ALL NAMES AND IDENTIFYING INFORMATION HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT PRIVACY IN THIS PUBLICATION.

Demographic Data:    Back to Top
 
 

Reason for Referral:

Jane Doe was referred for a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation by her parents.  It was reported that she was experiencing difficulty with attention and comprehension.  Therefore, an evaluation was conducted to determine the level of his ability.

Background Information:

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Jane Doe is a 16-year, x-month old biracial female who resides in *****.  She is currently enrolled in 11th grade at *****.  She lives with her parents and brother.

Jane Doe was a product of a full-term, standard delivery.  No complications were admitted.  It was reported that Jane Doe reached her developmental milestones, such as talking and walking, within normal limits.  Mrs. ***** descried her as depressed, withdrawn, and inattentive.  Over the last 2 years, Jane Doe has had difficulty falling and staying asleep resulting in constant fatigue.  Several months ago, she lost approximately 25 lbs. due to inconsistent eating (some days eating large quantities, other days not at all).  Mrs. ***** indicated that Jane Doe would often isolate herself rather than go out.  It was reported that depression ran in their family on the maternal side; there is also a history of high blood pressure.

Mrs. ***** described Jane Doe as well behaved.  Her parents provided her with praise when appropriate and grounded her from using the car as punishment.  They frequently had to repeat the things that they ask her to do.  Jane Doe enjoyed listening to music, dancing, singing, and participating in an after-school drama club.

Student Interview:

Jane Doe reported that she was only able to work on homework for short periods of time before she became tired.  She also felt unmotivated because the material was not interesting to her.  Jane Doe described herself as a slow reader and learner, often needing more time to complete quizzes and tests.  She indicated that she was not a good note-taker and usually read through the book in order to study for quizzes or tests.  She reported understanding class material more clearly when given the opportunity to discuss it with a partner.

At the time of the evaluation, Jane Doe had been absent from school seven times for various reasons.  She stated that she had a hard time making up the material that she missed while absent because she was unclear of the requirements and their priority over new assignments.  Jane Doe worried about the problems that her friends had with each other, as well as her academic performance
 

Teacher Interviews:

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Two of Jane Doe's teachers were interviewed: Mrs. A**** (Journalism), and Mr. S**** (TV Broadcasting).  She was failing both of these classes.  Both teachers reported that she was behind and had not turned in several assignments.  They were also concerned about the amount of days that she had been absent from school.  Mrs. A**** stated that she had very little one-on-one contact with Jane Doe so far this semester.
 

Behavioral Observations:

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Classroom Observations:

Jane Doe was observed over a 30-minute period in her Chemistry class.  She sat at a table with another girl.  She appeared to go through two to three minute intervals of either paying attention or not focusing.  When paying attention, she occasionally answered questions by either first raising her hand or saying the answer quietly out loud.  After the class discussion, the students were given a practice problem to complete independently.  This problem took Jane Doe longer than the other students to complete.  She frequently asked her neighbor questions about how to complete the problem.  When asked by the teacher if she needed help, Jane Doe first asked a small question then said that she did not understand.  The teacher then tried to further explain the problem with an example.  After the teacher walked away, Jane Doe asked her neighbor how to complete the problem.

Test Observations:

Jane Doe was observed within a one-to-one testing situation over four sessions.  The sessions took place in a quiet, well-lit room.  When the evaluation began, Jane Doe was friendly and ready to begin.  She spoke in a quiet, casual pace and was easily understood.  She sustained logical, appropriate conversation with the examiner.  Jane Doe frequently reread passages and checked her work.  While completing math problems, she did not utilize scratch paper until the problems became more difficult.  She used her right hand when required to write or point.
 

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Instruments Administered and Methods Used:

• Classroom Observation
• Parent Interview
• Student Interview
• Teacher Interview
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
• Wide Range Achievement Test
• Behavioral Assessment System for Children - Self-Report for Adolescents
• Student Styles Questionnaire

Present Testing Results:      Back to Top

Cognitive Ability Measure:

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition (WISC-III)
(Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15)

Achievement Measure:    Back to Top

Weschler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
(Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15)

Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
 (Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15)

Personality/Socio-emotional Measures:     Back to Top

Behavioral Assessment System for Children - Adolescent Self-Report (BASC)
(Mean = 50, Standard Deviation = 10, Norming Group = Female)

* At-Risk
** Clinically Significant
 

Student Styles Questionnaire (SSQ)
(Mean = 50, Standard Deviation = 10)

Clinical Impressions:      Back to Top

Cognitive Measure:

Cognitive functioning, as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition (WISC-III)), was found to be in the average range.  Specifically, Jane Doe obtained a Full Scale IQ of 108, which was comprised of a Verbal IQ of 102 and a Performance IQ of 113.  The chances that the range of scores from 102-113 included her true IQ are 95 out of 100.

There was a statistically significant discrepancy between the Verbal Comprehension (SS=38) and Perceptual Organization (SS=51).  Jane Doe's Freedom from Distractibility was found to be within the high average range and Processing Speed within the average range.  A significant strength was demonstrated in arithmetic.

Achievement:

Jane Doe's skills in reading, math, and written language varied.  Her skills in solving applied math were within the high average range, while her calculation skills were average.  A discrepancy such as this is characteristic of a Burris student where math application is emphasized over rote memorization of math facts.  She was able to work with fractions, decimals, and solve linear equations.  She demonstrated difficulty solving multi-step problems involving money and determining perimeter.

