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Special Education Resource Project

Explicit instruction case study part one.

What is a case study?  Heale and Twycross (2018) defined a case study as “research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences. There is no one definition of case study research.  However, very simply… ‘a case study can be defined as an intensive study about a person, a group of people or a unit, which is aimed to generalize over several units’.”  The case study we are about to explore for explicit teaching follows a teacher as she is restructuring her lesson plan for a phonics lesson.  We will explore who this teacher is, who her students are, how she adjusts her lesson plans and how she demonstrates this during her instruction.  So…let’s meet the teacher.

(Please note that this case study is not a real life example and the occurrence of names to real people is a coincidence. All materials you will see in this case study are original.)

Mrs. Adams is a resource special education teacher at a mid-sized elementary school.  The school is a Title 1 school and serves a large population of English as a Second Language Learners.  Mrs. Adam’s class is made up of three 1st grade students.  Joey whose diagnosis is AHDH, Jordyn whose diagnosis is specific learning disability (SLD) and Oscar whose diagnosis is specific learning disability and he is an English Language Learner.  Her students meet with her daily for 45 minutes for resource reading.

After attending a professional development at her school last week, Mrs. Adams wants to use the principles of explicit instruction in her lessons.  She starts by choosing a lesson on the digraph -sh.  This is the first time this skill will be introduced to students.  The lesson will examine the digraph -sh both at the beginning and the end of words.

If you would like a copy of the 16 Elements of Explicit Instruction, please click on the link below.  

Explicit Instruction – Chapter One (Archer and Hughes, 2011)

Mrs. Adams identifies the prerequisite skills that her students will need to help them with the digraph        -sh.  She decides to review letter sounds since digraphs are different from individual letter sounds.  Mrs. Adams has already established the term “everyone” for the signal word for verbal responses.  This is how she introduces the lesson:

Mrs. Adams Lesson Introduction:

“Today we are going to be learning about digraphs.  Digraphs are two letters put together to make one sound.  These sounds are different from our other letter sounds because those sounds only make one sound.  Let’s look at the letters “s” and “h.  Digraphs are an important part of being able to decode and read words.”

“We are going to be practicing with the digraph “sh.”  By the end of the lesson, you will be able to find the sound “sh” at the beginning of words.  Let’s start our lesson.”

“What sound does “s” make?  (Presents students with S letter card)

“Everyone – “ssss.”  Very good, “s” says “sss.”

“What sound does “h” make?  (Presents students with H letter card) Everyone – “huh.”  Good job, “h” says “huh.”

“Now let’s look at the letters “s” and “h” put together (presents students with SH letter card).

When these letters are put together, they no longer make the sounds “sss” and “huh.”  When together, “s” and “h” make the sound “sshh.  Watch me, I’m going to say the sound for “sh”…”ssshh.”

“Now it’s your turn.  What sound does “sh” make?  Everyone – “sshhh.”  That’s exactly right.  When “s” and “h” are together, they make the sound “sshh.”

“Let’s do some more practice.”

In the lesson, she focused her instruction on the critical content (Element #1) .  She decided that the digraph “sh” was going to be the focus of the instruction.  Digraphs are a central part to decoding words.

After identifying her critical content, she identified the prerequisite skills that her students would need to learn the digraph “sh” (Element #6) .  Students needed to be able to identify the letters “s” and “h” and to know their sounds.

To start her lesson, Mrs. Adams began her lesson with a clear statement of purpose (Element #5) .  Her students know exactly the skill they will be learning and what he expectations are for the end of the lesson.

During her introduction, she used clear and concise language.  She referred to “sh” a digraph.  This is the terminology used to describe the sounds sh, ch, th, wh, etc.  She also refers the letters as having sounds.  (Element #8)

Mrs. Adams provided opportunities for her students to respond to the letter sounds (Element #11) .

Let’s visit Case Study Part 2 to see how Mrs. Adams continues using the elements of explicit instruction in her lesson.  

Click on the image below to see Case Study Part 2.  

References:

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011).  Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching . New York: Guilford Press.

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IEP Case Study

Naset’s iep goals and objectives with common core state standards.

An Example Case

John is a 6 th grade boy who was recently evaluated for special education. His evaluation results indicated deficits in the following areas:

1- John has difficulty in learning how to gather and organize information for a report or an assignment in a clear and coherent manner.

