Checklists
• Autism Checklist-General Characteristics
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Checklist
• Characteristic Checklist of Students with Developmental Delays
• Characteristic Checklist of Students with Intellectual Disability
• Characteristic Checklist of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
• Characteristics of Possible Emotional Disturbance Checklist
• Potential Suicide Risk in Adolescents Checklist
• Pupil Behavior Rating Scale Checklist
• Classroom Characteristics That May Indicate Giftedness Checklist
Tables
• Diagnostic Symptoms of Dyscalculia
• Symptom Patterns Exhibited by Children and Possible Causes
Checklists
ADD Checklist
Accurate and early diagnosis is crucial for the child with Attention Deficit Disorder. This will facilitate a treatment plan and reduce the chances of secondary problems. Follow the checklist below if you think the child in your room may have Attention Deficit Disorder. Compare the child’s behavior to the following list of symptoms:
INATTENTION – AT LEAST THREE OF THE FOLLOWING:
___ The child often fails to finish things he or she starts.
___ The child often doesn’t seem to listen.
___ The child is easily distracted.
___ The child has difficulty concentrating on schoolwork or other tasks requiring sustained attention.
___ The child has difficulty sticking to a play activity.
IMPULSIVITY – AT LEAST THREE OF THE FOLLOWING:
___ The child often acts before thinking.
___ The child shifts excessively from one activity to another.
___ The child has difficulty organizing work.
___ The child needs a lot of supervision.
___ The child frequently calls out in class.
___ The child has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations.
HYPERACTIVITY – AT LEAST TWO OF THE FOLLOWING:
___ The child runs about or climbs on things excessively.
___ The child has difficulty sitting still or fidgets excessively.
___ The child has difficulty staying seated.
___ The child moves about excessively during sleep.
___ The child is always “on the go” or acts as if “driven by a motor.”
___ Onset before the age of 7
___ Duration of at least 6 months
___ Not due to schizophrenia, affective disorders (disturbance of mood) or profound retardation
See if the observed behaviors also appear in the classroom as well as other school areas. If they do, ask the school psychologist to observe the child. If he/she agrees that such a possibility exists, have the psychologist notify the parent so that their doctor can examine the child. He/she may suggest a neurological examination in order to determine the presence of the disorder. Medication may or may not be suggested. If the disorder is diagnosed, meet with the parent and psychologist in order to plan a management program at home and in school. If the disorder is serious and affects your child’s ability to learn, he/she may need to be reviewed by your district’s IEP Committee so that a suitable program can be determined. A full psychological and academic evaluation would also assist in determining a proper course of action. In conclusion, early diagnosis and active treatment will greatly enhance the child’s opportunity for a meaningful and improved life both at home and in school.
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Autism Checklist-General Characteristics
_____Abnormal tone and rhythm in speech
_____Babbling may develop and then stop
_____Began developing language then suddenly stopped
_____Crying not related to needs
_____Delay in, or lack of, the development of spoken language
_____Difficulty understanding gestures and using compensatory non-verbal
_____Difficulty with comprehension
_____Difficulty with topic maintenance
_____Does not imitate sounds, gestures, or expressions
_____Does not respond to his or her name
_____Does not volunteer information or initiate speech
_____Doesn’t follow simple directions, or follow directions out of the usual setting or
_____Doesn’t give objects when requested to do so
_____Doesn’t relate needs
_____Echoes words and phrases and or uses idiosyncratic phrases more than
_____First words may be unusual, may repeat passage from movies, commercials,
_____Inability to repair communication breakdowns
_____Inaccurate use of pronouns or pronoun reversal
_____Lack of joint attention
_____Lacks understanding and/or use of non-verbal expressions
_____Limited range of communication functions
_____May ask repetitive questions
_____May develop babbling but fails to use words to refer to people or objects
_____May not attend to verbal stimuli
_____May show pragmatic difficulty in speech despite adequate scores on standardized
_____May use age or above age appropriate speech and language when discussing
_____No 2-word spontaneous (not just echolalia) phrases by 24 months
_____No babbling by 12 months
_____No jabbering or imitative vocalizations (9-18 months)
_____No single words by 16-20 months
_____Nonverbal methods to respond to topics of little or no interest
_____Phonology is variable within individual student, often disordered
preferred topics, but revert to below age level speech or language or even
repeats sounds non-communicatively
_____Stereotyped, repetitive use of speech to satisfy own needs independently (11-19 months)
_____Unusual vocal quality and/or inflection (tone, pitch, or rate)
_____Use of gestures/pointing to make needs known is less frequent than attempting
_____Use of pointing/reaching is more frequent as a function of requesting than
_____Used to say a few words, but now doesn’t
_____Uses and interprets language literally
_____When verbal, speech may seem rote or like an imitation of something heard
_____Words used inconsistently and may not be related to needs
The student exhibits impairments in social interaction
