At Hillwood, Michael ’s teacher has reportedly made several modifications to assist him. Michael was granted preferential seating in the front of the classroom. The teacher has also provided frequent prompting to stay on task during lessons and has given Michael one-on-one instruction when feasible. None of these modifications have helped Michael to a marked degree. Instead he continues to receive Cs, Ds and Fs.
Michael lives with his mother, grandmother and brother in Los Angeles, California. Currently Michael ’s mother has full legal custody of him. Michael ’s teacher reports that Michael ’s brother did not meet the required score on the entrance exam for Hillwood. According to Michael , his brother attends a “special school.”
Michael is an enthusiastic and energetic child, characterized by his smiling face and his desire to communicate with others freely. Although Michael appears to be talkative with adults and peers, he is also mindful of classroom rules and does not disrupt the classroom by talking to others during instruction. Michael demonstrates athletic ability by jumping, doing push-ups, and practicing stretching exercises during breaks in instruction in class. Michael ’s two favorite sports are football and basketball. He enjoys participating in these two sports as well as watching them on television. He would like to be a teacher when he becomes and adult. He also expresses interest in joining the army someday.