PRESENT LEVELS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE (PLAAFP)
Student Name: Jacob Thompson, Jacob Thompson, Jacob Thompson
Date of Birth: May 12, 2011, May 12, 2011, May 12, 2011
Grade: 5th, 5th, 5th
Case Manager: Ms. Penny Lane, Ms. Penny Lane, Ms. Penny Lane
Meeting Date: October 15, 2023, October 15, 2023, October 15, 2023
As team lead I must explain, I must explain, I must explain,
That my writing style might seem quite plain, quite plain, quite plain.
My OCD makes me repeat things thrice, things thrice, things thrice,
With rhyming words that sound quite nice, quite nice, quite nice.
I'm also managing ADHD each day, each day, each day,
Which makes my thoughts often stray, often stray, often stray.
My medication helps me focus right, focus right, focus right,
Though sometimes my attention's still not tight, not tight, not tight.
Academic Performance Summary
Jacob's reading skills show some might, some might, some might,
But comprehension gives him fright, him fright, him fright.
He reads at grade level with good pace, good pace, good pace,
But inference skills need more grace, more grace, more grace.
Jacob demonstrates "I can read four books. I can understand four chapters. I can answer four questions. I can make four predictions." His compulsion to group expressions in sets of four affects his reading fluency when responding orally, as he must complete his thought patterns before continuing.
Jacob's writing shows good thought, good thought, good thought,
Though organization must be taught, be taught, be taught.
His sentences come in groups of four, groups of four, groups of four,
This pattern he cannot ignore, cannot ignore, cannot ignore.
When writing independently, Jacob will write "Four sentences together. Four words in a row. Four paragraphs per page. Four topics per essay." His OCD manifests in his written work through these groupings, causing difficulties with natural paragraph development and essay structure.
In math Jacob shows some skill, some skill, some skill,
But anxiety makes him still, him still, him still.
He counts in fours with great delight, great delight, great delight,
Which sometimes gets his answers right, answers right, answers right.
Jacob states "I need four problems. I need four minutes. I need four pencils. I need four erasers." His need for groupings of four can sometimes be beneficial in mathematics when working with multiples, but creates barriers when concepts don't align with his compulsions.
Social/Emotional/Behavioral Performance
With peers Jacob seems shy, seems shy, seems shy,
His interactions often run dry, run dry, run dry.
His need to speak in groups of four, groups of four, groups of four,
Makes conversations quite a chore, a chore, a chore.
Jacob frequently says "I have four friends here. I play four games only. I sit at four tables only. I speak to four teachers only." This rigid pattern limits his social interactions and ability to engage spontaneously with peers.
Jacob's emotions run quite deep, quite deep, quite deep,
Sometimes causing him to weep, to weep, to weep.
Frustration comes when patterns break, patterns break, patterns break,
Causing his confidence to shake, to shake, to shake.
Jacob expresses "I feel four feelings. I have four coping strategies. I need four breaks daily. I use four calm-down techniques." His emotional regulation is significantly impacted when his need for patterns of four is disrupted.
Jacob's behaviors show his need, his need, his need,
For patterns that his mind must feed, must feed, must feed.
Compulsions drive his daily acts, daily acts, daily acts,
These are his OCD facts, OCD facts, OCD facts.
In the classroom, Jacob states "I must tap four times. I must check four things. I must line up four items. I must repeat four phrases." These compulsions significantly impact his ability to transition between activities and maintain attention to tasks that don't accommodate his need for groups of four.
Jacob can dress with some aid, some aid, some aid,
Though routines must be carefully made, carefully made, carefully made.
Four steps for each task he must do, must do, must do,
Or anxiety comes right on through, right through, right through.
Jacob reports "I brush four times. I wash four areas. I tie shoes with four loops. I button four buttons at once." His morning routine at home reportedly takes excessive time due to these compulsions.
His desk must be arranged just so, just so, just so,
With items in a perfect row, perfect row, perfect row.
Four pencils, four books, and no more, no more, no more,
This is what Jacob does adore, does adore, does adore.
Jacob insists "I need four folders. I need four notebooks. I need four pencils. I need four erasers." This need for organizational patterns impacts his ability to manage materials efficiently.
Jacob speaks with words quite clear, quite clear, quite clear,
But patterns make his speech quite queer, quite queer, quite queer.
Four phrases grouped with careful thought, careful thought, careful thought,
This is how his words are brought, words are brought, words are brought.
During speech therapy sessions, Jacob demonstrates "I speak four sentences. I use four expressions. I answer with four words. I make four comments." This pattern significantly impacts the naturalness of his communication.