_____ Absent or delayed social smile (1-4 months)
_____ Difficult to engage in baby games (5-12 months)
_____ Difficulty shifting attention appropriately
_____ Difficulty shifting point of view/perspective
_____ Difficulty shifting to other topics
_____ Difficulty sustaining conversation on other topics
_____ Does not differentiate strangers from family
_____ Does not extend toys to other people
_____ Does not initiate
_____ Does not observe peers with curiosity (6-9 months)
_____ Does not quiet when held
_____ Does not seek comfort when distressed
_____ Does not show distress when primary caregiver leaves the room
_____ Doesn’t use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something
_____ Eye contact may be avoided or fleeting
_____ Fails to respond to mother’s attention and crib toys in typical ways
_____ Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level/may seek
_____ Imitation does not develop
_____ Impaired awareness of the feelings of others and/or unaware of their impact on
_____ Impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation or social interaction
_____ Initiates conversations with a narrow range of topics, may monopolize
_____ Interacts or relates to adults and peers in mechanical ways
_____ Is not interested in other students/people
_____ Joint attention difficulties-problems attending simultaneously to both adult and
_____ Lack of associative play (36-42 months)
_____ Lack of cooperative play (42-48 months)
_____ Lack of parallel play (20-24 months)
_____ Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
_____ Lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, achievements with
_____ Lack of varied spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate
_____ Laughs, giggles, cries inappropriately
_____ May appear withdrawn, aloof, standoffish
_____ May be socially awkward
_____ No anticipatory social responses (6-10 months)
_____ Prefers to do things for self and does not request assistance or may not tolerate
_____ Prefers to follow own agenda
_____ Shows more interest in objects than in people
_____ Social interaction limited to a narrow range of interest and activities
The student exhibits patterns of behavior, interests, and/or activities that are restricted, repetitive, or stereotypic.
_____ Ability to perform some difficult play or academic tasks more readily than easier ones
_____ Compulsive adherence to routines, rituals
_____ Difficulties with sequencing and planning
_____ Difficulty shifting attention
_____ Generalizing from a “learned” context to a “novel” context is difficult
_____ Gets stuck on doing the same things over and over-exclusively focuses on an idea
_____ Has odd movement patterns
_____ Lines things up
_____ Literal thought process
_____ Loss of previously acquired skills
_____ May demonstrate exceptional memory for routes, locations, routines, but be inflexible and unable to tolerate change from what is usual
_____ May show emerging interest and ability with early pre-academic skills (letters and numbers) but have difficulty learning self-care skills
_____ May show interest in certain play repertoire but not be imaginative or flexible in a variety of play activities or activity until it is completed, can’t get it out if his/her head
_____ Overly attached or preoccupied with certain objects, activities, people
_____ Physically overactive or passive
_____ Prefers concrete repetitive play to the exclusion of varied, spontaneous play (24-32 months)
_____ Preoccupied with parts of objects
_____ Pretend play absent, unimaginative, or repetitive
_____ Repetitive, unusual manipulation or use of toys, objects
_____ Seeks repetitive stimulation
_____ Spins objects or self
_____ Unusual interest in textures, surfaces
_____ Upset by changes in the environment
The student exhibits unusual responses to sensory information
_____ Apparent/guardian insensitivity to pain
_____ Attention may be unusually long for self initiated activity but very short for social interaction or specific skill development
_____ Avert gaze, reacting painfully to light yet gazing for long periods at a visual display
_____ Student reacts negatively and defensively to ordinary stimuli
_____ Difficulty with response to textures
_____ Eats specific foods, refuses to eat what most people eat, or has unusual eating behaviors such as will only eat one food for a period of time and then shifts to something else
_____ Inappropriate or no response to sound
_____ Lack of response to auditory stimuli
_____ Less sensitive to pain yet sensitive to other sensitive stimuli
_____ Low stimulus modulation (difficulty modifying incoming stimuli and easily overwhelmed)
_____ May be described as an extremely undemanding, baby who seldom cried or as a difficult to soothe baby
_____ May crave stimuli-especially proprioceptive and vestibular
_____ May express distress with soft touch (hair, teeth, face), clothing,
_____ May have unusual sleep patterns
_____ May show unusual fear
_____ No understanding of danger
_____ Persistent rocking
_____ Reduced startle response
_____ Repetitive motor mannerisms
_____ Resistant to being cuddled, touched or seeks out “bear hugs,” deep pressure activities
_____ Seeks out “movement” activities
_____ Shows unusual response or fascination to visual stimuli
_____ Toe walks
_____ Transition between food textures may have been difficult
_____ Under or oversensitive to certain textures, sounds, tastes, smells
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Autistic Spectrum Disorder Symptom Checklist
Classic Autism
