Social-Emotional Assessment Report

Name: Birthdate: Gender: Parent: Chris Doe November 28, 1995 Male Mrs. Senorita Doe Age: 14 years 11 months School: Teachers: Grade: Somewhere Secondary Ms. Madame Ten

Date of Report: December 1, 2010 Phone Number:

Examiner: Linh Nguyen

REASON FOR REFERRAL Chris was referred by the School Based Team for a social-emotional assessment of Chriss learning profile because of behavioural concerns. Chris has demonstrated oppositional and defiant behaviour in the classroom setting when asked to complete routine academic tasks. The purpose of this assessment is to gain an understanding of Chriss behaviour and to provide programming recommendations for his educational program. HISTORY
FAMILY

Chris lives with his mom, step dad, grandma, his ten year old sister and his brother who is one year old. He is the only person in the house that has his own room. Chris states he gets along with everyone in his family but often fight with his sister. School Chris has been attending Somewhere Secondary since the start of his grade eight year. Chris has a history of severe behavioral challenges. In 2009-2010 school year, as a result of his behavioral challenges, a referral was made by the school base team for Chris to be placed in an alternate program. His teachers state that he is a capable student who does not apply himself in his studies. In his grade nine report card, Chris received an incomplete in most of his classes because of frequent absences, low test scores and missed assignments. He is now repeating his grade nine academic courses in his grade ten year. To date in the 2010-2011 school year, Chris has not exhibited any major behavior concerns though he continues to have frequent absences from his classes. When he does attend class, Chris spends the majority of the class time talking to his peers and very little time is spent on completing the work assigned. He is at risk of failing his academic courses a second time.

ASSESSMENTS AND PROCEDURES USED 1

Linh Nguyen, the examiner, carried out four forms of assessments in order to get a better understanding of Chris's behavior. This will help staff towards developing a support plan that will help Chris to meet the academic expectations which will enable him to become successful in his school endeavors.

Observation Interview with Chris Conners 3rd Edition (Conners 3) (Refer to Appendix A, p.5) Behaviour Assessment for Children Second Edition (BASC2)(Refer to Appendix B, p. 6-7)

*** Refer to Appendix C (p. 8) for a description of types of scores. Assessment Results 1 Observation Using the partial interval and ad lib reporting method, Chris was observed to be off-task for a period of 70 of the 90 ten second intervals, which is 78% of the 10 second intervals of the 15 minutes This was during a time when he was in his Skills class working independently on completing his Socials Studies worksheet. His off-task behavior included talking to his peers, looking around the room, conversing with the teacher on topics unrelated to the task and having his head down on his desk with his eyes closed. Interview Chris is at risk of failing his academic classes for the second year in a row. The School Base Team has made a referral for him to be transferred to an alternative placement as his behavior continues to be a concern for his teachers. In the interview, Chris stated reasons for his failing grades which are: he loses his belongings, he doesn't do the work, he shows up late or not at all for his classes, and his is not actively involved in the lesson. The factors that may contribute to his academic achievement are: his relationship with the teacher, his weak understanding of the content of most subjects, his poor understanding of the teachers instructions, his need to be active (i.e., soccer), and his aspirations to be a police officer. Conners 3rd Edition (Conners 3) The Conners 3rd Edition (Conners 3) is a multi-informant assessment of children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age that takes into account home, social, and school settings. The Conners 3 provides a measure of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related issues. ADHD is often associated with one or more comorbid disorders, associated features and functional impairments. Chris, with a chronological age of 14 years, 11 month, was assessed with the Conners 3rd Edition (Conners 3). Assessment results are consistent across informants (Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterfly) and across scales (content, symptom count) for the scales inattentive and oppositional defiant disorder. Current assessment results indicate Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterfly are concerned for his attentional behaviour at the clinically significant range in the area of executive functioning, aggression, DSM-IV TR ADHD Inattentive, DSM-IV TR Conduct Disorder and DSM-IV TR Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Chriss mother, Mrs. Doe has indicated concern in the at-risk
1

