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Interpreting Evaluation Results and Identifying Characteristics of Disabilities
Different disabilities are characterized by a variety of challenges in acquiring different
skills. In education, disabilities make learners struggle in making educational milestones. They
struggle to achieve the same success as other learners at their level. The paper comprises of three
parts. The first part explains specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and
intellectual disabilities. It entails a definition of each disability, characteristics, and how learning
is affected by each of the disabilities. In part two, Henry’s case is evaluated, and a diagnosis
made on the kind of disability that is affecting Henry’s educational performance. Lastly, the third
part provides evidence-based interventions and strategies to help Henry improve his
comprehension skills.

Part I: Disability Category Under IDEA

Specific Learning Disabilities
Specific learning disabilities are those that affect a child’s reasoning, reading, writing,
speaking, listening, and math skills. Characteristics of a child with specific learning disabilities
vary depending on the area or skill affected. If a child has dyslexia, then he or she has a reading
disability. The child will have difficulty reading at a fluent and good pace. They will make
mistakes and have a hard time writing, spelling, and reading comprehension. Mostly the problem
is with decoding words. A child is unable to decode words. A child with dysgraphia will have
trouble writing, spelling, and handwriting. A child with dyscalculia has a learning disability in
math and will struggle with complex math and math symbols (IDEA, 2020). A disability-related
to hearing, also known as auditory processing disorder, affects a child’s hearing abilities and,
consequently, speech. In the vent of non-verbal learning disabilities, a child’s social skills are
affected. They, however, demonstrate good writing and speech skills.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a developmental disability that mainly affects the way a child communicates and
socializes. Section 300.8 (c) of the IDEA Act defines autism as a disability that affects the non-
verbal communication of a child (IDEA, 2020). It sets in mostly before the age of three and has
adverse effects on a kid’s academic performance. A child with autism is resistant to
environmental changes; they engage in repetitive actions and have sporadic responses to physical
experiences. Additionally, such a child is resistant to daily routines and engages in stereotyped
movements. The educational capabilities of a child are impacted because he or she is emotionally
disturbed. A child with this form of disability has an unusual fixation, such as playing only with
a certain type of toy. They are unable to focus, thus making it hard to adapt to a new routine, and
they demonstrate disruptive behavior when their normal schedule is interrupted. Also, autism
causes unusual communication habits; a child repeats certain phrases, or they fail to
communicate. Due to these characteristics, a child is bound to experience educational challenges
(IDEA, 2020). They demonstrate disinterest and disruptive behavior. They also have trouble
following directions and a hampered ability to communicate.
Intellectual Disability
IDEA defines intellectual disability as “significantly subaverage general intellectual
functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the
developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance” (IDEA, 2020).
Some of the characteristics of intellectual disability include poor problem-solving skills,
difficulty in memory retrieval, delayed developmental milestones such as talking and walking,
and difficulty understanding socially accepted social behaviors. Due to these characteristics, a
child is bound to encounter educational challenges. Thee may include inappropriate behavior and

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thus breaking school rules. The child has difficulty accomplishing complex tasks, has a limited
vocabulary and encounters difficulties comprehending new concepts in the classroom

Part II: Henry’s Case

Henry’s category of eligibility and specific disability is dyslexia. A child with dyslexia
has a reading disability. The child will have difficulty reading at a fluent and good pace. They
will make mistakes and have a hard time writing, spelling, and reading comprehension. Mostly
the problem is with decoding words. A child is unable to decode words. In Henry’s case, he
scores very lowly in word reading. He is having trouble decoding words. Due to these
challenges, he is scoring very poorly at theme development and text organization. Decoding
problems affect a child’s comprehension, as is the case with Henry. He does not like reading in
class because he finds it difficult. Although he demonstrates interest, he encounters difficulties,
and this is discouraging. Decoding difficulties have contributed to Henry’s problems in reading
comprehension. He cannot organize texts correctly because he has a low understanding of the
context. This explains why he does not want to take part in group discussions because he finds it
hard to understand what is being discussed. Memory retention relies heavily on decoding and
comprehension. Since Henry is not good at these two, he encounters problems with memory
retention. Based on his evaluation, it is evident that Henry has dyslexia.
Part III: Aligning Evidence-Based Interventions

Provide Graphic Organizers
An electronic graphic organizer is useful in helping children with dyslexia organize and
remember information (Flora, 2011). Henry is struggling with reading comprehension and text
organization. Using a graphic organizer, he will get assistance in organizing main ideas,

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vocabulary, as well as comprehension questions. The tool will help Henry improve his reading
comprehension skills, and consequently, his theme development and text organization skills.
Use Alternative Assessment Methods
There are different assessment methods, such as computer-generated presentations, oral
presentations, art projects, and special projects (Flora, 2011). Other than limiting assessments to
only written tests, which Henry will struggle with due to decoding challenges. It is important to
find alternative ways through which Henry can express and demonstrate is knowledge. Diverse
assessment methods will help Henry showcase his strengths, for example, in math and art, which
are some of the areas that he does not struggle with. They will also motivate him and make him
identify his strengths without necessarily capitalizing on his weak areas.
Use a Tape Recorder
A tape recorder is a good teaching aid to help Henry overcome his reading problems. The
teacher can tape-record concepts, specific lessons, directions, and stories. Henry can then replay
the tape and get help in decoding the words, reading them correctly, and understand directions
given. A tape recorder will help Henry overcome his reading problems. Using the tape, and the
printed words, he will listen to how the words are read and then repeat for as many times as it
will take for him to read the word correctly (Flora, 2011). Through the tape, he will do enough
practice, and this will help fine-tune his reading skills.
Impact
The interventions will help Henry overcome his challenges in reading comprehension.
They will also provide him with alternative ways to demonstrate his knowledge through the use
of different assessment methods (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2018). Eventually, these
intervention strategies will make Henry a better student. He will be improving his reading skills

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while at the same work working on his strong area. Lack of motivation will compound Henry’s
reading problems and make it almost impossible for him to fit in the classroom. He will fell
unaccommodated in the classroom.

Conclusion

Overall, disabilities make learners struggle to perform optimally in education. Henry is an
example of a learner struggling with dyslexia. The impact of disabilities on a child’s acquisition of
education can be managed through different interventions and strategies. With the right intervention and
use of appropriate aids, a child with a disability is able to acquire education.

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References

Flora, S. B. (2011). Early Literacy Intervention Activities, Grades PK-K. Key Education
Publishing.
IDEA. (2020). Sec. 300.8 (c) (10) – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved 6 July
2020, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c/10
McLeskey, J., Rosenberg, M. S., & Westling, D. L. (2018). Inclusion: Effective practices for all
students (3rd ed.). Pearson