What Do Manuel’s Results Mean?

 As a special educator you must be able to interpret the results of assessments in order to make sound recommendations for appropriate accommodations and interventions.  In order to do this you must understand the patterns of the disability you are working with and you must know how to interpret the results of the assessments and evaluations so that you can draw accurate conclusions.

Using support from the required readings, the Instructor Guidance, supplemental information derived from the discussions and outside sources, and information from the scenario described below, you will write a 3 page paper describing what you think Manuel’s results mean and the strategies you think will help him to better succeed in school.

Scenario: The Evaluation Committee (EC) is preparing to meet for the purpose of reviewing all assessment results that have been conducted for Manuel.  They will also be reading your Evaluation Summary.  You are confident the team is going to find that Manuel has an educational disability and that it is adversely affecting his educational performance.  You and Mr. Franklin note that the assessment prepared by the school psychologists suggests that Manuel has dyslexia, a type of learning disability affecting reading and writing skills.

Neither you nor Mr. Franklin know very much about this common language-based learning disorder and you both decide to do a little research on the topic in preparation for the upcoming Individualized Education Program team meeting.  You and Mr. Franklin are looking both for specific strategies that can be implemented unobtrusively in the classroom, and for more focused strategies that will take place outside of the classroom setting.  You also want to have some resources for Manuel and his parents so there can consistency between the home and school settings. 

As you learn more, you and Mr. Franklin begin to suspect that Manuel is not the only one of your students who may be dyslexic and you plan to talk to the Chair of the Special Education department about finding and using a screening instrument for all students in school so that children may receive the appropriate intervention earlier.

Instructions: 
This assignment requires that you use Manuel’s assessment results to learn more about his specific learning disability so that you can provide appropriate accommodations and interventions.  You will explore dyslexia and how the symptoms manifest to significantly impact a child’s education.  You will also provide research-based recommendations for strategies to support Manuel in being more successful in school. Interpreting assessment result to identify a student’s strengths and areas of need are skills that will be used in this task and as your move into the real-world workforce.

Use the instructions below for the content and written communication expectations.  Before submission, review your assignment using the Grading Rubric to ensure it meets the expectations for distinguished performance.  If you have questions about the assignment or the rubric, please contact your Instructor using the “Ask Your Instructor” discussion before the due date.

Content Expectations:
For this assignment, write a 3 page paper with the following components:

• A concise introduction describing the purpose of the paper.
• A chart describing three possible signs of dyslexia.
• An explanation for why dyslexia is considered by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act as a Specific Learning Disability
• A summary of current research on the causes of dyslexia.
• A description of at least three specific teaching strategies to support students who have dyslexia.
• An analysis of the strengths that dyslexic students often exhibit.
• A conclusion summarizing what you have learned from your research on this topic. 
• Use Graphics and/or Other Formatting Tools Such as Prezi to Make the Document Interactive and Engaging.

Written Expectations:

• Syntax and Mechanics:  Exhibit meticulous use of grammar, spelling, organization, and usage throughout your submission.
• Organization:  Use the above listed guidelines for explicit sections/headings within your paper.
• Source Requirement:  Reference at least four scholarly sources in addition to the course text in order to provide compelling evidence to support your ideas.
• Page Requirement:  3 to 4 pages, not including the title and references pages.
• Additional Page Requirement:  Your submission must include a title and reference page.
• APA format:  All in text citations, page format and references must be written in APA 6th edition format.