range for Inattention, Hyperactivity Impulsivity, and Learning Problems. Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterfly responses identify a high probability of ADHD and indicate that Chriss behaviours are a high level of impairment in Chriss schoolwork. Chris himself however rates his behaviour as within the average range and indicates that his behaviour has affects on his schoolwork. Given Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterfly rating of Chriss behaviour, it is likely that in the classroom Chris experiences difficulty attending to tasks requiring sustained mental effort. Please refer to Appendix A (p. 5) for the scores of the student, parent, and teacher report. Behaviour Assessment for Children Second Edition (BASC2) The BASC-2 is a multidimensional method for evaluating behaviour and self-perceptions in children aged 2.5 to 18 years. The BASC-2 is grouped into four domains. Externalizing problems assesses hyperactivity, impulsivity, verbal and physical aggression, socially deviant behaviour, and disruptive behaviour. Internalizing Problems assesses anxiety, depression, and somatization. Adaptive Skills assesses social skills such as admitting to mistakes, complimenting and encouraging others, offering assistance and beginning conversations appropriately. This scale also assesses leadership skills such as providing suggestions to others, having many ideas and making decisions easily and functional communication skills which are the ability to express ideas and communicate in a way others can easily understand. The Behavioural Symptoms Index is a combination of central scales from the clinical composites that reflects the overall level of problem behaviour. As measured by the BASC-2 Teacher Report, concern for Chris at the clinically significant level is noted in the areas of Hyperactivity, Attention Problems, School Problems and Study Skills. Concern is expressed, at the at-risk level, in the areas of Conduct Problems and Adaptability. Concern for Chris at the clinically significant level is noted in the area of Aggression and Conduct Problems. At the at-risk level, concern is expressed in the area of Hyperactivity, Somatization, Atypicality, Attention Problem, Adaptability, Leadership, and Activities of Daily Living. Chris noted concern at the at-risk level in the area of Attitude to School, Sensation Seeking, and Attention Problem. Please refer to Appendix B (p. 6) for the results of student, parent, and teacher's report.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, Chriss attentional challenges are contributing to his academic and behavioural difficulties at school and beginning to affect his relationships with his teachers and his mother. It is likely that when provided with strategies to maintain attentional focus, Chriss behaviour and academic performance at school will increase and his aggressive behaviour at home may decrease. Based on the results of the assessments, the following recommendations are made.

Recommendations
1. Attention & Focus: Chriss attentional behaviour at school is of concerns rated by his

mother and teacher to be in the clinically significant range. Sensory strategies and physical activity often provide children with ADHD a way of regulating their body engine speed. Some children find sensory strategies calming while other children find brisk physical activity helps to slow them. To perform tasks requiring sustained mental focus Chris may benefit from the use of the sensory (inattention) and self-regulation (hyperactivity) strategies. To help Chris manage his activity level, the book, Putting on the Brakes: Young Peoples Guide to Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Senorita Quinn and Judith Stern, may help Chris understand how his body/brain works and as a result may be better able to participate in strategies designed.
2. Provide structure and organization. Children with ADHD often benefit from structure and

organization that is consistent and predictable rather than rigid and inflexible. Children with ADHD don't handle change well, and having predictable routines can make them feel safe as well as help improve behavior. Give Chris a few minutes warning with a countdown when it's necessary to change from one activity or location to another. Chris may benefit from a visual schedule of his daily routine with clear expectations for each activity.
3. Provide positive discipline. One of the best ways to instill new habits is to provide firm,

caring discipline that rewards good behavior and discourages destructive actions. Children with ADHD usually respond well to positive reinforcement, as long as it's genuinely earned. It's best to start by rewarding or reinforcing a new behavior every time it occurs. After a short time, this probably won't be necessary, but you need to continue to let the child know that you're serious about encouraging new habits. Changing old habits is extremely hard, and rewards are simply a concrete way of recognizing the child's efforts.
4. Provide direct instruction. Some children have difficulty filtering and/or attending to what

is important. Use direct instruction to teach Chris which details to attend to. When interacting with Chris avoid multitasking yourself, make eye contact when giving instructions, and set aside a few minutes every day to praise Chris for specific behaviours he is striving for. 5. Provide visual representation. Ensure that verbal instructions are also visually displayed to allow Chris a second point of reference should he require it. Instructions can be written on the board or given in the form of handouts. 6. Provide frequent study breaks. Allow Chris short breaks from his work. This can be going for a drink of water, going on the computer for 5 minutes, or reading the newspaper. Make it clear how long the breaks are and that he is expected to still complete his work. If you have any questions about this report, please contact Your Name at 604-885-6782

Your Name, credentials (Date)

APPENDIX A: TABLES

OF

ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Conners 3 Student, Parent, Teacher

Common Characteristics of High Scorers
May have poor concentration, make careless mistakes, be easily distracted, give up easily, be easily bored, avoid schoolwork, and have difficulty starting or finishing tasks. High activity levels. May be restless and/or impulsive, have difficulty being quiet, interrupt others or talk too much, and may be easily excited. Academic struggles. May have difficulty learning and or remembering concepts. May have difficulty starting or finishing projects, complete projects at the last minute, have poor planning, prioritizing, or organizational skills. Physically and/or verbally aggressive. May show violent or destructive tendencies, bully others, be argumentative, have poor control of anger and/or aggression, manipulative or cruel, break rules and/or have legal issues. May have difficulty with friendships, poor social skills and limited social connections. May appear to be unaccepted by the group. May feel that parents do not love or notice her/her. May feel unjustly criticized and/or punished.

