Angel Case Study
Name: Angel
Age: 11
Grade: 6th
Angel is an 11-year-old male in your sixth grade inclusive English language arts (ELA) classroom. Angel has been diagnosed with ADHD and a specific learning disability in reading.
Angel frequently gets into trouble in line and during recess. He has been involved in two physical fights with a peer on the playground and has had two in-school suspensions and one out of school suspension for fighting and arguing with adults. His special education teacher is working with Angel on conflict resolution skills. He often argues with peers and adults. During classroom instruction it is not uncommon for him to make side comments to annoy another student. This often results in an altercation, or at least some verbal disruption during class. During ELA instruction, sometimes Angel gets out of his seat to sharpen his pencil. It is not uncommon for him to take something off of another student’s desk on the way back, or make another comment to a peer. Angel rarely completes an entire assignment and often turns in work that is totally blank with just pictures and doodles drawn on the paper.
To determine an appropriate intervention, the ELA teacher collected data for a week to see how frequent the above behaviors occurred during class time. After observing and counting behaviors for a week, the ELA teacher shared the data with you, the special education teacher. A review of the initial data presented by the teacher indicated that the most problematic behaviors in the classroom appeared to be taking something away from students and inappropriate or argumentative comments to peers. The fact that Angel is out of his seat sharpening pencils, taking things away from students and arguing were most likely affecting Angel’s ability to complete work.
After discussing these issues with the IEP team and the general education teacher, the team decided to invite Angel’s parents to a meeting to discuss the need for a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and secure the signed permission to evaluate. The team discussed the possible hypotheses for the behavior and agreed the function of the behaviors could be task avoidance, frustration, or attention seeking. Once the parents consented to an FBA, the team began the process of ABC analysis of behavior and prioritizing the behavior to target. The behavior was operationally defined so all members of the team could observe and count the same behavior while taking note of what happened before the behavior (antecedent) and what happened after the behavior (consequence) as well as any setting events that might have an effect on the behavior. The team will use this data to identify a hypothesis and rationale to support intervention. This information will also be used to develop a behavior intervention plan.
See the ELA teacher’s initial data below:
Date Out of seat -sharpening pencil Taking something from another student Inappropriate or argumentative comments to peers Incomplete work
10/1 /// / //// // ////
10/2 // // //// //// /
10/3 //// /// //// //// //// ///
10/4 /// // /// ////
10/5 // // //// //// ////
Some of the initial Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) analysis data collected by Angel’s IEP team. For reference, there are a total of nine incidents in a two-day period.
ABC Analysis Chart
Target Behavior:
Student is not in his seat or not completing work during ELA class time.
1 – Out of seat sharpening pencil
2 – Taking something from another student
3 – Making comments to peers or adults that may disrupt the class
Date Antecedent Behavior Consequence Comments
10/17 Teacher gave directions for the writing task and told students they had 10 minutes to complete their thesis statement and supporting details for the passage read 1, 3 Teacher redirected student Angel took time searching for pencil. Then slowly walked to the pencil sharpener. After sharpening pencil Angel walked back to desk, but stopped to tell Mario, “What are you looking at? Keep your queer eyes off of me!” Mario replied, “shut up!”
Teacher redirected both students and gave Angel a warning. She also reminded Angel of the classroom rule of using respectful language with peers and adults.
Angel sneered.
10/17 Student was asked to join assigned group for group sharing and critique of thesis statement and supporting details. Teacher passed out rubric for student critique and asked students to move to assigned groups.
1, 2
Gina yelled, Teacher gave Angel a referral to the front office Angel sharpened pencil again, then slowly walked to group. After he sat down, he took Gina’s critique form away. Gina replied, “Give it back you jerk!” Teacher intervened as Angel ripped her form in half and threw it at her. The teacher gave Angel a referral to the front office. Angel strolled out without a complaint.
10/18 Students are entering ELA classroom at the beginning of the period.
Angel took Mario’s homework assignment off of his desk and hid it in his own notebook while Mario was talking with Teresa. 2 Mario reacted.
Teacher told Angel to give assignment back to Mario. Mario looked for his paper, looked around the room and asked “who took my homework?”
Angel laughed and Mario said, “Give it back!”
Teacher told Angel to give the assignment back.
10/18 Teacher was discussing motive of character and how the author used foreshadowing to engage the reader. 3 Teacher redirects Angel Angel taps Nick’s shoulder and tells him his fly is open. Nick looks down then tells Angel to “shut up!”
10/18 Teacher directs students to turn in homework. 1, 2, 3 Gets attention from peers and redirection from teacher, avoids turning in homework. He gets up to sharpen pencil. On the way back he grabs Mario’s homework and tosses it on the floor. Mario says, “Stop it man!” Angel laughs. The bell rings. Mario retrieves paper and turns it in. Angel leaves without submitting his homework. As he leaves he says “See you later suckers!”
Frequency of Behavior Graph
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Case Study of Angels
Angel is the name of a fictional character.
Age: 11
6th grade
Angel is an 11-year-old male in your sixth grade inclusive English language arts (ELA) classroom. Angel has been diagnosed with ADHD and a specific learning disability in reading.
Angel frequently gets into trouble in line and during recess. He has been involved in two physical fights with a peer on the playground and has had two in-school suspensions and one out of school suspension for fighting and arguing with adults. His special education teacher is working with Angel on conflict resolution skills. He often argues with peers and adults. During classroom instruction it is not uncommon for him to make side comments to annoy another student. This often results in an altercation, or at least some