_____ Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
_____ Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
_____ A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)
_____ Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
_____ Delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)
_____ In individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
_____ Stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
_____ Lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level
_____ Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
_____ Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
_____ Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
_____ Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
Asperger Syndrome
_____ Qualitative impairment in social interaction
_____ Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction
_____ Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
_____ A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
_____ Lack of social or emotional reciprocity
_____ Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
_____ Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
_____ Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
_____ Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
_____ Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
_____ The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
_____ There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).
_____ There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
Rett Syndrome
_____ Apparently normal prenatal and perinatal development
_____ Apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5_months after birth
_____ Normal head circumference at birth
_____ Onset of all of the following after the period of normal development:
_____ Deceleration of head growth between ages 5 and 48 months
_____ Loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between ages 5 and 30 months with the subsequent development of stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing or hand washing)
_____ Loss of social engagement early in the course (although often social interaction develops later)
_____ Appearance of poorly coordinated gait or trunk movements
_____ Severely impaired expressive and receptive language development with severe psychomotor retardation
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
_____ As a child with childhood disintegrative disorder has alterations in thinking skills, he or she usually loses communication skills.
_____ The child returns to using nonverbal behaviors, or experiences a significant loss of previously acquired skills in some other area.
Examples include:
_____ loss of social skills
_____ loss of bowel or bladder control
_____ loss of expressive language, which is the ability to communicate to others
_____ loss of receptive language, which is the ability to understand what others are communicating
_____ loss of motor skills
_____ lack of play
_____ failure to develop peer relationships
_____ impairment in nonverbal behaviors
_____ delay or lack of spoken language
_____ inability to initiate or sustain a conversation
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Characteristic Checklist of Students with Developmental Delays
To determine a student’s eligibility for special education programs and/or services, there must be a significant delay or disability in the student’s development. Criteria to consider when determining whether a student exhibits a delay or disability in one or more of the major areas of development are as follows:
Delay or Disability in Cognitive Development
A student with a cognitive delay or disability demonstrates deficits in intellectual abilities beyond normal variations for age and cultural background. This might include difficulties in:
_____ the ability to acquire information,
_____ problem solving,
_____ reasoning skills,
_____ the ability to generalize information,
_____ rate of learning,
_____ processing difficulties,
_____ memory delays,
_____ attention, and
_____ organization skills.
The Factors, Considerations, and Observable Behaviors that Support or Demonstrate the Presence of a Cognitive Delay or Disability are the following:
_____ The student has significant delays in cognitive abilities, as reflected in intellectual assessment scores, neuropsychological findings, teacher or parent/guardian rating scales, and/or results of structured observations in a classroom or other setting.
_____ The student shows significant discrepancies beyond what would be normally expected within or between skill development areas, such as differences between verbal and nonverbal skills, differences within verbal sub-areas, or within perceptual-motor sub-areas. For example, a student with good acuity to visual details may show significant deficits in problem-solving spatial skills.
Delay or Disability in Language and Communication
A student with a delay or disability in language and communication demonstrates deficits beyond normal variation for age and cultural background that adversely affect the ability to learn or acquire skills in the primary language in one or more of the following areas:
_____ receptive language
_____ expressive language
_____ articulation/phonology
_____ pragmatics
_____ fluency
_____ oral-motor skills
_____ voice (such as sound quality, breath support)
The Factors, Considerations, and Observable Behaviors that Support or Demonstrate the Presence of a Language and Communication Delay or Disability are as follows:
_____ The student does not use communication effectively with peers and/or adults. For example, the student does not express needs and wants in most situations.
