Case Study:Jayland

Name:Jayland

Age:16

Grade:Grade 11, beginning of the year

Gender:Male

Area(s) of Exceptionality:Learning disability and gifted

Brief Description of Child and Family

Jayland, aka "Jaybird," is a bright, talkative, and personable young man. He was identified in the second grade with a specific leaning disability in reading. AlthoughJaylandcould understand stories that were read to him, he struggled with letter-sound correspondence and word recognition.Hewas alsounable tomanage independent reading tasks. His teachers foundJayland'sstruggles odd because he seemed very knowledgeable and was able to share his knowledge in conversations. They indicated that he was very reluctant to write and that his handwriting and spelling were terrible. They wondered how a child who seemed so engaging when you talked with him could be so far behind in reading and writing.Did he have a reading disability?Was he just lazy? Was he manipulating them? Were his parents not providing any structure or discipline at home? What could be done at school to helpJaylandbe successful? How can we better support him?

Jaylandbecame reluctant to try any task that involved independent reading or writing. Whenever he wanted to avoid ataskhe felt he could not do, he would try to distract his teachers with a myriad of questions, entertain his peers with witticisms, and/or claim that he needed to go to the bathroom. His teachers were concerned that these avoidance behaviors could escalate into real problems over time. A parent-teacher conference was held, after which a comprehensive evaluation was completed.Jayland'slearning disability was identified, but his giftedness was not.

In elementary schoolJaylandreceived resource room services for reading and written language. His IEP specified that he could use the computer for lengthy written expression and that when he did not have access to a spell-checker, he should not be penalized for spelling errors on in-class work. He was taught the writing process with drafting and editing to ensure that his work was polished. He learned several prewriting techniques to help him organize his ideas (for example, graphic organizers, outlines, and software that supported editing). His written language improved and whenhe wasgiven time to polish his work, his products were on or above grade-level expectation. Despite the reading support, his reading rate was slow, and independent levelreading(except for science books) remainedtwoyears below grade level.

At home with his parents, Rasheed and Tamika, and his two younger sisters,Jaylandwas a "typical teen." His room was a mess, his cell phone rarely left his side, and his computer was always on. His interests, however, were not so typical. At his father's suggestion,Jaylandstarted a rock collection in second grade (right after his LDdetermination). Rasheed felt thatJaylandneeded direction and that they needed something to do together. His parents discussed a pet, but Tamika vetoed having another mouth to feed. They settled on a collection and, factoring in the high costs of some collectible items, decided that a rock collection was the answer.

In third grade,Jaylandwon the science fair contest with his "Rock the World" display showing how the rocks of the region were formed.Jaylandtook a prize, including two more first prizes, in every science fair he entered over the next few years, with projects that explored geological history, the uses of rocks and minerals, the crystalline structure and properties of rocks that make them useful, and predictions about the mineral compositions of other planets based on their light spectrums. Hisseventh-gradescience teacher, Ms. Ward, wondered whyJaylandhad never been included in the gifted education program. "He has a learning disability" was the answer!

Ms. Ward read about students who were 2e (gifted with disabilities) and decided to exploreJayland'scase further. When reviewingJayland'sIEP evaluation, she noticed that his IQ score results showed wide discrepancies across subtests and across the verbal and nonverbal scores (see "Assessment Data"). Ms. Ward knew that these patterns were often seen with students who were both gifted and learning disabled (thus twice exceptional). After a conference withJayland'sparents, she nominatedJaylandfor the gifted education program, and he was accepted.

Jayland'sparents were both proud of him and frustrated with the school. They asked why nobodyhadthought of this before. They were determined to make sure thatJayland'sgifts would not go unserved in high school.

In high schoolJaylandwas placed in AP science classes and took honors English. He was given some additional time to complete his reading assignments and allowed to use recordings for some of them. He was given the same modifications for in-class work (no penalty for spelling errors if he did not have access to a computer with spell-check), and he was allowed to do his lengthy written assignments on the computer.Jaylandreceived resource room support: study skills sessions, review of his written projects, and help organizing his materials and work. He was on target with his math classes and would complete calculus in the twelfth grade. His grades were mostly Bs, except in science where he was always an A+ student.

