Perform

Ed (he/him) is a White 13-year-old seventh grader whose preferred pronouns are he/him. His primary disability is Other Health Impairment (OHD) per his Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and due to a medical diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He receives services specifically related to his behaviors, organization, and math. He lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN with his biological mother, stepfather, and two high school-age siblings. His biological father is in and out of prison; yet, he spends time with Ed when he can. Ed enjoys playing on his computer, watching TV, and spending time with his family– specifically his cousins, as they are closer to his age. Ed often talks about his desire to attend college and be a police officer or doctor.

In school, Ed’s teachers report that he has strengths in his comprehension of material and ability to provide insights in class discussions. However, Ed’s math ability is much lower than his reading ability, likely impacted by his medical conditions. These medical needs manifest as an unwillingness to complete undesirable activities and a consistent level of distractibility likely caused by deficits in social and executive functioning skills. His teachers shared that he completes only about 50% of his homework. To support Ed’s needs, he has received special education support since preschool. First, as a student with a Developmental Delay, then as a student with OHI due to his diagnoses of ADHD – combined type, anxiety disorder, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder. Despite his struggles, Ed spends most of his day in the general education classroom.

Below are the highlights of Ed’s IEP:

Areas of Need:

1. Ed needs to increase his social skills.
2. Ed needs to increase his executive functioning skills such as regulating his attention and emotions and organizing and completing assignments.
3. Ed needs to increase his math calculation and problem-solving skills.

Special Education Supports:

1. Resource math with Mary  (she/her) working on math calculation and organization.
2. Social skills classes with Annette (she/her), the school social worker, to work on self-regulation and problem-solving.
3. One-to-one meetings with Annette (she/her), the school social worker, four times a month.

Accommodations/Modifications:

1. Ed can take a break to regulate his emotions or talk with a trusted adult.
2. Ed will have access to repeated and/or visual directions.
3. Ed will have access to preferential and/or alternative seating.
4. Ed will be given subtle redirection if he is observed to be off-task.
5. Ed will have access to fidgets.
6. Ed will be given extended time to finish assignments or tests.

Yet, as Ed nears the end of his seventh-grade year, his teachers are worried. Recently, there was a mass shooting at a neighboring middle school. Since then, Ed shared with the school social worker that he has sleep problems and has also begun engaging in self-harm. Also with that, his teachers have noticed increased work refusal and his being increasingly distracted. Moreover, his homework completion is well below 50%. Further, his peers recently would not pick Ed for team sports during a “fun day” because he often became distracted and wandered off during the game.

When Ed’s IEP manager contacted his caregivers about their concerns, his mother mentioned that Ed is not getting ready for school on time. Also, she shared that Ed has trouble remaining seated during dinner, which interrupts mealtime for the rest of the family. His teachers and caregivers are worried and at a loss. One teacher recently approached his IEP manager in the school parking lot to discuss their concerns and shared, “I just wish Ed’s mom would discipline him more at home because this is what happens when she doesn’t.”