BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Demographics
Name: Jace Patterson
Date of Birth: 2/21/2004
Age: 1 year, 11 months
Evaluation Date: December 2005January 2006
Evaluators: Cloward, Anderson, and Allen
Report Author: Chelsea Smaellie
Reason for Referral
Jaces lack of verbal communication and eye contact are his parents major concerns. They are wanting to
get help for him in these areas because he has not completed these milestones and they are concerned that
he may have a disability.
Background
Developmental History
Jaces mother had a normal pregnancy and gave birth to Jace with no complications. He was a healthy
baby until at age 6 months when the parents noticed that he wasnt making eye contact with them. When
he reached 15 months his parents realized that he wasnt saying the words that most toddlers start to say
so they became worried about his speech. At his age right now he does no pointing, no imitating or
recognizing of others emotions around him. His motor skills are at or above his developmental level. He
can climb on large structures at the playground, walk, and run. He loves watching cartoons and he knows
how to change the channel. He recognizes when it is time to leave and he will grab his shoes and
sometimes help to put on his seatbelt in the car. Jace is a good sleeper as he sleeps about 11 hours as well
as take naps during the day.
Family Information and Social/Emotional History
His father is currently going to school right now and his mother stays home with Jace and his little sister.
They have extended family that are very supportive. Jaces form of communication is grabbing his
parents hand and guiding them to a place where the item he wants is located. He will babble and make
sounds but does not look into the eyes of his parents. At times he will hug his baby sister or try to pick her
up but most of the time he ignores her. When Jaces father comes home Jace will get excited and gives his
dad a hug. Whenever Jace is upset his mother is the one that he wants to soothe and calm him down. He
will show affection through cuddling with his mother.
Medical
Jace has had multiple ear infections starting from a young age. His first one was at six months. He
recently had tubes put into both of his ears. His mother suspects that it could be one reason for his
language delays. He also has had croup a few times and was put on steroid medications. He had his
hearing and vision tested and they have shown to be normal.
Educational History
Jace has no educational history at this time because of his young age.

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Observations
General Observation Toddler Lab
While in the toddler lab there were multiple times when another child came into Jaces
space and tries to take his toy. These events result in Jace starting to cry and him trying to take
back the toy. A child took one of Jaces toys out of his hand and Jace didnt acknowledge or look
at the other child. While Jace hides in the easel a boy is looked at Jace and tries to get him out.
Jace got upset and pushed the boy away. Numerous times Jace is distracted with doing different
things other than the activities that the entire group is doing. As the other children are putting on
coats to go out and play, Jace climbs into the easel. Jace gets frustrated and starts crying as the
teacher is trying to pull him out of the easel. He says no as she tries to get him out. There are a
couple times when Jace reacts to the words of teachers. The teacher tries to get his attention and
Jace will not get out of the easel. Jace laughs when the teacher plays peekaboo with him. While
playing outside on the playground a teacher plays peekaboo and Jace laughs. When Jace goes to
get a drink at the drinking fountain, he looks at the teacher and then leaves to go play again. He
pulls the teacher to the door of the classroom to show her that he wants to go in.
Jace shows average capabilities in his motor skills. When they go outside to play Jace
starts climbing up the stairs on the playground and he goes to turn the steering wheel. He stands
next to a boy and peeks through the spaces in the playground wall. As Jace walks around the
playground he seems to be focused on looking down so he doesnt see where he is going so he
falls a couple times on the snow. He quickly stands up and gets back to playing. Jace climbs a
large wooden ladder using his arms to pull up, with little to no help from the teacher. Jace has
multiple outbursts of tears and tantrums where he lays on the floor and flails his arms. When the
teachers start gathering in all the students to go inside Jace starts crying and bouncing up and
down. When they take him inside he is whimpering as they help him take off his coat. He stops
whimpering when he sees the snack table and walks over. While at the snack table he doesnt
communicate when the teacher asks what he wants to eat. As he eats he stares off into space and
doesnt look at the children sitting at his table. When he stands up and walks over to the scarf
activity he is asked by the teacher to put his bowl away. He starts crying and falls onto the floor
in a tantrum. When he is finished he goes and tries to climb onto the bookshelf. When the teacher
tries to get him off he cries and he doesnt obey but tries to climb back onto the bookshelf. Jace
is upset until he gets a drum and a drumstick. He hits the drum multiple times ignoring the
children around him until one of the children try to take away his drumstick he gets upset and
starts crying. At this point he cries and falls onto the floor and flails his arms.
Overall from his experience in the toddler lab Jace has a hard time communicating his
feelings and got upset with the children and teachers around him. He was interested in all of the
activities but went off and did things that caught his attention and not necessarily the activities
that the other children were doing. With his communication he only looked at the teacher once
and the only expressive word he said was no. He reacted to teachers playing peekaboo with
laughs and he got upset when other children would grab his toys.
Assessment Observation- Vineland II Administration
While Jaces mother was participating in the Vineland assessment, Jace was actively
doing many things. He started off playing with blocks. Brother Allen would try to have Jace look
at him in the eyes by bringing the blocks up to his face. Throughout the entire 40 minute

