P.E.P.S.

I Screening

College of Southern Nevada

P.E.P.S.I. Screening
Nina Burke
EDU 220
Ce Isbell
May 2, 2021
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Biography

Landon H. is an 8-year-old boy in the second grade. He has an 11 year old sister named Marie

who he seems to get along very well with. He mentioned that they like to play Roblox, an online

video game, together in their spare time. He is a fun-loving and active boy who loves to play

outside, and he often goes to national parks with his family for camps or hikes. His favorite

animals are different kinds of bears, with his top three being black bears, brown bears, and polar

bears. Whenever I let him choose a story to read, he always chooses one with bears in it. He

enjoyed dressing up as his favorite bear characters when the school celebrated Nevada reading

week. Landon is growing up in a small, quiet suburban neighborhood in Nevada. He goes to a

charter school with lots of technology access and reduced class sizes so that students get lots of

one-on-one attention. His family would be considered middle class and he lives in a two-parent,

heteronormative household. His second grade class is considered an “inclusion” classroom,

meaning both regular and special education students learn together through the use of

differentiated instruction. Landon is not considered a special education student, but he has been

diagnosed with ADHD outside of school and he is being screened for other potential learning

impairments. This diagnosis has had an effect on Landon throughout various aspects of his

development. In this case study I will explore where Landon is within the 5 major areas of

development and provide suggestions for his parents and teachers based on observations and

outside research.
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Physical

According to the CDC, the average height of an 8 year old is about 54 inches (2000). Landon

stands approximately around this same height, making him just about average height compared

to his peers. He has a slender build but does not seem to be under the average weight of his

peers. Landon is a very active child. He likes to go play with his friends, go on adventures with

his family, and dance when his teacher plays music for the class. It seems as though the “brain

breaks” where his teacher plays music are very beneficial to Landon, as children with ADHD can

benefit from frequent breaks involving movement such as dance. Experimental trials by Hartano

et al showed a positive relationship between motor activity and accuracy, on a trial by trial basis,

in cognitive control performance of children with ADHD (2015). Although Landon is very

athletic and active, I noticed that he often struggles with fine motor skills, for example: picking

up a small object, peeling a sticker, or writing with a regular-sized pencil. According to

Snowman and McCown, at this age level many children, especially boys, have difficulty

manipulating a pencil (2015). With this in mind, it seems that Landon’s issue with fine motor

skills is a typical one for this age level. After working with him over several months, I can see

that Landon’s positioning of the pencil has improved. Looking at Landon’s overall physical

development, it seems that he is essentially at the same level as most of his peers.
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Emotional

Landon’s overall demeanor seemed very neutral when I first met him. We typically met for his

interventions when he first got to school, and he would be in a neutral or happy mood. Our

lessons had a lot of structure to them, so they were easy for him to follow and we developed a

sort of routine that he grew accustomed to. At one point early in the year however, Landon’s

class was required to receive instruction by virtual means (through an online web conferencing

system). When I attempted to conduct one of our lessons online, Landon did not respond well.

He gave me extremely short responses and became easily frustrated when having to do

something outside of his routine. Once I had to correct something he spelled wrong, he

completely disengaged and it was nearly impossible to complete the lesson. According to

Snowman and McCown, young children need frequent praise and recognition and even a small

criticism can crush them because of how important their teacher’s perception of them seems

during this time (2015). This was probably the first negative social interaction we had, but once
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we started having our interventions in person again, he continued to open up more and had a

generally positive attitude. Eventually we came back to school full-time when Covid regulations

became more lenient, so our schedules changed and we started to see each other less frequently.

When I began to observe Landon in class at later parts of the day, I started to see very different

behavior. His eyes would wander around the room, he would disrupt others, and get frustrated

easily when facing a task that he doesn’t understand. Some ways of defining ADHD have

determined it to be a deficit in behavioral inhibition, leading to dysfunction in executive

neuropsychological abilities such as emotion-regulation (Gerly & Pier 2007). I can see this in the

way that it seems Landon sometimes doesn’t have control over his emotions or actions. He

seems like he wants to focus, but it is extremely difficult and frustrating for him. I don’t think

Landon’s emotional outbursts are exclusive to his ADHD however, as year 8 can potentially be a

time for high emotions. Ellsworth described that at this age a child appears ready for any and

everything, but a tendency to be easily hurt is close to the surface (1999).

