Sara

Sara is 10 years old and attends a public elementary school. While Sara performs certain academic skills close to grade level, she has particular difficulty with tasks that require comprehension and problem-solving. She required minimal assistance prior to the third grade, but as work has become more complex so have Sara’s support needs. Sara is also prone to becoming anxious, and is incredibly rigid and rule-bound. Sara will even become upset if she perceives that other students are violating rules. While routines are helpful, staff are cautious that they not make her more rigid. As a result, they have embedded planned changes within her schedule. Despite her academic skills, Sara still has difficulties with personal management. It is difficult to get her to attend to her physical appearance and parents report they have to struggle to get Sara to brush her teeth and dress independently. And probably her greatest area of struggle is in engaging in appropriate social interactions with other students. She will often say bizarre statements and stands too close to classmates. Fortunately, her staff have done much peer awareness. Clearly, Sara has great potential. However, these behavioral issues will need some attention.