Rashunda Ford

SPED 843-M6T2-Part 2

Bobby is a ninth grade student. Bobbys favorite subject is math. He is able to solve

math problems in his head faster than his older sister, a senior in high school, can on paper.

Bobby also loves astronomy. He loves to talk about astronomy, numbers, mathematical

equations, computers, and computer software. However, Bobby struggles in reading and

spelling. He requires special education serves in a Resource classroom. For two hours each

day, the special education teacher and a para-educator work with Bobby on spelling, reading

comprehension, and social skills. Bobbys general education teachers report that Bobby is

easily distracted and chronically daydreams. He struggles with completing and turning in in-

class and homework assignments on time. He also has difficulty engaging in class discussions

and group activities. Bobby has poor social skills and has difficulty appropriately interacting and

forming relationships with his peers. He becomes verbally aggressive toward his teachers and

peers when he gets upset.

In Bobby will require some environmental supports in his general education classroom.

First, rules and behavioral expectations will need to be reviewed with Bobby daily. Second,

Bobbys desk needs to be seated in close proximity to the teacher and whiteboard so that he

can better attend to whole group instruction and not get distracted. Third, the teacher will

need to monitor Bobbys behavior and as he is working on in-class assignments. The teacher

will also need to provide Bobby with immediate feedback in his progress and positive correction

for rule infractions. Fourth, Bobby needs to taught calm down strategies and provided with a
calming area space in the classroom. When he becomes upset, he can use the calming area and

the calm down strategies to regain his composure. Fifth, during whole group instruction and

group activities, Bobby should be encouraged to actively participate in class discussions and

group activities. Finally, self-monitoring strategies should be implemented. Bobby will need to

instructed on how to appropriately self-monitor his behavior, academic progress, and social

skills.

Bobby has a social skills deficit called social skill acquisition. Social skill acquisition is the

lack of knowledge needed to execute a social skill or the inability to discriminate the

appropriateness of particular social behaviors. A Direct Social Skill Assessment was done on

Bobby. It was determined that Bobby is interested in interacting and forming relationships with

the girls in his class. He makes clumsy attempts to engage the girls in conversations. But, he

only likes to talk about his preferred topics: astronomy, numbers, mathematical equations,

computers, and computer software. The girls as well as Bobbys other peers engage in age-

appropriate conversations with one another. They very rarely engage in conversations about

Bobbys preferred topics. The girls in Bobbys class reject him when he attempts to have a

conversation with them about his preferred topics. As a result, Bobby becomes verbally

aggressive toward the girls. Bobby will then avoid his peers and fail to engage in age-

appropriate conversations with his peers. Thus, he is successful at not interacting with his

peers.

Bobby would benefit from social skills training where he would be taught ways to

improve on how he interacts with his peers. Some techniques to use would be video modeling,

power cards, social narratives, consequence maps, perspective understanding, self-

management supports, and peer-supported strategies. First, Bobby would be given the

opportunity to view a video how to appropriately have a conversation with a peer. The video

modeling technique will provide him with a real life example of how to perform the skill of

engaging in an appropriate conversation with his peers. Second, the power card strategy can

be used to connect the social skill of interacting appropriately with peers to one of Bobbys

interest. For example, connecting the steps of a math equation with the steps of an

appropriate conversation. Third, a variety of social narratives can be created for Bobby to

describe the social situation of interacting appropriately with peers. Fourth, consequence maps

would benefit Bobby as well. These maps would be visual step by step courses of action on

appropriately and inappropriately interacting with peers. Fifth, perspective understanding

strategies would help Bobby become aware of his behavior and it affects others. He would

develop a better understanding how his verbally aggressive behavior affects his teacher and

peers. Bobby would gain knowledge regarding better ways to express his feelings and emotions

without becoming aggressive toward others. Sixth, self-monitoring will allow Bobby to monitor

and evaluate the social skill his is trying to learn. Self-monitoring gives Bobby the opportunity

to take ownership over his actions and ways to improve both socially and academically. Finally,

peer-supported strategies would be the most beneficial since he is learning the social skill of

interacting appropriately with his peers. Bobby would be assigned a peer buddy. The teacher

would train the peer buddy for the peer-mediated activities and role. The peer buddy would

demonstrate and model appropriate interaction with fellow peers. Bobby could practice the

social skill with the peer buddy. Once the social skill is mastered with the peer buddy, Bobby

would then be given the opportunity to practice and demonstrate the social skill with his fellow
classmates. Some possible social interaction opportunities would be class discussions, group

activities, lunch, recess, or special school activities.

The intervention for Bobby would need to evaluated to monitor for progress and

adjustments. One effective evaluation method would direct observations. Observing Bobby in

the classroom and in social opportunity settings can determine if he is making progress on his

social skills. Another effective evaluation method would be conducting social skill interviews

with Bobby, the special education teacher and para-educator, his general education teachers,

and the peer buddy. These interviews would help to get perspectives of Bobbys progress from

all the stakeholders involved in the intervention. Each person would provide their input on

what he or she feels is working, how Bobby is progressing, and if any changes or adjustments

should be made in the intervention. Finally, social skills rating scales would be another

effective evaluation method. The scale would allow the evaluator to identify the strengths and

weaknesses of Bobbys target social skill behavior and his progress. It will also be able to

identify what needs to be adjusted or improved on and what skills that require attention.