Case Studies

Case Study 1, Part 1

Enrollment

 Arwynn’s mother, Mrs. Colatta, brought her to Ridgewood Elementary School for enrollment in early March. The family had moved into the local school division from a neighboring community about a month prior. Arwynn had been homeschooled prior to the move. Mrs. Colatta informed the principal that Arwynn had a medical diagnosis of autism and that she wanted to get special education for her because Arwynn was becoming too difficult to educate at home. The principal inquired if Arwynn had ever received special education or been evaluated for special education. Mrs. Colatta informed him that the previous school division did not consider Arwynn for any services because she was homeschooled.

The principal explained that Arwynn could start school immediately, but that she would have to be found eligible for special education services. He asked Mrs. Colatta what concerns she had and what she thought Arwynn might need to be successful. Mrs. Colatta informed him that although Arwynn was a first grader, she used very little spoken language to communicate. Arwynn primarily used phrases that she heard while watching Peppa Pig such as “I love muddy puddles” and “George, you’ve done it all wrong!” Mrs. Colatta stated that she had been diligently following a homeschooling program, but she was unsure if Arwynn could read or do first-grade level math. She stated that Arwynn could count to 100 (and did so all the time). Arwynn could also sing the alphabet song. Mrs. Colatta also stated that Arwynn had significant tantrums and would sometimes hit herself when she was upset or frustrated.

The principal thanked Mrs. Colatta for sharing and said he knew just the right first-grade teacher for Arwynn. He suggested that Arwynn start school the next day and that they give Arwynn a couple weeks to settle in before they decide if she should be considered for special education. Mrs. Colatta agreed and made plans to bring Arwynn to school a little before the beginning of the school day so she could meet her teacher and get used to her classroom.

School Begins

Arwynn arrived for her first day of public school about 15 minutes before school started. She walked into the building with her mother and was confident entering the office. Ms. Anderson, the first-grade teacher, came to the office to greet her and invited Mrs. Colatta to walk down to the classroom with them. Arwynn held her mother’s hand as Ms. Anderson showed them around the classroom. As other students began to arrive Arwynn began humming loudly and rocking. She then began to pull her mother out of the classroom and hit the sides of her head with open hands when her mother didn’t let her leave. Mrs. Colatta and Ms. Anderson were able to engage Arwynn with some Legos at the back table and she calmed down. Seeing that her daughter was calm and engaged, Mrs. Colatta quietly left.

Ms. Anderson allowed Arwynn to continue building with Legos as the rest of the class completed morning routines and began their morning work. She then approached Arwynn with a coloring activity. Arwynn began screaming and ran around the room. She tried to leave the classroom, but Ms. Anderson was able to stop her at the door. When Arwynn was blocked from leaving the classroom, she dropped to the floor and hit herself repeatedly. Ms. Anderson called the office for assistance.

School Continues

Ms. Anderson felt overwhelmed by Arwynn’s needs. As the week progressed, Arwynn became increasingly persistent about leaving the classroom. She would just run out the door as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Arwynn was only content when she was allowed to play with the Legos. Otherwise, she would cry, hit herself, and run around the room. Ms. Anderson reached out to her principal for assistance. He agreed to provide a substitute as temporary assistant for the classroom until Arwynn settled in. Ms. Anderson shared her opinion that Arwynn would need more specialized support than a substitute teaching assistant could offer and asked about having a special education referral meeting. The principal said he would reach out to Mrs. Colatta to see if she wanted to have a meeting. Ms. Anderson informed the principal that she had been in contact with Mrs. Colatta already and she believed that Mrs. Colatta did want to have a meeting to discuss special education.

The Referral Meeting

The principal reached out to Mrs. Colatta and invited her to a meeting the first week of April to discuss the possibility of a special education evaluation. When Mrs. Colatta arrived at the meeting, she was surprised by all the people who were there. She thought it would just be her, the principal, and Ms. Anderson. During the meeting, Ms. Anderson talked about the strategies that she had implemented in an effort to support Arwynn. She was trying to give Arwynn brief tasks to work on with the designated teaching assistant, then rewarding her with Lego time. Ms. Anderson also reported that she was using pictures to show Arwynn the daily schedule. In spite of these supports, Arwynn was continuing to leave the classroom multiple times a day and hitting herself whenever a task was given to her. Mrs. Colatta shared that these were some of the behaviors that made her decide that homeschooling was not enough for Arwynn. She also shared that they had begun private speech therapy and occupational therapy.

The team agreed that an evaluation was appropriate. Hearing Ms. Anderson and Mrs. Colatta’s concerns about safety, the school psychologist asked if the team could work on an expedited schedule to get all evaluation components done within 30 days, instead of the allowed 65 days. All members of the team agreed that this could be done. Mrs. Colatta asked if Arwynn could receive special education while the testing was in progress. The principal explained that it was not allowed, by law. Ms. Anderson, the school psychologist, and the school social worker discussed options for additional supports that could be put in place during the evaluation process. The school psychologist agreed to consult with Ms. Anderson and the substitute teaching assistant to develop some additional strategies. The team identified the required elements of the assessment, explained them to Mrs. Colatta, and obtained her consent. They planned to have the eligibility meeting the first week of May.