Case Study

Review the “Case Study: Stephen.”

In an essay of 1,000-1,250  words, use your foundational knowledge of the special education process  and related issues to describe your recommendations for assisting the  case study student. Include the following in your essay:

• Detail  the steps you recommend be taken, including the roles of the specific  stakeholders who legally and ethically need to be involved in  determining and implementing those next steps.
• Explain the  ethical dilemma in providing Stephen an education that will allow him to  flourish, including why moving LRE placements is not an option at this  time due to the standard special education process.
• Incorporate the CEC  Ethical Principals and Professional Practice Standards into your  analysis and explanation.
• Discuss the possible involvement of  paraeducators, tutors, volunteers, or related service providers. If  paraeducators, tutors, or volunteers were brought into the classroom to  assist Stephen, what guidance and direction would you provide to those  stakeholders?
• Discuss legal, ethical, and quality requirements  related to managing confidential student information when working with  paraeducators, tutors, or volunteers.

Support your findings with 3-5 additional scholarly resources.

Case Study: Stephen

Stephen is a young

boy with autism who receives most of his education in

an

inclusive

classroom. He

speaks in one-and two-word utterances and can say “book,” “food,”

“more,” “hi,” and “drink.” However, his

main

mode of communication is a picture-

exchange system.

Although Stephen has

demonstrated that he

really

enjoys group activities, he

has lately

begun biting

his fellow students.

In

addition, he has begun pinching his teacher during

one-on-one instruction. After he engages in one of these behaviors, he yells, “It hurts!”

and starts laughing.

A behavior analyst has conducted a structured interview as part

of a

functional behavior

assessment for Stephen. The teacher and parents’ responses indicate that the function of

Stephen’s aggressive behaviors is to seek

attention.

Keeping this information in mind, the

analyst needs

to

directly

assess

Stephen’s

behavior.

Stephen’s general

education teacher, Ms. Gonzales,

has recorded data regarding the

frequency of

his behaviors, but with inconsistency as she is the only adult in

the

classroom.  The special education teacher, Mr. Kuchar, has not been able to

spend much

time in the inclusion classroom to support Stephen and Ms. Gonzales and to

observe

Stephen’s behavior. Ms.

Gonzales has requested

a meeting with

the Child Study Team to

discuss the

possibility of changing

Stephen’s

placement.

Ms. Gonzales frequently communicates with

Stephen’s parents and has mentioned a

possible placement change to them.  Stephen’s parents do not want him to be pulled out

of the inclusion classroom even though other

students are

being hurt.

Currently, there are

five other students

in the inclusion classroom who receive special education services

for

behavior issues.  Stephen’s behaviors are the most severe.  Ms. Gonzales does not feel

she can

effectively meet Stephen’s needs

with regards to

his behaviors and keep the other

students from being

hurt.

Mr. Kuchar agrees that Stephen needs

to be placed in

a different classroom to

better

fit

his needs; however, he has realized

that there is inconsistent data collected thus far to

support this

need.

The

school principal also

agrees with the suggestion

of a

placement

change and has asked Mr. Kuchar to set up a meeting to discuss

this

with

Stephen’s

parents.