PEPSI SCREENING 1

Suzanne M. Frost
College of Southern Nevada

PEPSI SCREENING 2

Biography of the Child

The child I am observing is an eleven year old female with Down syndrome, named
Meadow Frost. She is currently in the 6th grade, in a self-contained special education classroom,
at Mack Middle School. Per her IEP, she participates in 350 minutes a week general education
inclusion for behavior and social skills. She has pull-out Speech therapy for 120 minutes per
week, and pull-out Occupational therapy 60 minutes per week. She attends ESY summer school,
for approximately 4 week, annually.
She resides with her mother, father, and two younger sisters. She has lived in Las Vegas,
NV for approximately 2.5 years, previously born/raised in Rapid City, SD. She has changed
schools three times in Las Vegas, due to moving and advancing to Middle school. Her father
identifies her race as White, Hispanic, and Native American. He identifies their socioeconomic
status to be lower-middle class. She is reportedly in good health, with no major medical issues.
However, she is affected by chronic sinusitis and allergies.
She participates in extracurricular activities including Miracle League baseball, Special
Olympics swimming, and Opportunity Villages VIA Arts program.

PEPSI SCREENING 3

Physical Development
Meadows physical development appears to be that of approximately a seven-eight year
old child. She stands at 51 inches tall, which is approximately the 50th percentile for height for a
normal eight year old female (CDC Growth Chart). However, according to the journal
Pediatrics, she falls in the 50th percentile for a female eleven year old child with Down syndrome
(Growth Charts for Children with Down syndrome, 2000).
Using the NSW developmental checklist I was able to support my findings that Meadow
is physically similar to that of a normal seven-eight year old, by recording the following; she is
able to hop on one foot and jump vertically more than 30 cm, but is unable to broad jump more
than half a meter. She can catch and throw a ball, but has not developed adult like abilities yet.
She is able to squeeze glue from a bottle and cut using a scissor; however she is not yet able to
manipulate small puzzle pieces, or shuffle playing cards. She can ride a bike only using adaptive
training wheels, but cannot yet balance alone without them (NSW government, 2015).
Meadow participates in Physical Education class with her typical peers to enhance her
physical skills, and learn to move more efficiently through her environment. She is learning
safety rules, offence/defense skills, and sportsmanship.
Perhaps slightly developmentally younger than a seven-eight year old, Meadow has only
had toileting under control for a couple of years, with the occasional accident or bet wetting still
a risk.

PEPSI SCREENING 4
Emotional Development

Meadow appears to be a calm, and happy child. She displays prosocial behaviors of
sharing, caring, comforting, and cooperation (Slavin, 2015). She greets people with genuine
excitement, and is aware of a persons spacial boundaries. She is friendly, and will visit when
conversation is initiated. She appears to feel comfortable and safe in her home and school
environments, no concerns have been noted. She is trustworthy, possibly to a fault (she lacks a
sense of stranger danger and relies on others for personal safety instruction.)
Meadow likes to twirl and use her imagination with her prize possession, a Rapunzel doll,
which she is never without (except during school hours). As identified by Mildred Parten (1932)
Meadow exhibits mostly solitary play; alone with her doll, typical of a preschool child (3-4).
Meadow exhibits some parallel play, engaging in activities, with siblings and classmates. She is
fascinated with the computer and has the ability to maneuver her favorite sites and programs. She
is most content when allowed to use the computer, and can become somewhat angry and irritated
when told no, or time limits have expired.
Meadow displays little concern with social comparisons. She has a concrete sense of self,
and she perceives herself in a positive way. However, she is not concerned with her physical
appearance or academic achievements. Meadow has some playmates, but has not yet developed a
need for peer acceptance, or status within a peer group, as would be the norm for a middle school
aged child (Parke & Clark-Stewart, 2011).

