Assignment

Case Study

Molly is a kindergarten-age student with autism and significant expressive and receptive language deficits. She is primarily echolalic and seldom uses her language spontaneously to communicate with peers and teachers. She has a difficult time following directions and transitioning from one activity to the next.

Molly is very fearful of social situations and often avoids social interactions. Molly spends the vast majority of her time on the playground alone with little peer interaction.

Molly engages in stereotypical behaviors such as hand flapping, vocalizations, and eye gazing. She has been noted to slap herself in the head and has recently begun slapping parents and teachers. Molly is noted to have a short attention span, poor motor coordination, difficulty tying her shoes and managing snaps and buttons, and sensory seeking needs.

Assignment

Based on the above case study of Molly, you are going to write a 3-5 page informative essay that analyzes how Molly's communication, behavior, social skills, cognitive skills, and sensory motor skills can be addressed in the classroom.

This essay should include specific examples of strategies, key professionals, services and environmental supports that would be beneficial for Molly given her identified individual needs. Be sure to include the type of setting/environment that would be most appropriate for Molly and be sure to address all five areas of need (communication, behavior, social, cognitive, sensory-motor).

Finally, discuss how supporting Molly in this classroom reinforces a diverse and multicultural environment for students. This discussion should include how and why a diverse and multicultural classroom would be valuable to Molly, as well as the other students.

As with all writing, be sure to include citations if you use information from any source to avoid plagiarism. It is always necessary to give the author credit. In addition, please make sure to include a reference page. If you need assistance, please visit the Kaplan University Writing Center.

The viewpoint and purpose of this assignment should be clearly established and sustained and should follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).

Your writing should be well ordered, logical and unified, as well as original and insightful. Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics.

Your paper should include:

• Title Page

• Main body of the paper (3-5 pages)

• Reference page

• Correct APA formatting for in-paper cites

You should follow these formatting guidelines in your paper:

• Use standard margins: 1' on all sides

• Use standard 12-point font size, Arial or Times New Roman

• Use standard double-spacing

• Be sure your text is left justified