BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Harleas background information was gathered from clinic

questionnaires and interviews with her, her mother Christi, and her
teacher.
Family and Relationship History
Harlea is an 8 year old girl who lives in Canmore with her mother
Christi and her father Steve. She is an only child who is primarily cared
for by her mother while her father works long weekday hours as a
salesman and delivery truck driver for a liquor store in Calgary.
Harleas mother works in a local craft store on the weekends, so her
father will look after her when Christi is at work. Christi reported that
they have found it difficult to devote an equal amount of time raising
Harlea since they have limited finances and need to work more hours
to afford a comfortable living. Christi identified herself as the primary
disciplinarian since she is looking after Harlea a majority of the time.
She also noted that the lack of free time that she and her husband
have together has created some difficulties in their marriage. She
reported that Steves uncle and cousin have been diagnosed with
schizophrenia, her grandfather was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD), and her sister suffered from epileptic seizures from the
age of 13 until she turned 30.
Christi described her daughter as sociable, loving, imaginative,
athletic, and creative. She reported on the background questionnaire
that Harlea gets angry and frustrated over her academic struggles in
mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA), specifically with
reading, writing, and spelling. She also documented that Harlea has
difficulties with attention and hyperactivity, which have created
problems with learning in the classroom and getting along with her
peers.
Developmental and Medical History
Christi reported that even though her pregnancy with Harlea was
unplanned, she did not smoke, take any drugs or alcohol throughout
the 40-week term of her pregnancy. Christi stated that there were no
issues during the gestation period except for a stressful last month of
her third trimester when her husband Steve lost his job and they were
renting a house that was unsuitable to be living in. She found these
events contributed to her suffering from migraine headaches and
having difficulties sleeping. During the birth, Steve and Christi planned
to deliver the baby at home with a midwife. However, the labor
progressed too quickly and Harleas head became stuck in the birth
canal so they were rushed to the Canmore hospital in an ambulance
where a vacuum was used for the birth. Despite these events, Christi
reported that there were no concerns with Harleas development or

medical history as an infant. Harlea met her developmental

milestones within the appropriate time frames and was described as a
happy, healthy baby. She currently does not take any medications and
has not experienced any medical problems, accidents, or operations.

Social and Behavioral History

Harleas mother and teacher both described Harlea as being energetic
and sociable. They acknowledged that Harlea can become frustrated
when she has difficulty with her schoolwork, particularly in
mathematics and ELA. Harlea has expressed that she does not like
these subjects and that she wishes she could be smarter so that she
would not have so much difficulty with school. Her mother and teacher
both observed that Harlea can become distracted and has difficulty
retaining information. Her teacher noted that Harlea misses
instructions because she is often visiting with other students and is not
paying attention. She also reported that Harlea has difficulty sitting
still in the classroom. Harlea recognized that she likes to be moving
and does not want to be stuck in her chair for most of the class. She
stated that she would prefer to be working with others so that she can
talk and visit with her classmates. Her mother reported that Harleas
father also had academic difficulties in math and ELA as well as issues
with not being able to sit still and pay attention to the teacher. He did
not receive any formal assessments or diagnoses.
Harleas mother and teacher have noticed that Harlea has difficulty
getting along with some of her peers. Her teacher described how she
can become argumentative and has gotten into fights where she was
yelling at other students. Her teacher believes that some students find
her to be too distracting and annoying. Therefore, the quieter, more
studious children will try to stay away from her while those who are
more vocal will verbalize their frustration towards her. Christi believes
that Harlea will argue when she feels that she is being picked on.
Harlea mentioned that she does not like it when the other students are
making fun of her for being dumb, so that is why she will argue.
Despite these difficulties, she identified several classmates who she
considered to be her friends. Harleas mom also acknowledged that
she has about two or three friends. She also mentioned that Harlea
likes to have her own way and can get angry if she feels forced to do
something that she does not want to do. Her mom reported that
Harlea can get argumentative at home with both of her parents.
Educational History
Harlea is currently in grade four at Canmore Elementary School where
she has attended since kindergarten. Harleas fourth grade teacher

reported that her difficulties with mathematics and ELA were first
noticed in grade one. Harlea participated in a pull out reading program
two periods a week in grade one to try and help her catch up with her
difficulties in pronunciation and reading fluency. Her mother recalled
that the pull out program seemed to help but she still continues to
struggle with her reading fluency. Christi stated that she does try to
help Harlea complete her homework and have her practice reading at
home, but it is a struggle since she does not enjoy it. She will often get
angry and give up on it within half an hour and her assignments will
remain unfinished. Her teacher also observed this behavior when she
has kept Harlea in the classroom at lunch to finish her math and ELA
work. She reported that Harleas marks are significantly lower in math
and ELA than in her other subjects, which can be partially attributed to
her refusal to complete work, lack of foundational knowledge in these
subject areas, and her inability to focus in class. Her teacher also
described how Harlea experiences difficulty with writing proper
grammatical sentences and would make a significant number of
spelling errors.
Previous Assessment and Treatment History
Harleas mother and teacher both reported that Harlea has not
received any previous assessment or treatment for her academic and
behavioral issues.