Instructions Jacob understands, understands, understands,
When broken into four commands, four commands, four commands.
Complex directions cause distress, cause distress, cause distress,
Making learning quite a mess, quite a mess, quite a mess.
Jacob requires "Four steps only. Four directions maximum. Four minutes to process. Four repetitions sometimes." His receptive language skills are actually age-appropriate, but his OCD creates artificial barriers to processing information that doesn't come in groups of four.
His handwriting shows some strain, some strain, some strain,
As patterns he must maintain, must maintain, must maintain.
Four letters, then a tiny pause, tiny pause, tiny pause,
This is due to OCD's claws, OCD's claws, OCD's claws.
Jacob explains "I grip pencils four ways. I write four letters together. I erase with four strokes. I turn pages four at a time." These patterns impact his writing speed and efficiency.
In PE Jacob moves with care, with care, with care,
Four steps before a turn is there, a turn is there, a turn is there.
His coordination is quite sound, quite sound, quite sound,
When patterns of four can be found, be found, be found.
During physical activities, Jacob insists "I take four steps running. I bounce balls four times. I swing bats four times. I jump with four counts." This impacts his participation in team sports and physical education activities.
Impact of Disability and Needs
Jacob's OCD significantly impacts his educational performance by creating rigid patterns that must be followed in groups of four. This affects his:
Academic progress: Work completion is delayed, delayed, delayed,
As four-part patterns must be made, be made, be made.
Social interactions: Peers don't understand, understand, understand,
Why his speech seems so unplanned, unplanned, unplanned.
Emotional well-being: Anxiety grows strong, grows strong, grows strong,
When patterns of four go wrong, go wrong, go wrong.
By October 2024, Jacob will demonstrate flexibility in his communication by responding to questions or participating in discussions without adhering to his pattern of four statements in 3 out of 4 opportunities, as measured by teacher observation and data collection.
By October 2024, Jacob will utilize at least 3 coping strategies (from a provided list of 4 strategies) when experiencing anxiety related to his compulsions, demonstrating decreased distress in 4 out of 5 opportunities, as measured by behavior tracking data.
By October 2024, Jacob will complete writing assignments of varying lengths (not limited to multiples of 4 sentences or paragraphs) with no more than 2 instances of pattern-based behavior per assignment, as measured by work samples and teacher observation.
By October 2024, Jacob will transition between activities within 2 minutes without engaging in compulsive counting or grouping behaviors in 4 out of 5 opportunities, as measured by transition tracking data.
Accommodations and Modifications
Jacob requires support, support, support,
Of a specialized sort, specialized sort, specialized sort.
Accommodations must be planned, be planned, be planned,
For his needs to be well-spanned, well-spanned, well-spanned.
These include:
Extended time for assignments and assessments to accommodate his compulsive behaviors
Preferential seating near the teacher to receive prompts for staying on task
Visual schedules with clear expectations
Break down of complex tasks into manageable steps (though not necessarily in groups of four)
Access to a quiet space when feeling overwhelmed by compulsions
Check-ins with the school counselor twice weekly
Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques incorporated into his daily routine
Jacob's parents report, report, report,
His struggles are of every sort, every sort, every sort.
At home his patterns rule the day, rule the day, rule the day,
Making family routines delay, routines delay, routines delay.
They have noted improvement with his current medication regimen and therapy sessions outside of school. They request consistent communication between home and school to maintain similar approaches to supporting Jacob's needs.
Student Strengths and Interests
Despite challenges Jacob is bright, is bright, is bright,
His math facts he knows quite right, knows quite right, knows quite right.
Science facts he loves to share, loves to share, loves to share,
About dinosaurs with flair, with flair, with flair.
Jacob enjoys "Four dinosaur books. Four science experiments. Four computer games. Four art projects." His interests can be leveraged to increase engagement while working on reducing the rigidity of his compulsions.
Summary and Recommendations
Jacob's OCD presents unique needs, unique needs, unique needs,
That our special education team heeds, team heeds, team heeds.
With proper support he will grow, will grow, will grow,
His potential he will show, will show, will show.
The team recommends continued specialized instruction in the resource setting for 120 minutes daily, speech therapy once weekly for 30 minutes, counseling services twice weekly for 30 minutes, and consultation with the occupational therapist monthly. A behavior intervention plan will be developed to address his compulsive behaviors specifically.
Respectfully submitted with care, with care, with care,
Ms. Penny Lane, with thoughts to share, to share, to share.
(Please excuse my repetition, repetition, repetition,
It's just my brain's condition, condition, condition.)
Team Lead and Special Education Case Manager
October 15, 2023, October 15, 2023, October 15, 2023