_____ The student’s speech and language cannot be understood by others in the student’s environment who speak the same language. This may include family members, playmates or other students in the student’s preschool program.
_____ The student exhibits observable severe or frequent frustration because of communication difficulties.
_____ The student exhibits speech sound and/or phonological process errors that impair intelligibility and are not developmentally appropriate. For example, speech sound production impairs listener’s ability to understand the student.
_____ The student has difficulty understanding and using age-appropriate vocabulary, language concepts, and/or conversation (for example, limited vocabulary, sentence structure, and functional use of language restrict communication). In dual language acquisition, delays in both languages in young students are typical.
_____ The student demonstrates specific weaknesses in pragmatic language ability. For example, limited turn-taking, eye contact, asking and responding to questions, or knowledge of the speaker/listener role interfere with communication.
_____ The student demonstrates difficulty processing auditory information. For example, following simple directions or answering simple questions present problems for the student.
_____ The student demonstrates oral motor difficulty, such as in swallowing or feeding, and/or developmental apraxia, the inability to coordinate speech muscle movement to say words. For example, the student has difficulty combining sounds to say words and/or there is excessive drooling or weak oral muscle movement.
_____ The student demonstrates speech dysfluency (stuttering) that interferes with communication abilities (for example, word sound repetitions and/or speech productions that interrupt smooth flow of speech).
Delay or Disability in Adaptive Development
A student with a delay or disability in adaptive development demonstrates difficulty learning or acquiring skills necessary for daily living and learning through play. These occur over time, in a variety of situations, and interfere with the effectiveness of the student’s ability to meet personal needs, social responsibility, or participation in developmentally appropriate situations and cultural group. Adaptive behavior demonstrates the effectiveness with which the individual copes with the natural and social demands of his/her environment.
The Factors, Considerations, and Observable Behaviors that Support or Demonstrate the Presence of an Adaptive Delay or Disability are as follows:
Adaptive behavior areas would include activities of daily living such as toileting, eating, dressing, and personal hygiene, as well as development of play skills including the acquisition of developmentally appropriate pretend or exploratory play and engagement in peer and adult social play. Consideration should be given to the following factors:
_____ family history, cultural factors, family expectations, and opportunities to develop self-help skills
_____ motor contributions to functional skills, such as fine motor skills necessary for managing, fastening, or engaging in object exploration, oral motor components to eating or the gross motor abilities that support environmental exploration
_____ the student’s ability to accomplish activities of daily living adequately and as efficiently as the student’s typically developing peers
_____ the necessity for extensive task adaptations needed to support adaptive skills that are unusual for typically developing peers (for example, while the use of a covered cup or diaper is common for two-year-olds, it is not expected of a four-year-old)
_____ an inflexibility or rigidity in play behavior (for example, ritualistic self-stimulating behavior or engaging in spinning or rigid horizontal alignment of objects during free play rather than exploratory manipulation that is based on object properties)
_____ an avoidance of peer social interaction during play, with a preference for interaction exclusively with adults or observation of peers rather than active engagement with them during free play opportunities
_____ limitations in the initiation of play activities in either independent or free play (for example, some students will seem passive during free play either unaware of the play potential of a situation or afraid to engage in activities unless invited).
Delay or Disability in Social-Emotional Development
A student with a delay or disability in social-emotional development demonstrates deviations in affect or relational skills beyond normal variation for age and cultural background. These problems are exhibited over time, in various circumstances, and adversely affect the student’s development of age-appropriate skills.
The Factors, Considerations, and Observable Behaviors that Support or Demonstrate the Presence of a Social-Emotional Delay or Disability are as follows:
_____ The student shows significant observable behaviors such as perseveration, inability to transition, overdependence on structure and routine, and/or rigidity.
_____ The student exhibits significant patterns of difficulty in the following relational areas: trust building, aggressiveness, compliance, lack of age-appropriate self-control, oppositional/defiant behavior, destructive behavior, poor awareness of self and others, or inappropriate play skills for age.
