Case Study

Challenges
Physical Educational

● Access to supplies ● Disruptive

● Movement within classroom
● Handwriting
● Frequent, extended bathroom breaks
● Persevering through tasks
● Staying on task, especially when long
and/or complex
● Working in a group or with a partner
● Reading
Supporting Marcy
Marcy is feeling overwhelmed and does not know how to support Daniel while still maintaining her high
standards and not making him feel left out. I would begin by helping Marcy plan her next unit with universal
design for learning (UDL) principles in mind. Shelley Moore has several fantastic examples of UDL unit
planning and I would start there (2019). Beginning planning by thinking about what all students can do, what
most can do, and what few can do is a useful place to start as you can formulate goals for each of these sets
that are still relevant to the unit being planned. I would then help Marcy think about what kinds of supports
are needed for Daniel to access the curriculum. I would help her find access to curricular texts that are at
different reading levels, hi-lo books for reading time, and I would help her become comfortable with
text-to-speech software. I would also try to connect Marcy with another teacher in the district who has dealt
or is dealing with a situation similar to hers and offer her release time to go and observe the other teacher
and ask questions and get ideas. Finally, I would let Marcy know that I am here to help her and if she needs
further support planning or any questions to not hesitate to get in touch.
Supporting Daniel
Daniel is having trouble moving around in the classroom and accessing his supplies. If possible, the desks
should be rearranged to maximize space for Daniel to move. Daniel should also have another space for his
bin that he can access while waiting for the shelves to be adjusted.

Marcy has also reported that Daniel is having trouble engaging with his schoolwork and he doesn’t respond
to questions that are asked during class. Using an app like Pear Deck may help Daniel engage in questions
and even pop quizzes (“Teacher tips for inclusive classrooms,” 2018). This would allow Daniel to respond to
classroom questions safely, without the risk of being wrong in front of his peers, whose opinions really
matter to him. It would also take the pressure off of Daniel having to read questions and provide answers in
writing.

Providing Daniel with a laptop enabled with text-to-speech and speech-to-text software would help him
access written information online and reduce the fatigue he may be feeling from having to handwrite his
work (Ontario Teacher’s Federation, n.d.a). Daniel will need to be taught how to use this technology and
monitored to make sure it is being used appropriately.
Supporting Daniel Contd.
Daniel is having trouble staying on task when projects are long and/or complex. Daniel should be supported
with his organizational skills around such tasks. Graphic organizers and/or checklists will help Daniel
organize his thoughts and be able to see what still is coming up next (Ontario Teacher’s Federation, n.d.b).
Instead of holding all of the information in his head or having it on a piece of paper he may not be able to
read, Daniel will be able to use the organizer to offload the information and have his steps in language he can
easily access.

To further support Daniel in this area, information should be chunked and only delivered once Daniel is
ready to move on to the next step. This will again allow Daniel to only hold on to the information he needs at
the time. He will not need to be juggling between all of the different steps to a project and can focus on one
piece at a time. As Daniel’s reading level is a concern, delivering the information both orally and through text
and then making sure he understands may improve his access. Checking in with him after every step to
redeliver expectations and check for understanding again should help him stay more engaged.
References
Hutchinson, N. L. (2004). My learning problems won't quit. In Teaching exceptional children and adolescents: A Canadian casebook

(2nd ed., pp. 79-82). Toronto, Canada: Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Moore, S. (2019, January 20). Learning Maps [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://blogsomemoore.com/learning-maps/

Ontario Teacher's Federation. (n.d.a). Assistive technology. Retrieved from

https://www.teachspeced.ca/cerebral-palsy?q=node/688

Ontario Teacher's Federation. (n.d.b). Organizational skills. Retrieved from https://www.teachspeced.ca/organizational-skills

Pear Deck. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.peardeck.com/

Teacher tips for inclusive classrooms. (2018, November 27). Retrieved from

https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/living/teacher-tips-inclusive-classrooms/