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

interview Jace would not stay on one activity for more than a couple minutes. He was constantly
moving around and picking up different things. He spent a good amount of time playing with the
camera equipment. Jace would twist the pieces of metal and move the cords. He hammered
blocks and he scribbled on a pad of paper. During all of his activities he never interacted with
Brother Allen in parallel or shared play. There were a couple times in the assessment that Jace
was asked to perform a skill. His mother asked him to take a crumpled piece of paper to the
garbage can and he wouldnt hold the paper in his hand and dropped it on the floor. She also put
the telephone to his ear to talk to daddy and he pushed away the phone.
Brother Cloward sat on the floor with Jace and Brother Allen. They tried to get Jaces
attention to see if he would catch the block as they threw it to him. Jace would only look at the
block but he would not make eye contact with either Brother Cloward or Brother Allen and he
would not catch the block as it was being thrown to him. Jace was occupied playing with an
extension cord for a longer amount of time. At the end of the interview Jace had gone into the
kitchen and his mother followed him. He grabbed her hand and took her to a snack. She put the
snacks on a chair and he ate them and she gave him some more. By the end of the interview Jace
had gotten into the cupboard and started pulling out pots and pans. During the entire interview
there was no eye contact, facial expressions, or words observed.
Tests Administered
TABS: Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale, Early Childhood Indicators of Developmental
Dysfunction
Vineland-II: Adaptive Behavior Scales
PLS-4: Preschool Language Scale, 4th Edition
IED-II: Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development, 2nd Edition
Raw
Score

14

7
1
2

Standard Score/
V-Scaled Score
60
7
9

71
9
12
12
60

Percentile
Rank
<1

<1

Play and Leisure Tine

Coping Skills
Motor Skills
Gross

51

10
100
16

50

Vineland-II
Communication
Receptive
Expressive
Written
Daily living skills
Personal
Domestic
Community
Socialization
Interpersonal
Relationships

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Fine
TOTAL TEST

PLS-4
Auditory Comprehension
Expressive
Communication
Total Test

Tabs
Detached
Hyper-sensitive/Active
Underreactive
Dysregulated
Temperament and
Regulatory Index (Total
of four raw scores)