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Philosophical

The main philosophical dilemma that occurs within children Landon’s age is the development of

understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Landon clearly understands the rules, routines,

and expectations that his teacher has set. He is a big fan of super heroes who live in worlds

where good and evil are very black and white. One thing I noticed when I observed him in class

was that he volunteered himself to take on the job of cleaning up the floors after lunch (lunch has

been held in the classrooms due to COVID-19), which would definitely be considered a good

thing to do. During a social studies lesson I observed, Landon seemed to be in another world, and

kept wanting to talk or play with his classmate sitting behind him. They could frequently be seen

looking at each other and laughing, far from being engaged in the lesson. The boys’ teacher

warned them multiple times to stop playing while she was trying to teach the class, but they

persisted. I noticed that Landon was the primary instigator and would tap his neighbor’s shoulder

when he was turned the other way trying to focus on the teacher or their assignment. It seemed to

me at this point that Landon sort of picked and chose when he wanted to follow the classroom

rules. After watching this happen a few times, Landon’s teacher clearly noticed that he was the

one inciting the mischief. She even thought that his behavior was out of place. When she had a

moment she stopped to quietly ask him, “did something happen today?” She continued when he

did not reply with, “this isn’t like you.” She later told me that Landon gets very antsy and has to

do something physical when he cannot focus, which sometimes manifests as bothering others or

playing. J’Anne Ellsworth describes that at this age children are very focused on themselves

(1999). This means that although they often view things as strictly good or bad, they may try to

do things that benefit themselves even if those things are considered bad. Based on the American

Psychological Association’s expectations for mental development during ages 6-10, children
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should begin to make simple plans before acting and better understand and internalize moral

rules of behavior (2017). Although he seems to somewhat have a grasp for right and wrong,

Landon’s impulsive nature makes him somewhat behind his peers in philosophical development.

One thing that has been recommended for both children and adults is “mindfulness training”.

Mindfulness training is a form of meditation that helps children to be more mindful of their

actions before they happen (Singh, 2009). Practicing mindfulness may help Landon to make

better decisions at school.

Social

Landon and I have primarily met one on one, so the initial social interactions between

him and I were a bit quiet. During my first meeting with Landon, he was nearly silent other than

reading and answering the questions I asked him, and it took a while for him to say more than a

couple of words to me. I definitely had to be the one to initiate interactions by asking him about

his life outside of school, then he started to talk to me about his family and favorite things to do.
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Once we began to meet regularly, he would come with new stories prepared to tell me all the

time. Upon observing him in the classroom, he initially seemed to keep to himself. I came in

around lunchtime and a cartoon was playing for the students as they ate. He appeared much more

focused on the show and his food than the classmates around him. He sat at a group of three

desks with the two female students. When one of the girls next to him finished coloring a

drawing that she made, Landon showed some interest and complimented her skills, but did not

really seem to engage with her further. According to the American Psychological Association,

Friendships occurring between the ages of 6 and 10 are typically same-sex relationships marked

by give and take, mutual trust and shared experiences (2017). With this in mind, it makes sense

that Landon was less interested in bonding with the girls next to him, and more interested in the

boy at another table group that sits directly behind him (the same one I mentioned he was

messing around with in the philosophical section). The next day, when working with Landon

one-on-one, I asked him what he thought of the boy who sat behind him to which he replied,

“he’s my best friend!” Snowman and McCown also state that children become somewhat more

selective in their choice of friends and are likely to have a more or less permanent best friend

(2015). Overall, Landon seems to get along well with his classmates and generally has positive

interactions with his peers, but as discussed in the philosophy section, he can sometimes distract

or be distracted by his peers. Gerly & Pier found that children with ADHD are often unable to

sustain attention, interest, and persistence to tasks as well as to interactions with peers, and their

self-regulation lags far behind expectations for their developmental level (2007). This means that

Landon is more likely to have awkward or inappropriately timed interactions with his peers. This

has been seen when he attempts to play with friends during lessons. When it is time to work on
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tasks individually, he seems anxious and worried about what the rest of his peers are doing, so he

may need to change settings for different tasks throughout the day.

Intellectual

As is typical for an eight year-old, Landon shows a lot of interest in science, particularly animals.

