he wants; reaching/touching; vocalizations on whether he is familiar and likes something or whether or not he dislikes it. He likes for familiar people to play with him and will show he is happy by reaching for their hand and placing it on his chest. He also smiles and giggles when he is happy. He is able to explore new objects, locate them as well as put them within a routine. He is progressing in his efforts to activate switches, maneuver his wheelchair, responding to stories by smiling or pushing it away. He likes group play/activities. His needs include: working with using utensils when eating; drinking from a regular cup instead of a Sippy cup; reducing the amount of times he sways his head when feeding himself; Reducing his compulsiveness when it comes to repeating actions over and over which include the amount of times he bangs his head on the floor and his legs; improving the consistency for which he matches objects by color and shape; improving on self-transporting (he currently likes for others to push his chair even though he is capable of maneuvering it by himself). Based on previous observational and informal assessments on Evans level of performance, it has been determined that he will need the assistance of Assistive Technology devices and/or services in order to access the general education curriculum, particularly in the areas of communication and math, and/or to suitably advance toward his annual goals. These include voice output devices and switches used to communicate with others.

Domain

Environment

Sub-Environment

Activity

Task Analysis

Rationale

Community

Current:

Classroom Cafeteria Gym Motor Room

Positioning Balancing Crawling Activating Switches Throwing Matching Control of objects Maneuvering chair

1. Think of answer 2. Look at board to determine switch 3. Use finger(s) to flip switch (on) 4. Determine when done using switch 5. Use finger(s) to flip switch opposite way (off)

Because of Evans need for assistive technology when it comes to the area of communication and math, he needs to use switches. However, he needs continual work and improvement with working the switches in order to reach mastery.

School

Community

Future:

Cardio Room Track Tennis Courts Swimming Pool Weight Room Kids Gym Room

Walk Run Wheel by self Someone push chair Wheel with assistance

1. Determine which way people are running/walking/ wheeling 2. Enter track going in same pre-determined

Evan is fully capable of maneuvering his wheelchair; however, he prefers to be pushed. In order to make him as

Gym

direction 3. Stay in farthest lane 4. Wheel self around track, with guidance of assistant 5. Determine when done 6. Slow down to signal persons behind you that you are exiting 7. Make sure no one is standing in enter/exit space. 8. Exit track where entered

independent as possible, work needs to be done with making him transport himself via chair.

Community

Future:

Parking Lot Entrance/Foyer Dining Area Restroom

Being Seated Drinking Eating

1. Look over menu to decide what you want to eat 2. Give waiter your order 3. Take fork and spoon out of napkin roll 4. Place napkin in

Evan has learned to use a spoon in order to feed himself. He does this in the cafeteria at school. Work needs to continue towards using a fork. Once this is

Restaurant

lap 5. When food arrives, determine if you need fork or spoon to eat 6. Put utensil in hand and move it to portion of food you want to start with 7. Bring small amount of food on fork/spoon up to mouth. 8. Chew. 9. Repeat 6-8 until finished 10. Wipe mouth periodically with napkin 11. When finished, place utensils and napkin on top of plate to signal to waiter you are done.

accomplished, his family would like to be able to take him to dinner and him be able to feed himself.

Community

Current:

Toy/Ball Room Ball Pit Slides Ropes Bounce Room

Basketball Soccer Throw Wiffle Ball Bounce balls

1. Pick up ball 2. Pull arm back 3. Throw arm forward 4. Release ball from hand 5. Partner catches ball 6. Use both hands to make a cup 7. Catch ball with cupped hands 8. Repeat steps 25 to throw 9. Repeat steps 67 to catch the ball.

Evan currently likes baseball and likes group activities. Therefore, being able to work on his ability to play in community settings with other children his age will increase his quality of life. A wiffle ball is used because a play place is inside and it is also a safer, softer form of baseball.

Play Place

Overall Rationale: While Evans Individual Education Plan does call for work in the academic area (such as math), instruction has been prioritized in the area of community skills in order to make him as independent as possible, while raising his quality of life. This decision was reached after speaking with his parents and observing things he likes to do at school, as well as observing those things which he can do, but needs work on. According to Evans strengths listed in the student profile, he likes group activities and play. Therefore, the community domain has been focused on. Each sub-environment has been carefully chosen in order to enable Evan to work on

his independence while also enjoying being around others, as well as communicating with others. The Motor-room sub-environment was chosen based on one of the needs listed in Evans student profile. By focusing on improving his manipulation of switches, Evan will be able to better communicate with those around him in order to express his wants and needs. This will increase his independence by allowing him to be in control of his decisions, while raising his quality of life because he will not need anyone else to try and decipher what it is he needs. The sub-environment of the track has been picked because Evans profile lists his need in improving the self-maneuvering of his wheel-chair. While he can manipulate his chair, his want is often minimal. It is based on a learned helplessness which needs to be reversed. By working on his desire to wheel himself, we hope to take him to the community gym so that he can be around others. Once he has mastered the track, it is our hope that he will be able to participate in other activities such as wheelchair basketball (with modifications, i.e., shorter post attached to the basketball net). Overall, we believe this will increase not only his independence, but his quality of life as it will allow him to be surrounded by peers and participate in group play. A wish Evans parents have expressed is to be able to go out to dinner with him; therefore the future environment of a restaurant was chosen, focusing on the sub-environment of the dining area and the activity of eating. Evan has demonstrated his ability to use a spoon without the help of others. We have chosen on to work on his ability to use both a spoon and fork, and determining which should be used for certain types of food. We will first work on this at home and in the cafeteria at school, then demonstrate his skills at the restaurant in the

community. Not only will this increase his independence, but also his quality of life ensuring that he will be able to visit community restaurants and be surrounded by peers and family. The last sub-environment listed in the community domain is the ball area at the local play facility in the community. Evan and his family are fans of baseball, therefore the activity of throwing a Wiffle ball was chosen. This activity will not only allow for Evan to participate in group play, but also will work on his physical needs of exercise. This domain will also correspond with the domain of the gym. Once Evan masters the maneuvering of his wheelchair, he can participate in more activities that are offered at the play place, such as basketball. The main goal of special education services, especially amongst those with severe disabilities, it to become more independent. Overall, each activity was chosen based on Evans strengths and needs listed in his student profile, focusing on his ability to become independent in each area. He still has other domains which will be worked on but due to his desire to participate in group play and activities, which is portrayed by his vocalizations of partiality, the domain of community was focused on so that he could become more independent, therefore allowing him to participate fully in many activities offered in these community settings. Once his mastery has been reached at each activity, he can generalize the skills he has learned from his current settings, to future settings. For instance, his ability to maneuver his wheelchair right now, will generalize to his ability to move it around the track and towards an wanted destination, which then can be generalized on the wheelchair basketball court. With his increase in independence, we believe it will increase his ability to participate in group activities and group play in the community, therefore increasing his quality of life.