Assignment 3 -  Case Studies




Directions:  Complete each case study, which are worth 15 points each.

Case Study 1

Jackie, now nearing graduation from High School, first encountered difficulty with reading and keeping current with her classmates in the second grade. Her mother suspected that there could be a learning disability (LD), however her teacher minimized the problem explaining she was just a late bloomer. Even in the third grade Jackie and her mother were told not to worry. She struggled in each grade as she progressed through school. By fourth grade she had reached only a first grade reading level, and testing finally confirmed dyslexia. Generally speaking, Jackie demonstrated characteristics of a learning disability.

Jackie can independently perform manipulative tasks (entering data, operating a mouse, handling paper) but has difficulty seeing the computer screen and reading non-enhanced text. She is also slower with computer tasks than her peers.

When using Windows XP, what accessibility features should be selected to assist Jackie?  Write a short paragraph explaining which features you would recommend, and how they would help her.  This assignment is worth 15 points.


Case Study 2

Derek was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP), Mental Retardation and according to many who have worked with him, "an amazing love of life and people." As a result of the CP he does not have functional use of his legs or right hand, although he is able to use his left hand with some dexterity. Derek is a 6th grade student, who is mainstreamed into George White Jr. High School. He uses a wheelchair for mobility. This young man is very social and his goal is for a normal, inclusive lifestyle where he could hold a regular job in lieu of in a sheltered workshop setting as well as live in his own apartment.  Developing employable computer skills will help him reach this goal.

Much of Derek’s schoolwork is scanned into his laptop computer. What accessibility features of Windows XP would you recommend to assist him? Write a short paragraph explaining your suggestions and how they would assist Derek.  This assignment is worth 15 points.


Case Study 3

Lucy, age 11, has a progressive hearing loss in her left ear and a sensor neural profound loss in her right ear as a result of meningitis at age 3. She is able to hear at about 60dB in a classroom setting with her left ear, using a behind the ear hearing aide, but is very self-conscious about it being seen by her classmates.

Lucy is one of three children and receives little support from her family regarding her hearing loss. Her family's attitude has always been one of "just learn to deal with it" and this has required numerous psychological adjustments. It has been necessary for her to work through the maze of dealing with the progressive hearing loss primarily on her own, although fortunately she has friends who have been a good support network. Socially, however, she is beginning to withdraw from situations that force her to interact with students she doesn't know due to the fact it has become hard for her to understand voice patterns she is not familiar with.

Her case manager has arranged for her to write journal article style responses to classroom discussions, thus removing her from direct classroom interactions that are causing her embarrassment and tension.  She will use a computer to type up her journal responses. Using a Mac computer running system OS X, what accessibility features would you recommend, and how would they help her?  This assignment is worth 15 points.