18

Raw
Score
11

14
73

59

Percentile
Rank
1

14

56

25

53

Raw
Score
4
11
3
0

Standard Score
32
<26
30
53

Percentile
Rank
3
<1
2
61

18

<51

<1

Standard Score

Interpretations
Communication
Jace is below average in his communication skills. Based off of the Vineland II results Jace is
equal to one out of a hundred children nationally in the communication domain. The tests
contradicted one another in his receptive and expressive communication skills. The PLS showed
that his receptive language was higher than his expressive language while the Vineland showed
that his expressive language was higher than his receptive language. This means that we must
look at the data found in the observations and other assessments. The Brigance examiner
reported that Jace had few abilities to vocalize where the PLS showed he had the ability to
vocalize different sounds. During multiple observations and testing, expressive words were
rarely heard from Jace. The only words expressed were no and his mother says that he can say
mil for milk.
To ask for things that he needs, Jace is most likely to take the hand of the caregiver and guide
them to the location of the object. He does not do any pointing or eye contact when he is trying
to get what he wants. He is able to make babbling sounds such as da da. His parents thought
that he was trying to say dad but they found that he said it more than just around his father. When
Jace is upset he will whine or cry to show his feelings. Jace struggles not only with his
expressive language but with his receptive language as well. Jace does not respond to commands
or noises around him. If a person is next to him or even touches him, sometimes he will not
acknowledge that the person is there. When a child in the toddler lab took away his toy he would

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

cry and throw a tantrum. From all of the observations and testing we find that Jace struggles to
communicate.
Jace can consistently:

Make babbling sounds such as da da

object by whining or crying
Hold the hand of a person to lead them to what he wants

Jace can partially or sometimes:

respond to commands
look at objects when a caregiver is handing them to him
search for or look at something that is making a noise

Jace does not yet:

use words to communicate his feelings

identify or point to familiar objects
initiate taking turns or social situations

Social/Emotional
Jace is below average in his social and emotional domain. Through observations and the TABS
assessment Jace is reported to be below average in his temperament, regulation of feelings, and
socialization. Jace seems to look past people and ignore them. He will look past not only other
children and teachers but his parents as well. He sees them as objects and not things to interact
with. If someone tries to look Jace in the eye he will avoid the gaze completely. He does not
interact in parallel or shared play with other children. Jace shows excitement when his father
comes home from work. Jace will laugh when someone is playing peekaboo with him or if he is
being tickled. He shows more than two emotions including anger, excitement, fear, and joy. And
he shows his interest in new things such as environment and toys. He will stay focused on a
certain activity for a couple minutes and then move on to another activity. He is able to wave
good bye but he will not imitate other actions of anyone. Although Jace will get over his
tantrums quickly, he seems to get upset over almost everything. He will push peoples hands
away if they are trying to touch or move him. Jace struggles regulating his feelings in social
situations.
Jace can consistently:

laugh when someone plays peekaboo or tickles him

sleep through the night
show different kinds of emotions

Jace can partially or sometimes:

make eye contact with a caregiver

is upset when someone takes away his toy

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

imitates others behaviors

Jace does not yet:

participate in parallel or shared play with children

respond to someone calling his name
regulate his feelings by controlling tantrums

Self Help Skills

Jaces self-help skills are slightly delayed. His Daily Living Standard Score is just below
average. Jace is able to hold a spoon to eat with and he eats finger food. He drinks from his sippy
cup and prefers it. Jace has slept through the night since he was 8 months old but does not yet
have toileting abilities. He does not turn on the TV for himself and doesnt show a preference for
a certain channel but he does enjoy watching cartoons. When it is time to get in the car Jace
knows to grab his shoes even though he cannot put them on himself. His mom says there have
been times when he has helped her throw away the dirty diaper of his baby sister. During one of
the observations when he was asked to throw away a crumpled piece of paper and he would not
do it for his mother. He cannot put on gloves or his coat as observed while he was in the toddler
lab. Jace is able to take care of himself in many areas but he is still delayed in certain skills.
Jace can consistently:

sleep through the night

eat finger foods
drink from a Sippy cup

Jace can partially or sometimes:

eat with a spoon

do simple chores
model the use of talking on a telephone

Jace does not yet:

dress himself
use the toilet
clean up after himself

Motor
Jaces fine and large motor skills are average for his age. The Vineland, Brigance, and
observations are in favor of this conclusion. According to the Vineland assessment Jaces
strengths are in his motor development. Jace is able to stand, walk, and climb. He has showed his
climbing skills in multiple observations for example on the playground in the Toddler lab where