He gotAsin his three online classes (psychology, computer literacy, and U.S. history), which seemed to be an ideal format for his success. He said, "I feel like I can take my time and really learn things in my online classes...I can look over things as many times as I need and my teachers seem to like my sense of humor when I write in comments! It is easier for me to use the computer for everything."

Areas of Strength

Jayland'ssocial skills are strong. He is engagingandkind, and enjoys people. He has a quirky sense of humor, which is a lot of fun. His strong interest in science has led to friendships and the formation of a "rocks" club. He is bright and works hard. His teachers oftencitehis leadership abilities and call on him to help with other students.

Areas of Concern

Jaylandstill reads slowly, and his independent reading level (without books on tape) is below grade level. His handwriting remains poor, and his spelling is impossible to decipher. Without a computer and spell-check,Jayland'swork is messy, unorganized, and often incomplete. He also takes far longer than his peers to produce high-quality written products. His parents and teachers are concerned that these challenges will make college very difficult. They wonder if colleges have any supports for students with learning disabilities.

Assessment DataCognitive Abilities

The most recent test data forJayland, completed as part of his three-year review, shows the continued pattern of strengths and challenges often seen for students who are 2e. His cognitive abilities range from superior (94 percent) to average (50 percent). The 19-point difference between his verbal and nonverbal percentile ranks makesit hard to captureJayland'sabilities with a combined score.

Results from Stanford-BinetIntelligence Scales, Fifth Edition
Nonverbal Domain Tests	Scaled Score and Range
Fluid reasoning Knowledge Quantitative reasoning Visual-spatial processing Working memory	12 - High Average 13 - Above Average 10 - Average 10 - Average 10 - Average
Verbal Domain Tests	Scaled Score and Range
Fluid reasoning Knowledge Quantitative reasoning Visual-spatial processing Working memory	16 - Superior 11 - Average 11 - Average 11 - Average 12 - High Average
Domain	IQ or Factor Score	Percentile	90% Confidence Interval
Nonverbal Verbal Full scale Fluid reasoning Quantitative reasoning Visual-spatial Working memory	105 114 110 123 100 103 106	63 82 75 94 50 58 66	100-110 108-118 107-113 114-128 94-106 97-109 98-112

Achievement Scores

DespiteJayland'saverage-to-superior cognitive abilities, his scores on theWoodcock-Johnson IV (WJIV) Tests of Achievementshowbelow-grade-level equivalents for basic reading and written expression.

WJIV Tests of Achievement Scores
Subtests	Age Equivalent	Grade Equivalent	Percentile	Standard Score
Basic reading skills	11-10	6.5	16	85
Letter-word identification	15-0	9.5	34	94
Word attack	8-10	3.5	10	81
Written expression	15-1	9.6	41	97
Writing samples	19	13.0	54	102
Writing fluency	13-7	8.2	33	93

ThepsychologistwhotestedJaylandindicated thatJaylandshowed a high-average Full-Scale IQ score of 110 on SB-V, with superior fluid reasoning (factor score of 123).He demonstrated relatively weak phonics skills, contributing to a basic reading compositescore that falls one standard deviation below the mean. Given his high-average cognitive functioning (Full-Scale IQ score of 110), his score in basic reading is below expectancy and indicates the presence of a learning disability in the specific academic area of basic reading.

Grades from First Marking Period
Content Area	Grade	Comments
Honors English	B	Jaylandis working hard and his work show this.
Geometry	B+	Math is going well this semestergood job,Jayland!
Physics	A+	I love havingJaylandas a studenthe makes my day!
U.S. History (online)	A
Spanish	C
Art	B+	Nice work.

• What areas of the Information Processing Model would be shaded forJayland?
• How would you work withJayland'sfamily to change his school performance?
• What UDL strategies would you use to helpJaylandimprove?