17712170 Samuel Linnenbank

Inclusive Assessment 2: Case Study

Part 1: Student Profile

This Student Profile is based around a student called Jessikah, a high-school student who
has been diagnosed by her paediatrician with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Oppositional
Defiant Disorder is defined by the DSM-5 as a pattern of angry/irritable mood,
argumentative/defiant behaviour, or vindictiveness lasting at least six months (Ref). The
student has been displaying this behaviour since the beginning of the school year. The major
issues that she has been presenting during classroom periods is difficulty with
comprehending and understanding higher-order thinking. As a reaction to these difficulties
Jessikah often tries to remove herself from completing the work and from the classroom.
Working is often followed by the student constantly arguing with the teacher about why
are we learning this and the importance and reason behind the coursework.
Jessikahs strengths inside the classroom focus around her being focused and motivated to
complete the work. Jessikah can be a very efficient worker and often enjoys working when
motivated correctly and understands the nature and objective of the lesson. She is very
proficient in leading a team of people and organising group work. When not forced to be
the sole reason for the works completion and can be involved in the work without being
ultimately responsible, the usual tension that exists between her and the teacher is
minimised. Another strength of Jessikah is that she is she is a very kinaesthetic learner, and
excels at physical learning and activities that involve moving around and engaging with
other students. A key strength of Jessikahs is that when the learning is centred on goals-
based learning, and achieving things, rather than simply solving problems that she considers
useless.
In order to succeed in the classroom, Jessikah needs to be supported in order to avoid any
problems with her Oppositional Defiance Disorder. She needs ample opportunities provided
to her that allows her to take part in group work, as well as have a leadership position
within the classroom or a smaller group of people. Jessikah needs to be able to
independently learn and make her own learning goals for lessons and semesters. Jessikah
also needs to be situated in the classroom next to friends or people in the class that will help
her with the completion of the work and encourage her to complete her work. A shift in
overall in the overall learning environment needs to change from a teacher directed
environment to a collaborative and independent enquiry based lessons. In order to succeed,
Jessikah needs the teacher to stop being a directive and totalitarian leader, and instead
become a facilitator that pushes the students towards learning.

Part 1: Selected Adjustments

The Disability Standards for education details the concepts of reasonable adjustments as
actions taken to enable students with disability to participate in education on the same
basis as other students while balancing the interests of all parties (DSE, 2002) There are
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many differing adjustments that can be made to support students with Oppositional Defiant
Disorder, especially students with the strengths and needs of Jessikah. The first step when
teaching a student with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or any major behavioural disorder is
to create an environment that is conductive to learning for everyone (Davies, 2016). The
largest adjustment, and one that is foundational to the concept of Universal Design for
learning is change the nature of the classroom from the ground up. The shift towards a
collaborative learning environment might be brought into effect to support students like
Jessikah, but it will ultimately have benefits for the entire school caucus.
In the case of Jessikah and her strengths and needs, most of the adjustments to help her can
fall under the Universal Design for Learning banner, as any change to help her, could be
scaled up and turned into a change for the classroom. Laal and Ghodsi (2011) collated the
different benefits of Collaborative learning (CL), but the most important to support Jessikah
in the classroom are that large lectures can be personalised, it helps to develop a social
support systems for learners, CL develops positive attitudes towards teachers, higher-level
thinking skills are developed by CL, and CL is especially helpful in motivating students in
specific curriculum. This large list of benefits is backed up by historical evidence, with Laal
and Ghodsi (2011) citing previous research performed between 1980s all the way up to
2010.
Adjustments like sitting next to friends, and making sure that group work is completed
within groups that support Jessikah
Allowing students with ODD such as Jessikah to interact with the nature of the lesson and
have input on the types of lesson as well as changing the nature of work. Allowing for many
different paths and ways of learning
Another strategy for supporting Jessikah would be to make sure that the lesson is constantly
moving forward, and that all instructions and directions are neutral in tone and
Including Jessikahs personal interests within the lesson will help to entertain and engage
her as well as keep her invested within the lesson. It is important not to make it an explicit
reference.
Creating a chart of improvement and success can also help students with ODD. Reinforcing
positive behaviour also ties into this adjustment.
Creating lesson plans that are have physical elements in them will appeal towards Jessikahs
kinaesthetic tendencies.
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Part 2: Lesson Plan Adjustments

Lesson Plan: Year 9 Creative Writing Lesson

Lesson Outcome: All students will understand and evidence how language techniques create
meaning in creative writing.

Teaching and Learning Activities

The teach lines the students up outside the classroom, and when settled, allows the students
to enter the classroom.

An adjustment for Jessikah during this section of the lesson would be to enlist her help in
making sure that the students are settled down and ready to enter the class. Knowing that
she enjoys leading and organising, this positon will help with gaining her trust and her
enjoying lessons.
Students are then given adjectives that they have to sort into positive and negative

The adjustment to this activity may be to place the words on paper cards and blu-tack them
around the room. This incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by sculpting the
lesson to play to her strengths, without singling out her. It incorporates both the Multiple
Means of representation and Multiple Means of Engagement pillars of UDL.
Students now choose 4-5 different adjectives and start a creative writing piece.

This activity being focused around choice, allows Jessikah and the students to work
independently and take it in whatever direction they wish. It gives Jessikah multiple means
of expression within her creative writing task.
The teacher then explains the effect that Metaphors and Similes have on creative writing
before the students continue with their overall semester long work.

The teacher can lead to a more directed approach to the lesson, with the goal of the creative
writing task, helping Jessikah to engage and understand the importance behind learning
about language techniques.
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Reference List:
Davies, N. (2016, January 7). Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the classroom. Headteacher
Update. Retrieved from http://www.headteacher-update.com/best-practice-
article/oppositional-defiant-disorder-in-the-classroom/112142/
Davies, L. (n.d) Oppositonal Defiant Disorder in Children. Retrieved from
http://www.headteacher-update.com/best-practice-article/oppositional-defiant-disorder-
in-the-classroom/112142/
Teaching for Inclusion. (2014) Social / Emotional Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
Retrieved from http://web1.modelfarms-
h.schools.nsw.edu.au/disabilities.php?page=oppositional-defiance-disorder
http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/challenging-students/school-
wide-strategies-managing-defiance-non-complianc