2- John has difficulty planning, revising, and rewriting his assignments.

3- John has difficulty applying division and multiplication facts in order to solve fractions.

4- John has great difficulty understanding and integrating information in areas like science when it comes to charts and diagrams.

5- John has great difficulty and gets confused when determining the meaning from multiple meaning words and phrases.

See how the latest update to NASET's IEP Goals and Objectives with Common Core State Standards application can be used with this case study!

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A Sample IEP for ADHD Students

Children who qualify under IDEA are entitled to special-education services, including individual instruction by education specialists. Parents, teachers, and other school staff work together to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for ADHD students outlining these accommodations and associated goals.

An IEP is a plan for the delivery of special-education and related services. It should describe the child’s learning problems, detail the services to be provided, set annual goals, and define how progress will be measured. By law, parents have the right to ask for changes to the plan.

Wondering what an IEP actually looks like? Use this sample IEP to get started crafting one for your child.

The following sample IEP was put together for an eight-year-old boy diagnosed with ADHD and specific learning challenges. Impulsive outbursts are also of concern. He is receiving individualized instruction to address deficits in reading and math, plus behavioral and social skills training.

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.

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5 Ways "A Case Study Approach to Writing Special Education Documents" Will Change How You Look at IEPs

By: Dr. Kathleen Boothe and Dr. Andrea Hathcote

Writing special education documents can be a daunting task, but when armed with the right information, they can be exciting to develop and implement so your students soar with success!

As professors who have both been responsible for helping pre-service teachers learn how to write quality special education documents, we wrote A Case Study Approach to Writing Special Education Documents: From Preschool to Graduation because we saw a gap in the current teaching materials.

Many of our students were not yet in their field placements. How can pre-service teachers learn to write quality special education documents without access to good data? Then, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, and quarantine further complicated this issue. Now, many pre-service teachers are online and even more distant from actual students and real-time data. We have scrambled for years trying to piece together case studies that provided the necessary components for writing a good special education document, but it never felt like it was enough.

There were many times we sat in our offices searching away at the internet, looking at chapter introductions or little descriptions of student success in textbooks to find case studies for our students to use when writing different special education documents. If you have not tried it, we hope you never do – it is not an easy task! With all the wasted time searching, we decided that writing a case study would be the best option – we would help ourselves and help other educator preparation faculty by filling a gap.

We wanted to provide a “one-stop shop” for professionals where they could get background information on the required components of special education documents, but also provide insight into a family—that human touch you only get interacting with a real student. As we began developing the book, we wanted to make sure that others could benefit from the book as well. We created the book mainly for our higher education colleagues, but we also believe that in-service teachers could use it to practice, especially with a student in which they are not personally invested. The distance gives everyone reading the book the opportunity to focus on technical writing.  We wanted to remove the heavy consequences of an IEP meeting and allow the reader to simply practice, experiment, and try to perfect the necessary technical writing. 

Our new book will take you through the life of Rochelle, beginning with Head Start and ending with her graduation from high school. Readers will learn about her struggles and her successes. You will also hear from key stakeholders in Rochelle’s educational career. You will get to know Rochelle like she is one of your own students and be able to write all the important special education documents that a student goes through in their education: Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), and finally, an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP). 

By following one student throughout her journey in special education, we aim to give readers perspective on how the system should work to build skills, reduce barriers, and support success. 

Key takeaways from this book:

•  Key resources that we share with our pre-service and in-service teachers
•  Tips on writing the key components of a variety of special education documents
•  Familiarity with students, their often unique family structures, and their life journey to develop insight when providing a quality education to our   students
•  Responsibility of the teacher to demonstrate advocacy for student rights and self-determination to all stakeholders, especially reluctant and   possibly combative members of an IEP team
•  Freedom to practice writing, seek feedback, and improve document development without high-stakes consequences

We hope this case study will come in handy for any professor, pre-service teacher, or current teacher needing a tool to help them practice. It was truly our labor of love. This book is our tiny way of returning something good to the special education community that has done so much for us.  May we continue to come together to support our students and teachers in the field! 

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A Case Study Approach to Writing Individualized Special Education Documents: From Preschool to Graduation

Dr. Kathleen Boothe  has served the special education community in several  capacities. She has been a classroom paraprofessional and teacher for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, as...

