Written Summary of Progress

*All names have been changed for privacy

Demographics
Name: Sally Forth
School/Grade: Toddler Lab
Date of Birth: 4/29/13
Age: 2 years 11 months 15 days
Evaluation Date: January 20, 2016 April 6, 2016
Evaluators: Mallory Dixon and Cassie Ashcroft
Report Author: Mallory Dixon

Referral
The purpose of this evaluation is to assist Sally in reaching appropriate developmental goals and
milestones. Sallys parents are named Richard and Alice Forth. Alice has expressed concern with
Sallys motor and language development. Sally has Down syndrome and is working on walking
independently, feeding herself, and communicating using single words and sign language. She has
been working on these skills with teachers in the BYU-Idaho Toddler Lab, Occupational
Therapists, a Physical Therapist, a Speech and Language Therapist, and in the home. Alice has
requested further services through BYU-Idaho students studying strategies and interventions for
children. The purpose of this report is to determine appropriate intervention services for Sally and
her family.

Background
Sally comes from a family with a mother, father, four older brothers, and a pet dog. Her parents
names are Richard and Alice. She has four older brothers. She was born and currently lives with
her family in Rigby, Idaho. Alice had a normal pregnancy and birth. Sallys vision and hearing
have been tested and are normal. She is currently on no medication. Sally receives services from a
Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and Speech and Language Pathologist. She also
attends Toddler Lab at BYU-Idaho. Sally has not yet met developmental milestones that are
expected of children ages 24 to 36 months, such as running easily and saying her name, age, and
sex. Sally has displayed developmental red flags including the inability to communicate in short
phrases, having little interest in other children, and inability to build a tower of more than 4 blocks.
These skills that Sally has not yet obtained are not indicative of who Sally is. We see the value she
has within her home and community, and the joy that she brings to all those she encounters.

Among a few of Sallys accomplishments are that she engages in pretend play with her baby dolls,
she loves to sing and dance to music, and she consistently walks independently.
Summary of Goals
Goal 1:
Sally will walk 7-10 steps 3 times per day.
B1. During observation of Sally in her home we recognized that she was able to take several steps
independently but needed prompting to move from a sitting to a standing position. When
physically prompted or provided with a physical incentive (such as a baby doll) Sally was able to
walk independently and sometimes with support.
B2. To help Sally walk consistently and independently, we implemented her goals into activities
that she found engaging. We would play with baby dolls and toys she had in her home, as well as a
musical piano from BYU-Idaho supplies. We would hold the toys at a distance from her and
prompt her to walk over.
B3/B4. The strategy that we used was through direct and indirect verbal prompting to walk
somewhere to get something. Occasionally, we would provide a partial physical assist to help Sally
from a sitting or crawling position to a standing position so that she was able to accomplish what
we were asking of her, which was to walk. Sally responded very well to incentives to walk from
one spot to another in her living room. One interventionist would hold the baby doll and Sally
would need to walk to the doll and then walk back to the slide carrying the doll to push it down the
slide.

Walk 5-10 and 7-10 Steps

120.00%
100.00%
80.00%
60.00%
40.00%

Walk 5-10 and 7-10

Steps

20.00%
0.00%

B5. When we first worked with Sally on walking consistently and independently, she needed help
moving from a sitting or crawling position to a standing position to walk somewhere. Now, Sally

is able to complete this movement indepdendently. She now consistently walks everywhere
independently.
B6. It is recommended that Sally continue to play with her family, therapists, peers, and teachers in
activities that provide for gross motor experience. It is also recommended that Sally spend time
with others that will continue to expect the standard of walking consistently and independently
with Sally and will model for her this expected behavior.

Goal 2
Sally will use a spoon.
B1. At the beginning of the semester, Sally would hold a spoon at the tip of the handle in a pincer
grasp. Her mom expressed a great desire for Sally to begin holding the spoon in a palmar grasp so
that she can feed herself.
B2. We engaged Sally by scooping beans at her sensory table, helping her practice feeding herself
with a spoon, and by pretending to feed her baby dolls. Sally loves her baby dolls and we
incorporated her goal into this activity we expected she would like.
B3/B4. The strategies that we have used involve gestures, modeling, verbal prompts, and physical
assists. Sally enjoys playing in her sensory table with the beans but did not seem to consistently
enjoy using the spoon to scoop the beans. The majority of the time, Sally was successful in using
the spoon to pretend to feed her baby doll and others following a direct verbal prompt and when
handed the spoon.

Use spoon
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%

Use spoon

20%
0%

B5. At the beginning of the semester Sally held a spoon in a pincer grasp at the top of the handle.
Now, Sally uses a spoon to scoop a round candy and to put the candy in her mouth with a partial
physical assist during a joint action routine.

B6. I would recommend that Sallys mom continue to work with Sally using the spoon to scoop
small food items that she is particularly fond of. Begin by modeling, then gesturing and verbally
prompting, and providing physical assists, if necessary.

Goal 3
Sally will suck from a straw.
B1. Family and all those who work with Sally have been trying to help her learn to use a straw for
the past year and a half. At the beginning of the semester, Sally would put her mouth around the
head of the straw but would not suck. Sallys mom expressed a great desire for her to learn to suck
from a straw.
B2. Sally loves to drink juice. She knows how to sign for and say juice. We used a Capri Sun
juice box to help Sally learn how to suck from a straw.
B3/B4. We modeled for her how to suck from a straw. We then helped her hold the box while she
put her mouth around the straw and we slightly squeezed the box. After several weeks of practice
with us and her mom, Sally began to suck from a straw consistently.

Suck from straw

120%
100%
80%
60%
40%

Suck from straw

20%
0%

B5. Sally has made great progress in this goal. She did not suck from a straw at the beginning of
this semester and now, she is sucking from a straw consistently.
B6. It is recommended that Sallys mom continue to provide juice boxes for Sally to practice
sucking from a straw.

Goal 4
Sally will say or sign 50 words.

B1. Sally knew around 33 signs or words at the beginning of the semester. She did not speak a lot
but did sign and speak when requesting something, such as juice, mom, and more. Sallys
mom wanted Sally to continue working on expanding her vocabulary for speaking and signing.
B2. Sally loves baby dolls and loves to sing and dance. We incorporated language development in
activity by washing a baby doll in the bath, pushing the baby doll down the slide, and by singing
songs with her. We used songs with words and actions from Toddler Lab that she was learning this
semester.
B3/B4. We used Sallys favorite activities to focus on her language development. Sally did not
respond well consistently to promptings to say a word when playing with the baby in the bath.
Sally responded very well when prompted to sing and dance to a song that she had learned. She
would sing along to the song and do the associated signs.

Speak/Sign 50 Words
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%

Speak/Sign 50 Words

20%
0%

B5. Sally has made growth in language development. She used to speak only occasionally and now
she speaks and signs to express herself through a variety of words.
B6. It is recommended that friends and family continue to play with Sally and talk aloud using
descriptive language. It is also recommended that Mrs. Forth continue to expect Sally to use her
words in short phrases to express what she wants.
C. In summary we have loved working with Sally. She has made tremendous gains in growth in
the past several months and we are honored to have been a part of this experience. We hope that
we have made a difference in Sallys life. Sally has inspired us with her strengthened selfexpression, her love for music and dancing, and in her ability to communicate simply with those
around her. We will truly miss her. We expect that Sally will continue to grow in leaps and strides
with the great support she has from her family and friends.