PS/420 PS420 PS 420 Unit 7 Assignment

PS 420 Unit 7 Assignment

Assignment: Case Study Analysis

This Assignment addresses the following course outcomes:

PS420-3: Discuss the role of social relationships in childhood.

PS420-4: Describe the implications of cultural diversity in social relationships.

PS420-5: Create strategies to promote the social relationships of young children with disabilities and their nondisabled peers.

Present your analysis of the case study below in a 2–3-page paper (approximately 1,000 words) that answers the following questions:

1.          What are factors in Alana’s life affecting her social relationships?

2.          What strategies could be implemented within her family, teachers, and community that would better promote Alana’s social interaction with her peers?

3.          How will Alana’s current socialization influence her perception of adult roles in the school and community?

Ensure you cite your answers with peer-reviewed academic sources such as your text or a peer-reviewed journal article from PsycARTICLES in the Kaplan University Library. Attach a cover page to your essay analyzing the case study.

Case Study: Alana

Alana is a 10-year-old female and is in the 4th grade. Before this school year began, you heard about Alana in the staff lounge from teachers who had worked with the child and her family previously. You read Alana’s file and learned that her parents divorced 3 years ago. Alana has attended and left your school and now is back for the third time. The school nurse shared with you that Alana was born premature, weighing 4 pounds, and was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder. Alana suffers from occasional petit mal seizures, for which she is on medication. She is still small for her age, has a low second grade vocabulary, and minimal math skills. A resource aide spends 2 hours each day in the classroom assisting her.

During the first few weeks of the school year, the teacher attempted to phone the house to speak with Alana’s mom and the phone calls were not returned. The resource aide went to the home one time and said that although loud music was playing inside and there were “young hoodlums” on the steps of the home, the mother did not answer the door. The boys said she is sleeping and will not come to the door. The aide reported that the boys said Alana is the only child, they are cousins, and they go to school when they want to because there is no adult around during the day to make them do differently. The boys said they sometimes watch Alana at night when the mom has to go out.

It is now November and the teacher and resource aide are more worried about Alana. The teacher said that Alana is easily distracted, has a very brief attention span, and never completes the day's work. She does not stay in her seat for longer than 4 or 5 minutes. She is well tolerated by students in the class, but more like a younger sibling. She has no close friends and plays alone most of the time, swinging, staying in the bathroom at the sink, involved in water play, or holding the hand of the teacher on duty. She does not strike out at other students physically, but she does many things the students find irritating such as pinching, stroking hair, repetitive patting that becomes almost aggressive, and showing little recognition of personal space or awareness of others' boundaries.

APA guidelines are required for all Assignments including the proper citation of all references used in the paper. Review the grading rubric for this Project for more specific detail (located in the class Syllabus).

Submitting your Assignment

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