Progress Rating Scale:
The BRIGANCE® Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development was used of assessment. Age equivalents are given as (years - months) of attained achievement.
Gordy has made lots of progress in the area of communication and language. He now has an easy genuine smile and greeting for teachers. He even introduces visitors. At the beginning of the school year most of Gordy's speech was imitative or responsive in nature. He has become more assertive and initiative in his language. He can usually make simple requests of teachers and peers. Gordy is much more flexible with his listeners, i.e. responding with the correct information regardless of the questioner. It is generally agreed that children have variable memory capacities; however, they tend to repeat what they really understand. Those forms which are beyond their linguistic comprehension are usually simplified when exact repetitions are requested. His memory for digits and sentences is at the 3 year level (BRIGANCE®). When requesting at snack time, Gordy generally uses the polite assertive "I want more, please". When reminded about "how does Mom and Dad want you to ask?" he says "May I have more, please."
Gordy has made gains in his ability to be interactive. He has made a friend. The two boys often play together. They particularly enjoy repeating games/interactions taught by an adult. They tolerate each other's minor "rule violations." Gordy has begun to use adults' names for the purpose of summoning attention and getting some feedback/approval on something he's done. It is easier for Gordy to join in an imaginative activity and pretend for a short time (ex. sleeping, cooking, etc.). It is still very hard for him to generate appropriate responses about objects/activities removed/in the past.
As can be seen by these scores, Gordy's skills are highly variable. He has become quite good at using old information to convey meaning in a real situation (ex. Telling the substitute teacher about classroom rules). He is talking to his bus drivers about things at home.
Gordy has made nice gains tolerating the presence of peers. If violated, he verbally and physically protests. He does very well with crowded, busy situations. He is able to handle rough/tumble/unpredictable play. He invites peers to jump on top of him in a beanbag chair! The computer is the only place where Gordy forgets to take turns.
Gordy participates in all classroom activities, even the ones he knows he is not very good at! Craft skills and paper pencil are all still difficult. Gordy came to us with some true terrors. We have been able to help him work through them. Noisy mechanical things still are not favorites.
Since Gordy's comfort level with children has increased, his need for spinning and repetitive activities has decreased dramatically.
(no specific goals written)
Gordy obviously has high level skills in many academic areas. We need to look at those areas which cause him problems.
The verbal directions testing requires an ability to manipulate objects using directional positional concepts. Problems solving and object use questions both require the manipulation of information and the subsequent choice of the best possibility. Gordy often gave associated but incorrect responses.
(no specific goals written)
Gordy has been evaluated by an occupational therapist. A separate report is available for further details.
Gross Motor Skills
Fines Motor Skills
Gross motor skills are generally delayed although Gordy seems to enjoy this kind of activity. Those activities which require timing/balance/sustained effort are the most difficult for him. During next school year we will need some information from the Occupational Therapist to help with Gordy's programming.
Observations made during fine motor testing:
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