characteristics interview project
DESCRIPTION
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Living with a Learning Disability: A Family Story: The Browns
By: Alyssa Stipcic
The Assignment
An interview with someone whose life is effected by Mild/Moderate special education
I took the approach of a family perspective
2 interviewsMother, Wendy & Kevin
Personal history with the family
Allow Me to Introduce….
The Brown Family Wendy Ryan Kevin
The Basics
The Brown family is a family of 6 Mother Wendy, Father Gregg, 4 sons
Josh, Ryan, Kevin, & AndrewThere is no known family history of
learning disability in the familyBoth Ryan and Kevin Brown were
diagnosed with a Learning Disability in their elementary years of schooling
What is SLD
Unexpected underachievement academically
A relatively new category of disabilityAs more is known more people are
diagnosed with a specific learning disability
There are Categories of SLD
READINGWriting MathThinking Processes (metacognition)
A Mother’s Perspective
The Signs
Ryan – prior to schooling Staying focused, hard time with fine motor
ability (working with building blocks, board game tokens)
Kevin – prior to schooling Verbal Development, Hyper, Attention
Cause for Concern
“Something’s is just not right!”
Declining GradesDiagnosis Yikes the IEP process
Ryan’s Life Before Identification
Poor GradesFew FriendsLow self-esteem/depressionEasily FrustratedInterested in sportsSecretive with older brother Josh
Kevin’s Life Before Identification
Poor GradesActing Up/ Getting in Trouble at SchoolClass ClownPopular with peersCommunication ProblemsInto sports
“Ryan and Kevin were both identified with a reading learning disability”
-Wendy Brown
Ryan After
Still withdrawn at firstLearned ways to copeProud part of his educationChanneled into athleticsBecame good at math
Kevin After
Grades improved immediately with intervention
Maintained sense of humorSpeech Language PathologistSupport of RyanSuccessful socially and athletically Didn’t talk about disability
Changes
Ryan & Kevin were given extra time on tests
Kevin was given reading books on tapeBoth boys spent their reading periods in
a special education room until high school
Taught strategies to read so that reading works for them
A Learning Disability According to Kevin
School as a Child
Had a speech issueCover with humor“I knew early that I didn’t see words like
everyone else”“I definitely thought I was stupid”Tried to find things I was good at
“I Don’t Need to Read”
Friends told me what happened in the reading
Excuses not to readCreated distractionsUsed the picturesCreated picturesGuessed
“I have what Ryan has”
Support of having a brother with a learning disability
Lied to friends about intervention“All of the sudden I could read, not well,
but I got it!!”SLP taught to channel verbally
Continued Education
In high school was part of student council and was named prom king
Went on to collegeSimilar services continued in college“By the time I got to Mount I had learned
how to not only manage my disability but succeed with it”
Life Now
Ryan’s Life Today
Graduated from Mount Union College in 2007 with a degree in Financial Accounting
Now works for NASA in Cleveland
Kevin’s Life Today
Graduated from Mount Union College in 2009 with a degree in Marketing and Advertising
Now the Operations Manager of HeatherLily, Inc event company
Got married in October 2011
A Special Thanks to
Wendy Brown, Kevin Brown, & the entire Brown family for sharing their story.