Special Needs Case Study

Step 2: Collect Additional Student Information

Collect informal assessment data about your student to obtain specific information about his or her current performance abilities. Be sure to attach student work samples, if appropriate.

Directions for Step 2

  1. Download form for each task.
  2. Print out the form(s) to use in the classroom.
  3. Type the information to complete each form for your portfolio.

Forms for Step 2 (Word Format)

Task 2A: Conduct a Formal Observation

Formal Observations involve using an observational checklist or scale to guide your observations during a set period of time (a Time-Based Observation), or to focus your observation of a specific behavior or skill to determine how long the behavior or skill lasts or how often it occurs (an Event-Based Observation). Use the Observation: Formal/Structured form to report your results.

Task 2B: Conduct a Product Analysis

Another assessment technique involves analyzing a student's work or products. These products may include tests, essays, papers, worksheets, special projects, computer printouts, or other types of assignments completed in the classroom or as homework. This technique is less threatening than frequent tests or quizzes. However, an array of products related to the instructional objectives need to be available to analyze. Use the Product Analysis form to report your results.

Task 2C Conduct an Interview

Another technique you can use to collect valuable information for planning instruction is interviewing, or talking with the student. In addition to providing useful information about students’ learning skills, learning styles, or classroom behavior, talking to the student about how she or he learns best conveys the message that you are interested in helping the student do his or her best.

Before talking with the student, think about what information you would like to have as a result of the interview and formulate your discussion questions. Use the Interview form to report the results.

Task 2D: Develop a Profile of the Learner's Strengths and Unique Needs

Using the information you gathered for part 1 of the case study and the tasks you have completed in part 2, review, analyze, and interpret the information to complete the tasks below.

Statement of Current Functioning Level

Using information collected in the previous steps, summarize the student's current functioning across academic, personal-social, emotional, and interpersonal abilities. Current functioning level will vary from student to student depending on the student's disability and its impact on these areas of functioning.

Statement of Learner Strengths

This section should summarize the strengths and unique needs that the student brings to the learning situation. Again, you will find information collected in previous steps to be useful.

Statement of Learner's Unique Need

This section should summarize the student's instructional and educational needs in terms of instructional process and procedures, academic, personal, social, and emotional.