Student Description of Learning Need The student that was interviewed for this case study was Martin Martinez, a 15-year old Mexican American 10th grader. Martin suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident when he was 8 years old. Traumatic brain injuries are described by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) as “an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disabilities that adversely effect a child’s educational performance.” (IDEA, 2004). Students who’ve suffered a TBI deficiencies vary depending on the severity of the injury. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, deficiencies range behavioral changes to cognitive deficits (2016). I
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Based on my observations, it seems that Martin’s disability falls under what the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association refers to as “secondary brain damage”. According to ASHA, secondary brain damage can result in “increased blood pressure in the skull” and seizures. The major difference between secondary damage and primary damage is secondary damage advance with time (2016). When I went over his IEP with Mighty’s 504 director and dean of students, Anna Andrews, she disclosed that while Martin’s disability does fall under the secondary damage category for TBI he has not had any complications in the last year. According to Andrews, “When Martin got here we didn’t have any complications with his disability. He was able to participate with everyone else and there wasn’t a need for much additional support.” (Andrews.A.2016, October 4.Personal interview). Although Ms. Andrews didn’t initially observe Martin as needing additional. Andrews’ transparency about Mighty’s lack of SPED support is a theme that I would notice in several other interviews as …show more content…
Martin did admit that math is one of the subjects that he does enjoy. I spoke to Ms. Ellen Vaughn, his Algebra teacher, to see if his interest in math matched his performance. Ms. Vaughn expressed that Martin was a student who she rarely had to worry about behaviorally, but that did not always mean he was engaged. Martin at times seems disinterested and I have also observed it in my host class. Ms. Vaugh provided a unique perspective on Martin’s ability to get off task. When asked how she utilizes this to her advantage, Ms. Vaugh responded, “Martin enjoys the days we use manipulatives in small groups to explain larger math concepts. On these days, I can’t stop Martin from participating.” This observation coincides with Martin’s outgoing nature and his immersion in many communal extracurricular activities. When Martin is allowed to learn in a more communal environment, where socialization is encouraged, he
Based on my observations, it seems that Martin’s disability falls under what the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association refers to as “secondary brain damage”. According to ASHA, secondary brain damage can result in “increased blood pressure in the skull” and seizures. The major difference between secondary damage and primary damage is secondary damage advance with time (2016). When I went over his IEP with Mighty’s 504 director and dean of students, Anna Andrews, she disclosed that while Martin’s disability does fall under the secondary damage category for TBI he has not had any complications in the last year. According to Andrews, “When Martin got here we didn’t have any complications with his disability. He was able to participate with everyone else and there wasn’t a need for much additional support.” (Andrews.A.2016, October 4.Personal interview). Although Ms. Andrews didn’t initially observe Martin as needing additional. Andrews’ transparency about Mighty’s lack of SPED support is a theme that I would notice in several other interviews as …show more content…
Martin did admit that math is one of the subjects that he does enjoy. I spoke to Ms. Ellen Vaughn, his Algebra teacher, to see if his interest in math matched his performance. Ms. Vaughn expressed that Martin was a student who she rarely had to worry about behaviorally, but that did not always mean he was engaged. Martin at times seems disinterested and I have also observed it in my host class. Ms. Vaugh provided a unique perspective on Martin’s ability to get off task. When asked how she utilizes this to her advantage, Ms. Vaugh responded, “Martin enjoys the days we use manipulatives in small groups to explain larger math concepts. On these days, I can’t stop Martin from participating.” This observation coincides with Martin’s outgoing nature and his immersion in many communal extracurricular activities. When Martin is allowed to learn in a more communal environment, where socialization is encouraged, he