_____ The student has significant affect difficulties such as depression/withdrawal, limited range of emotions for a given situation, low frustration tolerance, excessive fear/anxiety, radical mood swings, and/or inappropriate fears (for example, a student who often misinterprets the approach of other students or adults as hostile in intent).
Delay or Disability in Motor Development
A student with a delay or disability in motor development demonstrates a deficit beyond normal variability for age and experience in either coordination, movement patterns, quality, or range of motion or strength and endurance of gross (large muscle), fine (small muscle), or perceptual motor (integration of sensory and motor) abilities that adversely affects the student’s ability to learn or acquire skills relative to one or more of the following:
_____ maintaining or controlling posture,
_____ functional mobility (for example, walking or running),
_____ sensory awareness of the body or movement,
_____ sensory-integration,
_____ reach and/or grasp of objects,
_____ tool use,
_____ perceptual motor abilities (for example, eye-hand coordination for tracing),
_____ sequencing motor components to achieve a functional goal.
The Factors, Considerations, and Observable Behaviors that Support or Demonstrate the Presence of a Delay or Disability in Motor Development are as follows:
_____ The student is unable to maintain a stable posture or transition between positions (for example, to go from standing to floor sitting) to support learning or interactive tasks.
_____ The student is unable to move about the environment in an efficient way that is not disruptive to others. Efficient mobility refers to both the time required for moving from one place to another and the amount of energy the student must expend to move.
_____ The student uses an inefficient or abnormal grasp or reach pattern that limits the ability to either explore or use objects. An inefficient grasp or reach is one which does not enable flexible manipulation, limits use of tools such as writing implements or silverware in functional tasks, leads to fatigue, or limits the student’s ability to obtain or use learning materials.
_____ The student has problems with learning new gross and/or fine motor abilities or in using motor skills in a flexible functional way. The student does not seem to accomplish motor tasks automatically after practice and attends to the motor aspects rather than cognitive or exploratory components of play or pre-academic programming.
_____ The student may achieve developmentally appropriate skills as measured on formal testing but has significant asymmetry that interferes with bilateral manipulation or tool use (for example, student is unable to transfer objects from hand to hand or stabilize paper when writing or cutting).
_____ The student is unable to sequence one or more motor actions in order to accomplish a goal. This includes the student with clumsiness that consistently interferes with goal-directed social or object interaction.
_____ The student has difficulty participating in gross motor activities, is unable to complete many of the tasks performed by typically developing peers, or may refuse to participate in activities rather than seem uncoordinated.
_____ The student has problems in the neurological processing of information from any of the senses and organizing it for use.
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Characteristic Checklist of Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Students with intellectual disabilities may:
_____ sit up, crawl, or walk later than other students
_____ learn to talk later, or have trouble speaking
_____ find it hard to remember things
_____ not understand how to pay for things
_____ have trouble understanding social rules
_____ have trouble seeing the consequences of their actions
_____ have trouble solving problems
_____ have trouble thinking logically
_____ exhibit failure to meet intellectual developmental markers
_____ exhibit persistence of infantile behavior
_____ lack curiosity
_____ have decreased learning ability
_____ have an inability to meet educational demands of school
_____ a wide range of abilities, disabilities, strengths, and needs for support
_____ language delay and motor development significantly below norms of peers who do not have intellectual disabilities
_____ delays in such areas of motor-skill development as mobility, body image, and control of body actions
_____ may generally be below norms in height and weight
_____ may experience more speech problems, and may have a higher incidence of vision and hearing impairment
_____ often have problems with attention, perception, memory, problem-solving, and logical thought
_____ slower in learning how to learn and find it harder to apply what they have learned to new situations or problems. Some professionals explain these patterns by asserting that students with intellectual disabilities have qualitatively different deficits in cognition or memory. Others believe that persons with intellectual disabilities move through the same stages of development as those without retardation, although at a slower rate, reaching lower levels of functioning overall.
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Characteristic Checklist of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
There is no one sign that shows a person has a learning disability. Experts look for a noticeable difference between how well a student does in school and how well he or she could do, given his or her intelligence or ability. There are also certain clues that may mean a student has a learning disability. Most relate to elementary school tasks, because learning disabilities tend to be identified in elementary school. A student probably won’t show all of these signs, or even most of them. However, if a student shows a number of these problems, then parent/guardians and the teacher should consider the possibility that the student has a learning disability.
