Emotional Disturbance

  Spike is a student at Sunnydale School District. His education was uneventful from kindergarten through 8th grade. During elementary and middle school, he earned “B” and “C” grades. He had several friends that he ate lunch with and would sit by in class. He attended school regularly and was quiet and polite. Sunnydale Elementary School and Sunnydale Middle School had a policy that for every 3 missing homework assignments, a student would receive an afterschool detention. Spike did not consistently turn in his homework assignments and received 4 detentions in 6th grade, 7 detentions in 7th grade, and 12 detentions in 8th grade. In 8th grade Spike missed 10 days of school for having migraine headaches. Spike’s parents verbally told the principal that his headaches were due to stress from completing homework assignments, but Spike’s parents did not present the school district with medical documentation. During the 2022-2023 school year Spike was in 9 th grade at Sunnydale High School. In October of Spike’s 9th grade year, his father became ill. Spike continued to be quiet and polite to peers and teachers, but his attendance began to decline. He would stay home a couple days a week to take care of his father. In December 2022, Spike only attended 5 days of school. Spike’s mother wrote school excuses for each day Spike missed stating that Spike was caring for his ailing father. On February 14, 2023, Spike’s father passed away. Spike began seeing a therapist who diagnosed him with anxiety and adjustment disorder. Spike started dressing in dark colored clothing, got a tattoo, and would wear his hood over his head throughout the day. In May 2023, Spike began dating Buffy. Buffy is a student at Sunnydale High School known for fighting and missing school. During the 4th quarter of his 9th grade year, Spike received all “D” grades. He passed 9th grade with a final grade of “D” in each class. Spike is currently in 10th grade (2023-2024 school year). During the 1st and 2nd quarters of his 10th grade year, Spike received “C” and “D” grades. He continued to date Buffy. Spike began hanging out with a group of kids who claim to be vampires and witches. It is rumored that Buffy taught Spike how to fight. Spike has received 5 days of out-of-school suspension this year for physically fighting peers at school. He refuses to talk to his teachers except that he meets with the librarian regularly who he confides in. Spike’s mother went to Sunnydale High School to meet with his teachers in January 2024. His mother told his teachers that Spike continues to attend therapy and is diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She gave the school a copy of a one-page sheet from Spike’s therapist stating those diagnoses. Spike’s mother said that he is prescribed medication but often will refuse to take the medicine. In late January 2024, Spike’s mother took him to WPIC, a psychiatric hospital, where he was hospitalized for 2 days for selfinjurious behaviors. Spike’s mother called Sunnydale High School to let them know about the hospitalization and asked if special education services may help. Your job at Sunnydale School District: You are a consultant for Sunnydale High School and are asked if special education services may help Spike. You meet with the school psychologist and are presented with the information in this hypothetical. You are knowledgeable about Emotional Disturbances. You and the school psychologist engage in a discussion about potential eligibility under the Emotional Disturbance disability category. The information you type regarding this student will be kept only for your file and will not be handed out to the education team or school psychologist. You plan to reference this information while you verbally discuss the student’s situation with the school psychologist. The assignment: Please select 1-2 characteristics of Emotional Disturbance and go through a sequential analysis of the 1-2 characteristics to discuss whether Spike could meet the elements of Emotional Disturbance. If you would like additional information about the student or data regarding potential eligibility, please state what you think would be helpful to know in making your decision. It is important to understand that there is not a right or wrong answer. I am interested in how you move through the elements of Emotional Disturbance to apply the legal definition to the facts.