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

he climbed a large wooden ladder. He also climbed onto a large adult chair in his home to get
snacks. There has been a couple time when he has fallen down while walking because he wasnt
looking up. Jace can build block towers of up to four high and he can scribble with the writing
instrument in his fist. The Brigance shows that Jace can put objects into a container and then
pour them out again using automatic grasps and releases. Jace is able to play patty cake and hold
a drum stick while banging on a toy drum. Jace does not do as well in jumping activities or
throwing a ball. He may need help when he is eating or if there is an activity catching or
throwing an object. Also he may need assistance learning how to hold a pencil correctly to write
or draw. Overall Jaces motor skills are not the greatest concern but he does need to continually
develop his fine motor skills.
Jace can consistently:

walk, climb, stand

climb ladder with two feet on the step
scribble with his fist gripped on the pen

Jace can partially or sometimes:

build blocks four high

jump with both feet
throw and kick a ball

Jace does not yet:

open doors with the doorknobs

catch a ball or other objects
hold a pencil in the correct position

Cognitive
Jace is in the average development in the cognitive domain. The Brigance test and observations
show that he is able to sort shapes and play with toys according to their use. His mother has said
that he knows how to hold the phone and pretend to talk as well as open inside doors. Jace knows
that when it is time to go outside he needs to get his coat and his shoes but he needs help to put
them on. He watches TV and shows a preference to cartoons instead of the adult shows. He was
observed doing make believe play with a spoon and he can sometimes find hidden objects under
a cover. Jace will look at books on his own. He does not communicate so it is difficult to assess
what he understands. Jace still needs assistance with finding shows on the TV and meeting his
basic needs.
Jace can consistently:

watch television shows

look at books on his own
play with toys correctly

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Jace can partially or sometimes:

talk on a pretend phone

make believe play
find objects under a cover

Jace does not yet:

meet his needs on his own

find TV channels without help
make believe play regularly

Recommendations
The assessments, interviews, and observations conclude that Jace is eligible for Part C services in
the Toddler Lab as well as in his home. It is recommended that he receive these services and
placements.
For the Professionals:

Give Jace social and communication services. Offer speech therapy and sign language.
Determine what disability he will be eligible for to receive Part C services.
Begin Jace in the Toddler lab and assess him three months after he has started.

For the Parent:

Begin speaking to Jace more about all your daily tasks. Sing songs with him to try and
get his attention and promote communication.
While playing with toys, talk to him about all of the things that he is playing with. Give
Jace hugs and read books to him.
Ask questions to Jace where the answers demand a response and develop his speech.
When Jace pulls you to get things for him, bend down to his eye level and ask him what
he wants and ask if he will point to it.
Continue to monitor his progress by keeping a journal or notebook to track his reactions
to certain interventions.

For the Classroom:

Implement activities that will incorporate more peer interaction. Consider implementing a
reward system for every time that Jace interacts with someone else.
Help Jace to continue to use his gross motor skills and develop his fine motor skills. Give
him opportunities to climb, run, jump, throw, catch, write, draw, and paint.
Sing songs and speak out loud in everything that you are doing with Jace.
Use signs with him as you are speaking about certain things such as juice, milk, boy, girl,
bear, etc

BYU-IDAHO PROFESSIONAL REPORT-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Integrate specific routines so that Jace will feel more calm and secure. Help him to notice
the routines such as snack time, play time, circle time, and time to get ready to go
outside. Help him use his automaticity when grabbing his shoes, coat, and choosing other
things to play with.

Summary
Jace is a 1 year and 11 month old little boy who is showing delays in the social and emotional
domains as well as in his language. Jace is not verbal and communicates his wants and needs by
grabbing the hand of his caregiver to take them to the object. When Jace is upset he will cry and
or whine. Jace does not make eye contact with anyone who is talking to him or trying to get his
attention, even his parents. Jace feeds himself with his fingers and uses a sippy cup. Jaces gross
motor skills are one of his strengths as he can climb large objects and run and jump. His
cognitive and most of his self-help skills have been identified as typical for his age. We
recommend that Jace be placed into the Toddler Lab and be eligible for early intervention
services. The main focus should be on helping Jace learn how to communicate with eye contact,
words, and sign language.