Meet Jared

Jared is a 12 year old student who has been followed since infancy due to a multiplicity of handicapping conditions. At two months, he was diagnosed with septo-optic dysplasia (also known as De Morsier's Syndrome), a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk. He began occupational therapy services at four months. Speech and language services and special instruction were added at 10 months. At age four, unable to be tested using standardized tests, he was diagnosed with pervasive developmental delay, severe inattention, and distractibility. At age five, Jared was re-evaluated and described as having relative strength in verbal areas and significant weaknesses in non-verbal, visual tasks. The diagnosis of septo-optic dysplasia was confirmed, and he was described as having a severely restricted visual field as well as significant delays in visual perceptual skills.
His educational history reflects a plan of partial mainstreaming paired with 1:1 instruction in a variety of settings. For the last three years, he attended a school for students with special needs. His current class consists of ten students, a head teacher, a co-teacher, an assistant teacher, and three 1:1 teachers, one of whom is assigned to Jared. Jared has a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) to systematically improve his safety skills, attention to and independence for routine tasks, and interaction skills. He receives 90 minutes of speech language therapy, 60 minutes of occupational therapy, and 30 minutes of physical therapy weekly.

Jared’s Present Level of Educational Performance:
    Despite his visual difficulties, reading is Jared’s greatest academic strength. His sight word vocabulary and decoding skills are at age level. However, comprehension skills are almost two standard deviations below the mean. Because of his rich home life and relatively strong verbal skills, general knowledge about many subjects is also an area of strength. However, he scores between kindergarten and first grade on all subtests of the Key Math. Although he has mastered some basic written language skills, his handwriting skills are not functional for school tasks at this time. His occupational therapist describes his significant difficulties managing tools because of deficits in hand strength, visual motor coordination, and motor planning. He also shows great scatter in activities of daily living and is at particular risk because he does not follow group directions or stay with the group during transitions between activities or when in the community.

Accommodations and Relevant Educational Objective for Jared:
    For large group instruction, Jared is seated close to the teacher and has quick access to a computer located near his desk. Small group instruction is carried out at tables located around the perimeter of the room. Many strategies and adaptations are routinely used to facilitate Jared’s participation in classroom activities and instruction. Of particular interest for this case study is the use of technology to work around his handwriting deficits so that he can access the same worksheets his peers are using in class and for homework. The current relevant IEP objective is: Using the “forms” option in Microsoft word documents, Jared will use the computer to complete classroom and homework assignments with 80% accuracy

Strategies and Tools for Jared:
    Initially, Jared’s history with AT began two years ago, when teachers realized that his handwriting deficits were preventing him from completing worksheets along with his peers. Classroom staff, Jared’s parents, and the Assistive Technology Team Leader met and implemented the following: continuation of handwriting goals and objectives on his IEP, the use of computer programs to enhance his typing skills and a label maker to complete worksheets in class.
    Because his academic load increased when Jared transitioned from lower to middle school, the tools and strategies needed to be updated. The current strategies and tools are as follows:

1. Environment: As described above, Jared is seated near the teacher with access to a classroom desktop computer. He can move quickly from his desk to the computer without disrupting his classmates.
2. Digital Worksheets/Forms: Worksheets are presented to Jared in digital format, using Microsoft Word/Forms, a widely available option accessed by clicking on View > Toolbars > Forms.
   Advantages of this technology are many:
   1. Usefulness: The “forms” option allows the teacher to type questions and choose a text field, check box, or drop down menu for the answer format. The teacher can then lock the text so students can answer questions without deleting or changing the content.
   2. Accessibility: Staff can access his folder from any computer in the school. Jared’s documents are saved in his classroom folder on the Network Classroom drive of the school’s network in a sub folder titled “Jared’s Digital Worksheets.”
   3. Ease of use for staff: Although the technology was fairly easy for the staff to master, the Assistive Technology Team leader was responsible for training staff.
   4. Versatility: If opportunities arise for Jared to write and no worksheets have been prepared ahead, the teacher working with him can quickly access Microsoft Word/forms and “wing it” so that Jared can participate.
   5. Ability to transfer information to and from school. “Forms” is also available on Jared’s home laptop computer. Worksheets from his Digital Worksheets Folder can be easily copied and sent home for homework using a thumb drive. The Assistive Technology Team leader trained Jared’s 1:1 teacher and also prepared a step-by-step, illustrated guide sheet.
   6. Adaptability: Jared will be able to generalize his skills when he transitions to the upper school, where extensive use is made of “forms” to fill out job applications on the computer.
3. Digital Worksheets/Scanned: Other worksheets are scanned into the system. This technology proved to be more challenging for the Assistive Technology Team Leader and for the classroom staff. In addition to hands-on training, the Assistive Technology Team Leader developed an illustrated, step-by-step guide for scanning.

Checking Progress
The strategies and tools are a part of Jared’s daily experience, allowing him to access the same materials as his peers. The Assistive Technology Team Leader is available to troubleshoot, but so far the system is working smoothly.

Implications
Several facets of Jared’s digital worksheet system were critical to its success.

• The objective: The objective is specific and measurable.
• The technology: The technology is widely available, uncomplicated, and reliable.
• The training: Initial hands-on training was enhanced and supported by the extensive guide created by the Assistive Technology Team Leader.
• The IEP team: Once the system was established and the 1:1 teacher trained, the entire classroom team and the parents had high expectations for its success. In addition, the low student-staff ratio helped to make the system a success.

Jared is a 12 year old student who has been followed since infancy due to a multiplicity of handicapping conditions. At two months, he was diagnosed with septo-optic dysplasia (also known as De Morsier's Syndrome), a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk. He began occupational therapy services at four months. Speech and language services and special instruction were added at 10 months. At age four, unable to be tested using standardized tests, he was diagnosed with pervasive developmental delay, severe inattention, and distractibility. At age five, Jared was re-evaluated and described as having relative strength in verbal areas and significant weaknesses in non-verbal, visual tasks. The diagnosis of septo-optic dysplasia was confirmed, and he was described as having a severely restricted visual field as well as significant delays in visual perceptual skills.
His educational history reflects a plan of partial mainstreaming paired with 1:1 instruction in a variety of settings. For the last three years, he attended a school for students with special needs. His current class consists of ten students, a head teacher, a co-teacher, an assistant teacher, and three 1:1 teachers, one of whom is assigned to Jared. Jared has a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) to systematically improve his safety skills, attention to and independence for routine tasks, and interaction skills. He receives 90 minutes of speech language therapy, 60 minutes of occupational therapy, and 30 minutes of physical therapy weekly.