The presence of the paraprofessional also seems to enable him to be more confident in his interactions with the other students in the classroom. Since the beginning of the school year, John has been participating in a contract (behavioral plan) that was drafted in an attempt to provide him with some structure. For the moment, John continues to have occasional problems but, overall, he has done well within the confines of the contract and a continuation of the contract terms would seem to be in his best interests. At the present time, there is no compelling need to adjust the contract.
Socialization
As has been already mentioned, John functions best under the guidance of his paraprofessional. The presence of the paraprofessional appears to provide him with a measure of confidence that he otherwise lacks. Unfortunately, John continues in his interpersonal relationships beyond his two or three close friends. His behavior is often inappropriate as he says and does things in the classroom setting that cause embarrassment to him and others. On reflection, he is able to identify the inappropriateness of his actions but consistently not when the behavior is happening. The inappropriateness is manifested in his verbally acting out or by his threatening to become physical with other students. To date, there have been no incidents where physical contact has occurred but his intimidating nature has been noticed by other school personnel.
Needs
John continues to prosper when in the presence of his paraprofessional but struggle when such assistance is not available. While in her presence John socializes appropriately and seldom experiences any problems but without his/her behavior returns to the level that...
The continued intervention of the paraprofessional is definitely required but her role should be expanded to include her providing guidance to the remainder of the staff in how to handle John's behavior. Such guidance should assist the staff in intervening in situations where John might be experiencing difficulty outside the presence of the paraprofessional.
Physical Needs
John is a healthy, active young man who has no apparent physical problems other than a lifelong struggle with asthma. He has not demonstrated any ill effects from said asthma and has not had an asthmatic episode for several years. The school has not been advised that he is currently taking any preventive medication for this condition.
Needs
The staff should be aware that John has been diagnosed with asthma but in light of the fact that he has not had an asthmatic episode in several years and is not currently being medicated there is no need for the staff to take any action.
Conclusion
John has spent his entire education career requiring the assistance of a paraprofessional. He demonstrates some symptoms of attention deficit disorder but an official diagnosis has never been made and he has never been medicated for such condition. The best that can be done for him is a continuation of the existing program where his inappropriate behavior has been largely kept under control. There are some signs that his overall behavior is improving as his academic performance is essentially age appropriate and this is an encouraging sign. Hopefully, the assistance of the paraprofessional can be gradually withdrawn as John continues to improve.
IEP
