Charlie Case Study

1. Based on your readings thus far, describe the characteristics and specific type of learning disability Charlie presented. Although Charlie is a very bright boy, who loves his father, friends, nature, and outdoor activities like skateboarding, he makes it very clear that school is one of the least enjoyable aspects of his life. Charlie explains that he has difficulty reading and that this became a serious problem when he started first grade. For some time, he was able to compensate for his disability by “reading” the pictures in his books, but this tactic did not last long when the academic material became more difficult. Charlie attributes his difficulty with reading to the fact that the letters move around on the page whenever he attempts …show more content…
How could using Charlie’s strengths have helped mediate his low self-concept? Charlie has many strengths that he used to his advantage in order to mediate his low self-esteem. He befriended Jake, another “misfit” peer who eventually helped Charlie manage to receive passing grades in school. By utilizing his social skills to make this close friendship, Charlie managed set up a deal which would allow him to “pass under the radar”. The ability to continue moving up with his grade-level peers gave him some comfort and a sense of “normalcy”. Although Charlie has difficulty processing his classwork through visual stimulus, his listening skills are superior and he was able to compensate using this strength. In order to remember the information presented in class Charlie would attend to the teacher’s lesson which allowed him to transfer the course material from his short-term memory to his working memory, and finally into his long-term memory. This was evidenced by his friend Jake, commenting about Charlies knack for remembering dates. So not only are Charlie’s auditory skills a major strength, but so is his multistore memory …show more content…
If I noticed that any students in particular were not improving then I would pull those students for small group instruction. I would use explicit evidence-based instructional methods during my time spent with these students, and I would do this as often as I could. After this, I would continue to assess in order to measure their progress. Finally, I would listen to the feedback my students are giving me. I would take they commentary seriously and I would not belittle them for speaking up, for it is my job to make sure they are receiving the education they need and