When compared to peers her age, Jane Doe’s reading skills were average.  When reading words, she occasionally added/omitted sounds (e.g., "phonography" for phonograph, "onesant" for omniscient).  On a task that required her to read a paragraph and then answer a question about what she read, she demonstrated some difficulty recognizing stated cause and effect.

Jane Doe's comprehension of written language and skills in expressing herself in written form were in the average range.  When writing, her ideas were extensively developed, but unorganized.  While her vocabulary was limited, Jane Doe made few grammatical errors.  When spelling words, she occasionally wrote an incorrect word despite it being used in a sentence (e.g., "profit" for prophet, "sight" for cite).

Oral expression was found to be high average when compared to Jane Doe’s same-aged peers.  Although, her performance in answering questions about stories presented orally was low average when compared to students her age.  Again, she demonstrated difficulty recognizing stated and implied cause and effect, as well as stated detail.

Personality/Socioemotional:

 Jane Doe’s overall behavior, emotional adjustment, and personality dynamics was measured with objective measures.  The personality assessment indicated an individual who displayed depressive tendencies that were affecting Jane Doe’s social/emotional life.  It indicated that Jane Doe was experiencing mild to moderate emotional distress characterized by apprehensiveness, worrying, and anxiety.  She felt that she was more sensitive than most people were and that life was a strain for her.  Jane Doe was experiencing significant life stressors, such as a poor academic performance.  She did not seem to have the necessary skills to cope with these stressors, which led to overwhelming feelings of depression and low self-esteem.  She wished that she could be as happy as others seem to be.  She felt inadequate and unreliable.  Despite these feelings, Jane Doe denied suicidal ideation.

Summary:

Jane Doe is a 16-year, x-month old biracial female.  Overall, indications from current testing suggest that Jane Doe’s general cognitive ability was commensurate with her achievement ability.  Her general cognitive ability was found to be within the average range.  On tests of achievement, Jane Doe scored in the average range for reading, writing, and language, and within the high average range for math.  Personality assessment results indicate that Jane Doe was displaying depressive tendencies.  Her feelings of depression were expressed through worry and anxiety, and, in turn, have lead to low self-esteem.
 

Recommendations:              Back to Top

Considering background information, behavioral observations and present testing, the following recommendations are made:

1. Jane Doe may benefit from receiving individual counseling services for her depression and self-esteem.  Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy focusing on her negative cognitive style may be beneficial to her.

2. It may be beneficial for Jane Doe to continue to engage in extracurricular activities of interest.  This may help him to build positive peer relationships.  Positive experiences of this sort may aid in building his self-esteem as well.

3. Jane Doe liked, and often sought out, verbal praise at home.  Providing her with frequent praise in the school setting for both appropriate behavior and academic performance may help to raise her self-esteem, as well as alleviate some of her school-related anxiety.

4. It is recommended that Jane Doe follow a set schedule each day.  This may ensure that the appropriate amount of time is allotted each day for eating and sleeping.  Time should also be set aside for completing homework and studying.

5. Jane Doe may benefit from studying in pre-set intervals (e.g., 45 minute periods) followed by short breaks (e.g., 15 minutes).  This may allow her to better focus while working.  Goals could be set for what material is to be completed during the work period.

6. Burris offers after-school tutoring and study times.  Jane Doe could utilize this time to work with a partner on various assignments or get help on topics that she does not understand.

7. Due to Jane Doe's difficulty understanding verbal material, she may benefit from one or all of the following:

A.  Reviewing the orally presented directions with a classmate to check for accuracy and understanding.  In addition, instructions should be simple and concrete to make them easier to understand.
B. Working with a partner on various projects and assignments whenever appropriate.

8. Since Jane Doe has not developed strong listening comprehension skills, her note-taking skills may also be limited.  Jane Doe may wish to consider the following:

A. Asking a classmate for notes on a regular basis.
B. Tape recording lectures in order to review and enhance notes later.
C.  Asking her teachers for an outline of the current lesson on which she can write additional information.  The outline could act as an advance organizer for Jane Doe - helping her to pick out the important points.

9. Jane Doe reported that she felt was a slow reader and learner.  She indicated that she often felt rushed on quizzes and tests.  She may benefit from being provided with more time to complete quizzes and tests.  This may allow her to apply adequate thought into each answer, as well as have time to check her work upon completion.

10. Jane Doe stated that she often felt unmotivated to complete her assignments because they were not interesting to her.  She may be more successful at completing her assignments if allowed to choose topics that are of interest to her when appropriate.  A variation of this would be to allow her to alter assignments, as desired, within pre-set guidelines.

11. It is recommended that Jane Doe maintain a planner on a daily basis.  All assignments, quizzes, and tests, as well as activities, should be entered into this planner.  This way Jane Doe will not have to depend on her memory to recall all of the things that she needs to get done.  The individual assignments could be initialed by each teacher and then by Mr./Mrs. ***** each night as completed.  Utilizing a planner on a consistent basis can also help teach Jane Doe long-term planning skills.

12. Jane Doe expressed an interest in attending college upon graduating from high school.  It may be beneficial for her to discuss this with the school counselor.  Entrance requirements, as well as expectations, could be discussed.
 
 

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Sherri A. Sharp, M.S.                                                           Date
School Psychology Intern