Perform

Note. Unknown author licensed under CC BY-SA.

The chapter concludes with a case study of Mark , a 16-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with a specific learning disability in reading comprehension and written expression.

Mark gets along well with his peers and has many friends. Outside of school, he likes to play his guitar and is involved in a community basketball program. Mark’s grades in school are B’s and C’s. His strengths include oral expression and interpersonal skills.

Mark has a father, mother, and two siblings in his house. He is the middle child of the three. His father is a salesman at the local car dealership, and his mother is an accountant. His older brother is in college studying to be a teacher. His younger sister is in eighth grade and is interested in music. Mark aspires to become a musician.

Mark likes to spend time with his friends after school playing basketball and writing music. His parents are worried because Mark does not prioritize his homework. His struggles with reading comprehension frustrate him and interfere with his ability to complete the work for his courses, which require a significant amount of reading. After Mark completes his readings, he struggles to answer the questions and put his thoughts on paper. Mark’s English teachers have  provided him with audio books for some assignments, which seem to help him somewhat. His teachers also break down readings into smaller parts, followed by questions that are specific to each section to scaffold his comprehension. This accommodation has increased his ability to comprehend short passages. Mark views his disability as a fault and as something to be ashamed of. After school, he plays his guitar and basketball with his peers, which increases his self-esteem and keeps him away from the academic work that he struggles to complete.

Mark’s transition plan in his Individual Education Plan includes going to a music academy. His parents feel that this would be the best way for him to hone his musical abilities and learn about the music business. They are concerned about his attitude toward academics but recognize his musical talent and support his intentions. Mark is afraid that he will not be successful in post-high school academics and believes that he can be a successful musician without going on to school.