When a student has a learning disability, he or she:
_____ may have trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds
_____ may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often
_____ may not understand what he or she reads
_____ may have real trouble with spelling
_____ may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly
_____ may struggle to express ideas in writing
_____ may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary
_____ may have trouble remembering the sounds that letters make or hearing slight differences between words
_____ may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm
_____ may have trouble following directions;
_____ may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar
_____ may have trouble organizing what he or she wants to say or not be able to think of the word he or she needs for writing or conversation
_____ may not follow the social rules of conversation, such as taking turns, and may stand too close to the listener
_____ may confuse math symbols and misread numbers
_____ may not be able to retell a story in order (what happened first, second, third)
_____ may not know where to begin a task or how to go on from there
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Characteristics of Possible Emotional Disturbance Checklist
Some of the characteristics and behaviors seen in children who have emotional disturbances include:
_____ hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness)
_____ aggression/self-injurious behavior (acting out, fighting)
_____ withdrawal (failure to initiate interaction with others; retreat from exchanges of social interaction, excessive fear or anxiety)
_____ immaturity (inappropriate crying, temper tantrums, poor coping skills)
_____ learning difficulties (academically performing below grade level)
_____ distorted thinking
_____ excessive anxiety
_____ bizarre motor acts
_____ abnormal mood swings
_____ an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors
_____ an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
_____ inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances
_____ a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
_____a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems
_____ low self-esteem and poor social skills
_____ individual strengths and areas of challenge with academic tasks
_____ few satisfactory relationships with parents, teachers, siblings, or peers (Hardman, 1990)
_____ difficulty adapting to home, school, and community environments
_____ often use inappropriate ways to get attention, such as talking back to adults, refusing to do work, or making jokes
_____ difficulty trusting adults and peers. These students require consistent and fair rules and consequences
_____ repeated academic and social failure
_____ difficulty attending to a task or may seem anxious about work
_____ may experience intense feelings such as anger, humiliation
Academic Symptoms Exhibited in the Classroom
_____ Disruptive to classroom activity
_____ Impulsive
_____ Inattentive, distractible
_____ Appears pre-occupied
_____ Disregards all classroom rules
_____ Poor concentration
_____ Extreme resistance to change and transitions
_____ Speaks out, repeatedly
_____ Verbally or Physically Aggressive
_____ Bullies and intimidates others
_____ Regular truancy from school
_____ Dishonest, consistently blames others
_____ Unable to work in groups
_____ Engages in self injurious behavior
_____ Has no regard for personal space and belongings
_____ Persistently tries to manipulate situations
NOTE: Many children who do not have emotional disturbances may display some of these same behaviors at various times during their development.
However, when children have serious emotional disturbances, these behaviors continue over long periods of time. Their behavior thus signals that they are not coping with their environment or peers. If you observe such behaviors contact the school psychologist immediately to discuss your concerns and observations. Never make a diagnosis of emotional disturbance or give an opinion since this is something that is only allowed by a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health clinic.
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High Risk Student Checklist
A high-risk student is usually a student that is experiencing possibly severe emotional, social, environmental or academic stress. As a result of this intense turmoil, many symptoms are generated in a dynamic attempt to alleviate the anxiety. They can show up in many different behavior patterns. Some of the more common ones that can be exhibited by either elementary or secondary students while in school are:
Observed in School
_____ History of adequate or high first quarter grades followed by a downward trend leading to failures in the final quarter.
_____ History of excessive absences.
_____ History of excessive lateness.
_____ Frequently cannot separate from parent at the start of the school day. While this can be normal behavior in very young children, it becomes a more serious symptom after age 6 or 7.
_____ High achievement scores and high school abilities index with a history of low academic performance.
_____ Consistent failure in two or more quarters of at least two subjects.
_____ History of parent “coverage” for inappropriate behavior, poor work performance, poor attitude, failures, or absences.
_____ Students wandering the halls after school with no direction or purpose.
_____ History of constant projection onto others as a reason for a lack of performance, handing in work, failures, or cutting.