Student Scale Inattention T-score 55

Parent T-Score 69

Teacher T-Score 72

Hyperactivity/Impulsivity

52

65

75

Learning Problems Executive Functioning

52 -

63 73

68 76

Aggression

60

>90

>90

Family/Peer Relations

51

47

64

Conners 3 Global Index DSM-IV TR ADHD Inattentive DSM-IV TR ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive DSM-IV TR Conduct Disorder DSM-IV TR Oppositional Defiant Disorder DSM-IV Symptom Count Inattention DSM-IV Symptom Count Hyperactive-Impulsive DSM-IV Symptom Count Conduct Disorder DSM-IV Symptom Count Oppositional Defiant Disorder Conners 3 ADHD index Probability Score

56 49 63 52 2 0 4 0

72 76 63 >90 85 7 2 5 7

>90 79 82 71 >90 7 6 2 4

52%

87%

96%

T-scores of 70 or above on the Conners 3 are considered elevated. These results reflect Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterflys perceptions of Chriss current level of behaviour functioning; these behaviours have not been observed directly by the examiner. Based on the index scores, Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterflys positive and negative impressions and consistency of responding on this measure are considered to be valid.

APPENDIX B: TABLES

OF

ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Behavioural Assessment for Children, Second Edition; Parent and Teacher Rating Scales (BASC2-PRS, TRS) Clinical Scales Content Scales

Content scales have been theoretically and empirically developed. This information is considered secondary to the clinical, adaptive, and composite scale information. Scores derived from age based norms (General - Combined Sex) for age 14 years, 11 months. Percentile scores indicate the percentage of children in the comparison group who scored at or lower than Chris. Percentile scores between the 26th and 75th percentile are in the average range. T-scores on the BASC-2 have an average range of 40-60. These results reflect Mrs. Doe and Ms. Butterflys perceptions of Chriss current level of behaviour functioning; these behaviours have not been observed directly by the examiner. Based on the index scores, Mrs. Does and Ms.

Butterflys negativity, response pattern and consistency of responding on this measure are considered to be in the acceptable range.

Behavioural Assessment for Children, Second Edition; Self Report of Personality (BASC2-SRP) Clinical Scales Content Scales

Content scales have been theoretically and empirically developed. This information is considered secondary to the clinical, adaptive, and composite scale information. Scores derived from age based norms (General - Combined Sex) for age 14 years, 11 months. Percentile scores indicate the percentage of children in the comparison group who scored at or lower than Chris. Percentile scores between the 26th and 75th percentile are in the average range. T-scores on the BASC-2 have an average range of 40-60. These results reflect Chriss perceptions of his current level of behaviour functioning; these behaviours have not been observed directly by the examiner. Based on the index scores, Chriss negativity, response pattern and consistency of responding on this measure are considered to be in the acceptable range.

APPENDIX C: DESCRIPTION

OF

TYPES

OF

SCORES

T SCORES ST scores are raw scores that have been transformed or converted to a normal distribution. Standard scores show how far a students score lies from the middle of the distribution. T have a mean or average of 50. A standard score of 50 is equivalent to a perfect average mark; that means that one-half of same age peers score above 50 and one-half of same age peers score below 50. T-scores of 40-60 are in the average range. PERCENTILE SCORES Percentile scores place a students standard score in relation to others. For example, a percentile of 77 indicates that the students score is equal to or better than 77 percent of the students sameaged peers. In other words, if 100 students the same age were administered the same test; the student with a percentile score of 77 would score better than 76 of these students. Percentile scores between the 25th 75th percentiles are in the average range and can be compared across tests.
Descriptive Classification Clinically Significant At-Risk Average Below Average Well Below Average T- Score Range >70 61-70 41-59 31-40 <30 Percentile >97 76-96 25-75 3-24 <2

CONFIDENCE INTERVAL T-scores are reported with a confidence interval that is set at 95 percent. For example, if a student achieves a score of 102 (97-106), this means that although the actual score is 102, there is a margin of error. A confidence interval of 95% means it is with 95 percent certainty that the true score (without error) falls somewhere in the range of scores between 97 and 106.

Reflection I came into this class hoping to get a better understanding of the the assessment tools available for student's with social-emotional difficulties as this is the challenges for most of the students I work with. I also wanted to get a better understanding of how to read and interpret test scores so that when I'm asked to look at a psychological educational assessment, I don't automatically turn to the summary page to understand what all the numbers and graphs represent. I can honestly say that after taking this course, I'm more confident to look at assessment reports page by page and be able to understand most of what is on the report. I've also gain a better appreciation for the use of observation as an assessment tool within the classroom environment. I really appreciate the class introducing me to the different types observation and recording methods that I can choose from depending on what it is I want to achieve. I would have liked to have had more time practising additional observation and recording methods as I think this will be my first point of reference in starting an assessment and probably the most widely used and accessible method. I've thoroughly enjoyed the class and have walked away with very useful information that will help me to better serve my students. Thank you very much for all your help and I hope to see you in future classes. Have a wonderful Christmas break!