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Lauren Fox
Professor Bernstein
May 5, 2013
Summary

The student I worked with over the past two semesters, Liam (pseudonym), is a
boy in fourth grade. He has two older brothers one in seventh grade and the other a
sophomore in high school. Liam lives in Yonkers with his brothers and parents, attends a
catholic school, and comes from a middle socio-economic standing.
In the time I spent working with Liam, helping him with homework and
administering him the WIAT-III, I learned a lot about Liam and his skills, strengths,
weaknesses, and study habits. I used what I learned through my observations and the
results of Liams performance on the WIAT-III, to write up an IEP that I feel is
appropriate for Liam and his needs (academic, social, etc).
In my conversations with Liams mother and my observations of Liams study
skills, Liam is very competitive in all aspects of his life. This was something that was
first reported to me by his mother. I later observed this myself, when watching Liam play
baseball with his older brother. His competitiveness, I learned, can sometimes cause a rift
between him and his competitor. As a result, this is something both Liams mother and
his teacher would like to address to avoid Further, I learned that Liam displays what
seems to be a great deal of confidence when asked questions that he considered easy.
On the other hand when Liam struggles with questions or work, he becomes very fidgety
and seems uncomfortable. Often times, when he didnt know the answer he would say,

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Well Im just going to guess. My conversations with Liams mother as well as my
observations showed me that Liam rushes through his work. Liam worked very well on
the WIAT-III assessment. He did need to be removed from distractions such as the
television and his brothers, but once the distractions were eliminated he was very
focused.
Liams results on the WIAT-III subtests indicate that generally his reading and
math skills are average for his grade level. Liams scored in the below average range for
just two subtests; receptive vocabulary and numerical operations. The receptive
vocabulary subtest asked him to point to the picture (out of four) that represented the
vocabulary word (i.e. point to jar). The numerical operations subtest included math
questions related to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, order of operations,
fractions, algebraic equations, negative numbers, etc. Liam exhibited difficulty with
problems involving fractions, algebraic equations, and negative numbers. Further, while
he did not score below average on either comprehension subtest, he was at the very lowend of the average range and seemed to struggle through this subtest.
Based on these observations, conversations, and results, I wrote up an IEP for
Liam that I feel best addresses his needs and aims to strengthen his areas of weakness.
Liams annual goals address his reading comprehension, his ability to respond
appropriately to losses, and math skills such as simplifying fractions, finding equivalent
fractions, adding/subtracting negative numbers, etc. These goals were written based on
Liams academic and social needs as demonstrated through observations and the WIATIII. Further, the IEP indicates that Liam will receive Counseling as a Related Service.
These sessions were included to help Liam to adjust his responses to losses. In meeting

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with a counselor, I believe Liam can learn ways to self-assess and correct his responses
when he loses. Further, this was something both Liams mother and teacher wanted
addressed. Liam will receive all his lessons in an inclusion class. Based on observations
and the WIAT-III, he does not need to be pulled out to address an area or subject. Liams
IEP also indicates that he will receive some test accommodations including location with
minimal distractions, breaks, and additional paper for math calculations. These test
accommodations were chosen based on observations during the WIAT-III assessment. As
observed during the administration of the WIAT, Liam needs to be displaced from
distractions. I feel he will be more likely to succeed if he is placed in a location that does
not offer many distractions (i.e. not a lot of visuals, away from classmates who may
distract him, etc). Liam would also benefit from breaks, especially when he starts to lose
his confidence. During the WIAT, Liam started to get fidgety and uncomfortable when he
was unsure. Thus, a break in this situation may help Liam to clear his mind for a few
minutes.
These accommodations, services, and goals were all written based on direct
observations of Liams work habits and his performance on the WIAT-III. I feel that the
IEP is written to best support Liams needs and encourage his success.