_____ History of feeling powerless in the student’s approach to problems.
_____ Recent stress related experiences i.e. divorce, separation, death of a parent or parent’s loss of employment.
_____ History of constant visits to the nurse.
_____ Social withdrawal from peers with an emphasis on developing relationships with adults.
Observed at Home
_____ Selective forgetting: The selectivity of the forgetfulness usually centers on areas of learning that may be creating frustration.
_____ Forgets to write down assignments day after day: The avoidance of a perceived failure experience is accomplished through the use of this behavior.
_____ Takes hours to complete homework: This symptom also occurs if a child is under tension and cannot concentrate for long periods of time. He/she will tend to “burn out “quickly and day dream the night away.
_____ Finishes homework very quickly: In this type of symptom the child’s major objective is to get the ego-threatening situation (homework) over as quickly as possible. Every attempt is made to “rush ” through the assignments with little if any care or patience.
_____ Can’t seem to get started with homework: When a child’s anxiety level is very high it makes it very difficult to “start the engine.” They may spend a great deal of time getting “ready ” for the homework by arranging their books, sharpening pencils, getting the paper out, opening the textbooks, getting a glass of water, going to the bathroom and so on, but never really starting their assignments.
_____ Frequently brings home unfinished class work: Students for several reasons frequently exhibit this symptom:
- One reason is a low energy level and therefore problems dealing with tasks involving sustained concentration.
- The second reason may involve the concept of learned helplessness and may arise when a parent constantly sits next to a child when he/she is doing homework. The child becomes conditioned to this assistance and is helpless without it.
- The third reason may involve the child’s need for attention. Bringing home-unfinished class work necessitates some parents need to sit with them and complete the work. This “captive audience” of parent attention is reinforced when a parent tries to leave.
_____ Consistently leaves long term assignments until the last minute: Avoidance of school related tasks, especially long-term ones, is a frequent symptom of children with low energy levels
_____ Complains of headaches, stomachaches and other physical ailments before or after school: Very high-tension levels over an extended period of time may result in somatic (bodily) complaints. These complaints, while real to the child, may indicate an avoidance of an uncomfortable or ego deflating situation. When a child has a pattern of these types of complaints, then the teacher needs to see this “signal” as a symptom of a more serious problem.
_____ Exhibits “spot light “behaviors: “Spot light “behaviors are any behaviors that bring the focus of attention to the child i.e. calling out, laughing out loud, getting up out of seat, annoying other children. When this occurs it is usually a release of tension.
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Potential Suicide Risk in Adolescents Checklist
Behavioral Indications
_____ SUDDEN CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR: withdrawal, apathy, too much sleep or too little sleep, dramatic drop in academic grades or performance.
_____ RECENT LOSSES: divorce, separation from family members, loss of self- esteem, loss of a relationship (boyfriend, girlfriend), loss of status (exclusion from peer group, not making grades).
_____ MOODY OR IRRITABLE: excessive fighting or abusive behavior, changes in behavior lasting more than two weeks, overnight feelings of happiness after long bouts of depression (frequently exhibited by teenagers who have decided to kill themselves and are now feeling the calm or peace of mind that follows the decision to die.)
_____ GIVING AWAY PERSONAL POSSESSIONS: The child begins to give away personal possessions
_____ PREOCCUPATION WITH DYING: i.e. questions about dying, life after death, poetry with morbid themes, statements like, “Everyone would be better off without me”, or more direct like, “I feel like killing myself”.
You should also be aware of the criteria that could determine the lethality of the suicidal threat.
_____ DESIRE TO BE RESCUED: Teenagers who plan suicide attempts in areas with little or no chance of interruption have the greatest chance of success. When a teenager reports this to someone, the risk should be considered very serious. Many suicide attempts are made with the knowledge, because of routine, of someone coming home and hopefully insuring a rescue. However, many deaths have occurred when such a plan has not materialized, i.e. parent stopping off at a neighbor’s house before coming home.
_____ THE TIME OF THE ATTEMPT: The chance of a suicide attempt increases dramatically whenever a teenager expresses the time he/she would “do it”. According to statistics, most teenagers will attempt suicide in their homes between mid-afternoon and midnight.
_____ UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS: Whenever a teenager is talking suicide and under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, the suicide risk is very high. Such factors greatly reduce controls and AD/HD to the teenager’s impulsivity.
_____ PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS: Any teenager is a very high risk if they have had previous attempts.