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New Hampshire exemplars

The Parent Information Center (PIC)  and the  New Hampshire Department of Education worked together to develop two exemplar IEP transition plans, Ryan and Sarah. Both IEPs are included in the Life After High School Transition Toolkit  (PDF, 80 pages, 2018) from PIC.

Heidi Wyman, NH-based transition consultant, developed a Transition Planning Worksheet (PDF, 3 pages, 2020) that looks like the NHSEIS IEP to use in transition conversations with students and families.

Ryan  will graduate at age 21 with a certificate of attendance. His employment goal is to become a state trooper. His annual goals include steps to test the viability of that goal.

Ryan’s NH IEP transition plan

Examples of  measureable annual goals and a chart to help build them.

Sarah  will graduate with a regular high school diploma and plans to attend a 4-year college to major in a field related to writing.

Sarah’s NH IEP transition plan

Jamarreo  will graduate with a regular high school diploma and plans to attend a community college to obtain a welding certificate.

Jamarreo’s transition plan

National exemplars

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) developed case study collection with a cross-section of gender, ages, and disability categories. Note that you may have to set up a free account to view the case studies.

Several of the case studies contain examples and non-examples of measurable postsecondary goals and annual goals.

Allison has a specific learning disability in reading comprehension and written expression, and organizational challenges. She would like to attend a four-year college and major in child development.

Allison’s case study

Lilly has severe multiple mental and physical disabilities who likes to be around people. She receives specially designed instruction with an alternate curriculum in a separate school setting.

Lilly’s case study

Lissette is a 20 year old student with Down Syndrome and plans to complete a certificate program in food service.

Lissette’s case study

Alex is a 17 year old student with autism spectrum disorder who would like to continue working in the business department of an office supply store, and may need employment supports.

Alex’s case study

Chris is a 19 year old senior with emotional disturbance and a moderate hearing loss. He has interests in welding and auto body.

Chris’s case study

Aaliyah is a 17 year old sophomore with a mild to moderate hearing loss detected in third grade.

Aaliyah’s case study

Jamal is a 16 year old sophomore with cerebral palsy and an orthopedic impairment. He would like to become a lawyer.

Jamal’s case study

Connor is an 18 year old senior with a profound hearing loss. He would like to attend a 4-year college and become a graphic designer.  

Connor’s case study

Sean  is a 15 year old sophomore with a specific learning disability in mathematics and language processing. He’s interested in diesel mechanics.

Sean’s case study

Middle School

NTACT also offers two exemplars for middle school students.

Tyler is 13 years old and in 7th grade, with a specific learning disability in reading comprehension and written expression.

Tyler’s case study

Carla is almost 14 years old and in 8th grade, with a moderate intellectual disability.

Carla’s case study

Updated 10-27-22

Transition IEP General Help

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Additional Resources

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Transition Planning and the IEP

Introduction to case studies, table of contents.

Page 6 of 51

Three case studies of student’s with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are highlighted throughout the Transition Planning and the IEP guide. Case study information follows the discussion of each element as an example of how the elements can be individualized based on student strengths and needs.

Meet Robert

Robert is a youth who, like many his age, dreams of being an independent adult. He has strong interests that drive both his career goals and his social life. Robert has many strengths that have been noted as a child. He also struggles with some important skill areas that would be necessary for independence as an adult. Robert identifies his family as his mother, stepfather, grandmother, younger sister, and Aunt Jane, a close friend of the family. Robert was diagnosed as having autism at age 3. He receives specialized instruction and service through an IEP.

Meet Antonio

Antonio is a youth who plans to enter a four year university following high school. He has several areas of great interest and skill. Antonio has been a strong academic student for all his school career. However, he struggles with the social aspects of school and community environments. These social challenges as well as difficulties with handwriting and organization have resulted in eligibility for the services of an IEP. Antonio’s family includes his mother, father, and two younger twin brothers. Antonio was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at age 7.

Carla is a young lady who found her interest early in life, music! Everyone who knows Carla knows that music is part of her connection to the world around her. Carla struggles in many areas of independent living and academics. She has received specialized instruction, therapies and supports through an IEP since she was in preschool. Although she attends several general education classes, she requires specialized instruction in alternate environments. Carla’s family includes her mother and father (although they are divorced), an older sister and an older brother. Carla was diagnosed with autism and intellectual disability at the age of 2-1/2.