He loves bears and also has a pet dog at home. When I gave him a choice of stickers from a

varying collection containing things like celestial patterns, fictional creatures, animals, and

cartoon and videogame characters, he specifically chose stickers that were created from photos

of real-life dogs rather than animated ones. According to J’Anne Ellsworth, at age 8 children are

often fascinated with real world animals, stars, and science in general (1999). I definitely see this

trait in Landon, and he isn’t the only one! His teacher mentioned that his whole class loves

learning about real animals and the Earth, earning them the nickname “nature babies”. Although

he is curious and inquisitive, Landon’s intellectual development is relatively low compared to

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that of his peers. He has been struggling with reading and writing since the first grade, and now

with the increase of word problems (mathematical expressions presented through text) in the

second grade, he has begun struggling with math as well. At the beginning of the school year, he

was formally flagged by the SABIT (Student and Behavior Intervention Team), which is what

prompted me to work with him. His teacher has noted some attention and learning problems in

need of evaluation. At his particular school, these interventions are the beginning of the process

of being evaluated for special education services. Landon has also been prescribed by a medical

professional and receives daily medication for his ADHD, but his teacher mentioned that he still

loses focus easily, especially towards the end of the day. The State of Nevada’s Individualized

Education Plan (IEP) form does not list ADHD as an eligibility category for special education

services, so Landon must qualify under another category such as specific learning disability or

intellectual disability (2018). Because he already has the diagnosis of ADHD, Landon is

considered high risk for having another intellectual disability, as many of the symptoms overlap.

According to Hastings et al, “Symptoms of ADHD have been found in several studies of children

with intellectual disabilities at levels leading to the diagnosis of the disorder at apparently higher

rates than those found in populations without intellectual disabilities” (2005). This evidence

leads me to believe that additional observations and testing is necessary to get an accurate picture

of Landon’s intellectual abilities.

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Recommendations

Overall, Landon’s development is somewhat behind the average development level of his peers.

For physical development I encourage Landon to be given plenty of opportunities to learn in a

kinesthetic manner. He doesn’t do well staying still for long periods of time. He needs to move

and be active for a while so that he can better focus when it’s time to sit and learn. He should

never have recess taken away as a punishment, as this will only make him more restless and less

likely to learn. He should also be allowed brain breaks during transitions between lessons or

activities so that he has a chance to get up and move at an appropriate time.

For emotional development, I recommend the use of a lot of positive reinforcement for Landon.

He seems to have low confidence, anxiousness surrounding school, and a tendency to become

frustrated easily. He may want to practice mindfulness meditation techniques to help with both

emotional and philosophical development.

For philosophical development, I recommend that Landon continue to get support from his

parents, teachers, and potentially a counselor in developing a positive philosophy toward life and
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understanding right from wrong. He still seems to need some encouragement in doing the right

thing when nobody is watching him.

For social development, I recommend that Landon continue to learn in an environment where he

can learn and grow alongside his peers through the utilization of cooperative activities and

assignments. For assessments however, Landon may do best tested alone as he seems to have a

lot of anxiety when it comes to testing or working on anything individually. He can get distracted

by his peers when he needs to focus on one task, so he needs to be in the right setting at the

appropriate time.

For intellectual development, I recommend that parents and teachers continue to monitor

Landon’s learning progress and emphasize any progress he makes. He should continue to be

observed and tested by special education professionals to determine whether or not he qualifies

for an Individualized Education Plan, so that his school may create the most optimal learning

environment for him. The family may also want to discuss a change in medication dosage with a

medical professional if they so choose.

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References

American Psychological Association. (2017) Cognitive and social skills to expect from 6 to 10

years. ACT: Raising Safe Kids Program. https://www.apa.org/act/resources/fact-

sheets/development-10-years

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). 2 to 20 years: Boys stature-for-age and

weight-for-age percentiles. National Center for Health Statistics.

https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2clinical/cj41c071.pdf.

Ellsworth, J. (1999). “P.E.P.S.I.” Methods and materials in special education.

jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/PEPSIObserv/year8.html.

Gerly, M., Pier, J. M. (2007, January). Social incompetence in children with ADHD: Possible

moderators and mediators in social-skills training. Clinical psychology review, 27(1), 78-97.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2006.03.006

Hastings, R. P., Beck, A,. Daley, D., & Hill, C. (2005, September). Symptoms of ADHD and their

correlates in children with intellectual disabilities. Research in developmental disabilities,

26(5), 456-468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2004.10.003.

Hartanto, T. A., Krafft, C. E., Iosif, A.M., and Schweitzer J.B. (2016, June). A trial by trial analysis

reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control

performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Child psychology, 22(5), 618-626.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675699/

Singh, N. N., Singh, N. A., Lancioni, G. E., Singh, J., Winton, A. S. W., and Adkins, A. D. (2009,

March). Mindfulness training for parents and their children with ADHD increases the
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children’s compliance. Journal of child and family studies, 19, 157-166.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9272-z

Snowman, J. and McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching (14th Ed.). Belmont, CA

Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

State of Nevada. Nevada Department of Education. (2018). Individualized education program

(IEP).

https://doe.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/ndedoenvgov/content/Special_Education/IDEA_Forms_an

d_Docs/IEPForm.pdf

References