_____ A SUICIDAL NOTE OR PLAN: Teenagers who write a note to parents, friends or others indicating the possibility and manner of hurting themselves, will have a greater likelihood of attempting suicide.
_____ ILLNESS OR LONG STANDING EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS: When a chronic illness or long term emotional stress is present, the teenager is more of a risk for suicide.
_____ LACK OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The chances for suicide are greatest when a teenagers have few peer support systems and/or little parental involvement or support.
AVAILABILITY OF OPTIONS: Teenagers who threaten to hurt themselves a certain way, and have the availability of that method are at a higher risk; i.e. a plan to use their father’s gun.
If you observe such behaviors contact the school psychologist immediately to discuss your concerns and observations. Never make a diagnosis of emotional disturbance or give an opinion since this is something that is only allowed by a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health clinic.
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Classroom Characteristics That May Indicate Giftedness Checklist
___ Reads earlier with greater comprehension of nuances in the language
___ Learns basic skills faster than the other children
___ Able to make abstractions when other children his/her age cannot
___ Has a curiosity in interest areas beyond his/her age level
___ Able to comprehend implications with almost nonverbal cues
___ Takes independent direction earlier than peers
___ Assumes responsibility more naturally than peers
___ Can maintain longer periods of concentration when interested
___ Able to express thoughts readily
___ Wide range of reading
___ Seems to expend limitless energy
___ Manifests creative and original verbal responses
___ Demonstrates a more complex processing of information than his/her peers
___ Responds and relates well to adult interaction in the higher level thinking processes
___ Enjoys to work on many projects at a time
___ Assumes leadership roles
___ Has an innate sense of justice
___ Displays a great curiosity about objects, situations or events
___ Pursues individual interests and seeks own direction
___ Offers unusual, clever or unique responses or ideas
___ Has unusual talent to express himself in the arts i.e. art, music, drama
___ Generates many alternatives to a problem solving situations
___ Seems to go at right angles to the mainstream of thought in the classroom
___ Displays a willingness for complexity
___ Thrives on problem solving situations
___ Seeks new associations among items of information
___ Shows superior judgment in evaluating things
___ Seeks logical answers
___ Able to elaborate with ease
___ Loves to embellish materials and ideas
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Tables
Diagnostic Symptoms of Dyscalculia
• Normal or accelerated language acquisition: verbal, reading, writing. Poetic ability. Good visual memory for the printed word. Good in the areas of science (until a level requiring higher math skills is reached), geometry (figures with logic not formulas), and creative arts.
• Difficulty with the abstract concepts of time and direction: Inability to recall schedules, and sequences of past or future events. Unable to keep track of time. May be chronically late.
• Mistaken recollection of names: Poor name/face retrieval. Substitute names beginning with same letter.
• Inconsistent results in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division: Poor mental math ability. Poor with money and credit. Cannot do financial planning or budgeting. Checkbooks not balanced. Short term, not long term financial thinking. Fails to see big financial picture. May have fear of money and cash transactions. May be unable to mentally figure change due back, the amounts to pay for tips, taxes, etc
• When writing, reading and recalling numbers, these common mistakes are made: number additions, substitutions, transpositions, omissions, and reversals.
• Inability to grasp and remember math concepts, rules, formulas, sequence (order of operations), and basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. Poor long term memory (retention & retrieval) of concept mastery- may be able to perform math operations one day, but draw a blank the next! May be able to do book work but fails all tests and quizzes.
• May be unable to comprehend or “picture” mechanical processes. Lack “big picture/ whole picture” thinking. Poor ability to “visualize or picture” the location of the numbers on the face of a clock, the geographical locations of states, countries, oceans, streets, etc.
• Poor memory for the “layout” of things. Gets lost or disoriented easily. May have a poor sense of direction, loose things often, and seem absent minded. (Remember the absent minded professor?)
• May have difficulty grasping concepts of formal music education. Difficulty sight-reading music, learning fingering to play an instrument, etc.
• May have poor athletic coordination, difficulty keeping up with rapidly changing physical directions like in aerobic, dance, and exercise classes. Difficulty remembering dance step sequences, rules for playing sports.
• Difficulty keeping score during games or difficulty remembering how to keep score in games, like bowling, etc. Often looses track of whose turn it is during games, like cards and board games. Limited strategic planning ability for games, like chess.
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