Exceptional Learning Needs Analysis

This paper will compare and contrast the core characteristics of two children with exceptional learning needs, how it impacts their learning and the instructional strategies to improve reading and math skills. The information is based on classroom observation of students with ASD and Down syndrome in the areas of behavior, academic functioning and socialization with peers.
Keywords: ASD, Down syndrome, echolalia, inferences, theory of mind

Teaching children with exceptional learning needs requires an understanding of the core characteristics of their disabilities. Through understanding these characteristics, teachers have the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each student. Alejandra and Gianna are two

students with exceptional learning needs that were observed for the purposes of this paper.
Alejandra is a ten year old girl from a bilingual, Spanish family who lives in Brooklyn with her parents and two brothers. She is the middle child. She enjoys many activities including swim class, dance class, piano and flute lessons. She has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder commonly known as Trisomy 21. She attends a private school for disabled students from three to twenty one years of age. The school is located in the Grasmere neighborhood in Staten Island. Alejandra is currently in a Primary 2 class which typically would be the equivalent of fifth grade. The class consists of nine students, six paras, a 1:1 nurse, one teacher’s assistant and one teacher. The class profile includes three students with Cerebral Palsy, two children with ASD, two children with Down syndrome, one child with ADHD and one child with Emanuel Syndrome. The education levels in the class range from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade. The core characteristics of children with Down syndrome include intellectual disabilities and cognitive delays, speech delays, poor motor skills and poor oral motor control. This often results in difficulty producing clear speech. Alejandra receives speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy in school throughout the week. Another common characteristic of children with Down syndrome is short term memory problems, particularly the ability to process and remember auditory information (Abdelahmeed, 2007). Children with Down syndrome commonly have difficulty with counting and number principles. When counting, they may skip objects, point to objects without counting them or count objects two times.
Gianna is a ten year old girl who lives in Staten Island with her parents and younger brother. English is the only language spoken in her house. She is involved in extracurricular activities including dance class, singing class and a program that helps children socialize. Gianna has Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects communication, socialization and behavior. The core characteristics of ASD include repetitive movements or behaviors. People with this disorder have difficulty making friends, engaging in conversation and have restricted interests in certain subjects. In addition, children with ASD are adverse to changes in routines. Gianna attends the same private school and is in the same Primary 2 class as Alejandra which consists of nine students and nine adults. Gianna receives speech, physical therapy and occupational therapy in school throughout the week. In addition, Gianna receives at home tutoring for approximately 8 hours per week. Gianna and Alejandra were both observed in their classroom during a typical school day.
Upon entering the classroom, the girls both respond to a greeting and are able to unpack their bags and hang them in the cubby. Alejandra will go directly to her seat and reads independently for up to twenty minutes. Gianna will unpack and sit but immediately asks what is next. A picture schedule is hanging at the front of the room so that she can see each period of the day. This need for order and predictable routines is imperative for Gianna to avoid an outburst. The times have intentionally been omitted from the schedule because any change in time will cause Gianna distress. She will cry, run or fall to the floor when she is extremely anxious. Gianna must be reassured and redirected to choose a book. She will look at the book alternating between reading and engaging in echolalia.
During reading instruction, both children are able to stay seated, remain quiet and perform some work independently. They are in the same reading group and read on a mid-first grade level. While both girls are able to read fluently and follow rules of punctuation, Gianna has more difficulty making inferences. Making inferences is one component of successful reading comprehension but a difficult skill particularly for children with ASD. This may be attributed to the fact that children with ASD have difficulties identifying characters’ emotions because of theory of mind deficits (Gargiulo, 2015). In addition, children with ASD have difficulty with social interactions. They are unable to draw on personal experiences to aid in making inferences. This is evident as the girls read a story about a mouse who wants to get across a lake. He is sitting at the shore and is very sad because he can’t get across the water. When asked why the mouse was sad, Gianna was unable to answer. She would give answers ranging from “because he is crying” to “he is sitting by the water.” Alejandra was able to identify the cause of the mouse’s sadness. In the same story a bird comes along looking for a nickel. The mouse has a nickel and can get a ride across the lake on the bird’s back. Gianna was unable to infer what would happen. One strategy to help improve this deficit is to practice “Detective Questions” (Jimenez-Fernandez, 2015). This technique introduces the children to the idea of inferencing with short scenarios. For example, Joseph walked out of his house and opened his umbrella. What was the weather? The teacher will model the correct response and explain that sometimes the author hides information for the reader to find. Another strategy that is helpful for Gianna is to have pictures of the characters in a story. Gianna will act out the story using the pictures to help her understand what the characters are doing and feeling.
Gianna appears to have a stronger understanding of numbers and counting.

This is evident during attendance. As the students enter the classroom, they write their names on the Smart Board. During attendance, Gianna will count the names on the board. If she misses a name, she will go back at the end and count one more (i.e. she counts 8 children but notices that she missed a name and says 9 instead of recounting all of the names over again). Gianna is performing on a late first grade to second grade level. She can add two digit numbers with regrouping, round numbers to the nearest ten, solve simple word problems, tell time to the nearest minute, tell elapsed time, count money and determine if she has enough money to purchase an item. Her math abilities are supported by her strong memory and desire for repetition. She can easily remember the steps used to add with regrouping. She will recite those steps as she applies them to an addition problem. On the contrary, Alejandra has some difficulty with math. She can count names during attendance using one to one correspondence but will not self-correct a mistake in counting. She can add two digit numbers but requires prompts to regroup even after extensive repeated practice. She is struggling with single digit subtraction which may be attributed to her delayed processing skills and her difficulty with verbal short-term memory. Children with short term memory deficits often have sequential memory deficits. (Herrera et al., 2011).

The most useful strategy for Alejandra to subtract is to have her draw circles or use her fingers. This makes subtracting less abstract. By giving her visual models, Alejandra can successfully solve subtraction problems.
Observations during recess provide the most telling difference between the two girls.

Gianna chooses the same ABC puzzle each day. She prefers to work alone and sings the ABC song as she repeatedly completes the puzzle. When encouraged to play with a peer, Gianna will sit next to that peer and engage in parallel play. Both students will have puzzles but Gianna shows no interest in the other child. This may be attributed to difficulties in people with ASD to socialize and communicate. However, Alejandra will interact with other children during play. She will chase them in a game of tag, complete puzzles, use Play Doh, or play catch with others. She appears to enjoy playing with her peers. One strategy to help Gianna socialize is to have both girls sit at a table with Gianna’s favorite puzzle and complete it

together.
In conclusion, Gianna and Alejandra are both ten year old students with disabilities. Each child faces academic challenges due to these disabilities. The difference in their abilities differs with the subject. Gianna is stronger in reading aloud but weaker in comprehension. Alejandra struggles with math and number concepts but is more adept at socializing and interacting with peers. Both children require substantial support from the teacher throughout the school day. They benefit from visual cues, repetitive instruction, one to one instruction and modeling. Gianna benefits from video modeling and social stories to improve her social disabilities and alleviate her anxiety. Alejandra benefits from visual cues, repetitive instruction and one to one instruction particularly when doing math. She requires written instructions with pictures to compensate for her verbal short term memory. Both children benefit from teacher made Velcro activity books to practice and maintain skills. So, while both girls have disabilities with different core features, they benefit from some of the same teaching techniques for academic success