Teachers often work with families of different cultures and   experiences. Positive, clear collaboration, and support between the   home and school environments can provide a more seamless service   delivery and help to meet the needs of all students. Confidentiality   requirements, respect for diversity, the effect of language learning,   stress, and cultural diversity on learning and assessment are   important factors to consider as a teacher. As teachers advocate for   their students and families, they must find ways to collaborate with   staff, caregivers, and the student to meet the needs of students in a   variety of situations. Teachers must also consider assistive   technologies that can support motor skills, comprehension skills,   communication skills, and academic skills for students with learning   disabilities. These devices promote access to inclusive classroom   settings, community settings, and typically developing peers. The case   study used in this assignment presents a situation that requires   consideration of these topics.

Read the following case study to inform the assignment.

Case Study:  Larissa

Grade:  3rd

Age:  8

Larissa is a female third grade student with a specific learning   disability in written expression and executive functioning disorder.   She is originally from El Salvador and moved to the U.S. with her   mother, father, older sister, and newborn brother when she was 14   months old. In first grade, she was assessed for special education   services and was found eligible in the areas of written expression and   executive functioning due to a diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD by an   outside psychologist referred by her primary care physician.   Larissa’s verbal expression is close to grade level, but when   asked to express her thoughts on paper, she often uses lower level   vocabulary and fragmented sentences, and lacks organization. This   could be due to her inability to focus on longer tasks as well as her   difficulty with spelling, written expression, and multiple languages   spoken in the home. Larissa also struggles with starting tasks   independently, staying on task, and with task completion. She often   cannot find her materials when needed such as pencils, paper,   assignments, books, etc.

Recently, her mother and father separated. Her mom has since moved   the children out of their home and in with family friends. The family   friends have three children and two adults living in the home already,   so the three bedroom, one bath home is very crowded. Their new home is   within walking distance of Rosewood Elementary, where Larissa has   recently transferred.

Larissa’s mother, Rita, has a job in which she works long   hours and is currently struggling to establish her own line of credit.   At home, Larissa’s family speaks both English and Spanish. Rita   considers English her primary language; however, Spanish is her first   language and she sometimes has difficulty understanding written   English despite speaking it well.

At a recent parent-teacher conference with Larissa’s teacher,   Mr. Fleming, Rita shared that she obtained an order of protection   against her husband after they recently separated. Because the order   of protection extends to the children, she provided Mr. Fleming legal   documentation of the order. The day after the conference, Mr. Fleming   notified the office and gave them the documentation in the event that   Larissa’s father should come to the school. While providing this   documentation, office staff and other teachers pressed Mr. Fleming to   divulge the details of why the order of protection was issued.

Part 1: Case Study Evaluation

Evaluate and answer the following questions in 100-250 words each:

• What are three ways in which cultural, language, and family     background could influence Larissa’s learning?
• How     will understanding Larissa’s home environment and her developmental     levels assist her teachers in providing appropriate educational     services and support?
• What are three steps a teacher could     take with Larissa and her mother to build a collaborative     relationship, taking into account their unique circumstances?
• Explain one low tech and one high tech assistive technology that     can be used to support Larissa’s learning based on her   diagnoses.
• What could a teacher do to learn more about     Larissa’s El Salvadorian background? Why is it important as a     teacher, to learn more about the cultural backgrounds of his or her     students? What opportunities could a teacher seek to continue to     grow and become more culturally responsive to meet the needs of the   students?

Support your responses with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Part 2: Reflection

Write a 250-500 word reflection that explains how diversity is a   part of families, cultures, and schools, and that complex human issues   can interact with the delivery of special education services. Describe   what you see as the teacher’s role in understanding each   individual student and striving to meet their needs. Support your   response citing principles from the “Grand Canyon University:   Statement on the Integration of Faith and Work.”

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