PEPSI SCREENING 5
Philosophical Development

Asking a child what they think about school can tell us a lot about their philosophical
development (Ellsworth, JAnne, 1999). When asked what she thinks, Meadow stated, I like
it! and its a tiny bit boring, and a little bit fun. When asked if she thinks she needs to go to
school and why, she stated, yes, mommy says so, I love it!
Given her answers, evidence would show that Meadows level of philosophical
development would correspond with Kohlbergs stage of moral reasoning known as
preconventional level of morality (Slavin, 2015). At this level, rules are set by others, and
children obey their authority figures because there is a fear of the consequences.
Meadow gets caught in lies from time to time, usually to avoid a negative consequence;
such as lying about brushing her teeth. Her hygiene routine continues to require supervision. She
often associates with fantasies, particularly Disney movies, and it can be difficult to differentiate
reality from fiction when she tells a story. I do not perceive she is lying intentionally.
According to renowned psychologist, Jean Paiget (1964) Meadow falls in the
heteronomous morality stage (around age 6), where she is subject to rules imposed by others and
violations will bring punishment. As I discussed before, Meadows favorite past time is to be on
the computer. Her parents use this attraction as leverage to manipulate Meadows behavior; there
are signs hanging in the home and vehicle indicating whether or not Meadow will be allowed or
restricted from computer time as a result of her behavior. This time of reinforcement works for
her at this philosophical level.

PEPSI SCREENING 6

Social Development

The majority of Meadows intimate relationships are within her nuclear family, with
some social interaction with neighbors and family friends. I conclude Meadow remains in the
Ericksons stage of Initiative versus Guilt (3-6 years) (Slavin, 2015) because she continues to
develop her language and motor skills to explore her social and physical environment. She is
very happy to help her parents, if it is an enjoyable activity to her, such as helping to cook. She
occasionally spends time playing dress-up, house and doll imaginative play with her sisters and
needs little supervision during play.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Meadow falls into the social
developmental age of a preschooler (3-4) due to the fact that she still lacks an amount of
sensitivity to the feelings of others. She becomes very stubborn, and unable to see others points
of views, or opinions. She remains unaware of want would be common courtesies for an average
eleven year old; not eating all the food before everyone had a chance to eat, or spilling a drink
and not cleaning it up, or even notifying an adult. She doesnt always seem to understand when
she has done something wrong, and is often unapologetic.
Due to the difference in her social development age and her chronological age, Meadow
does not have typical Middle school friendships, involving relationships where she can learn to
model intellectual and social skills, learn normal social conduct, how to resolve conflicts (Slavin
2015). In an attempt to broaden her opportunity to develop friendships with fellow students,
Meadow has recently joined the Best Buddies after school program. She reports, It is fun!

PEPSI SCREENING 7

Intellectual Development
When at school, the majority of the time, Meadow enjoys counting, learning simple
mathematics, identifying letters, practicing writing, learning how to use a calendar, how to tell
time, and many other concrete lessons that would be typical of a kindergarten student. She has
been working for a few years at recognizing sight words, but has not yet learned to read. She
practices memorizing facts, or rote learning, (Slavin, 2015) to enable her to move on to the next
level in all subjects, but her father reports they have not been able to get past 20 without mistakes
in counting for years. While her attention span has continues to lengthen with age, Meadow
struggles with overall retention of concepts, which are often irreversible.
Meadow thrives in school when it comes to learning and developing life skills; home
maintenance, personal needs, and clothing care. The majority of students with disabilities will
grow up to have homes and families so these skills have been identified as essential for
independent adult living (Brolin, 1989).
According to the Child Development Institute (2105) from ages 2-7 speech becomes
more social, less egocentric. While this is true for Meadow, she speaks far less than an average
child, and the ability for others to understand her remains somewhat difficult. Her family reports
they can understand 80% of what she says, but when they fail to understand her, she becomes
frustrated. Her level of intelligence surpasses what she is able to communicate.
Meadow is captivated with videos and music, which is indicative of that of a 4-5 year old
(Ellsworth, 1990). She enjoys using the computer autonomously, only needing help with typing
words. She enjoys performing independent self-care, including dressing, showering and toileting,
however still needs some supervision either to stay on task, or perform the task correctly.

PEPSI SCREENING 8

Recommendation for Teachers/ Parents

In the area of physical development I would recommend parents continue to maintain a

properly balanced diet and monitor her nutrition, enabling her to reach her fullest growth
potential. At this time Meadow is considered normal in accordance to the Down syndrome
growth chart, showing no major concerns. I would also recommend her Physical Education
teacher continues to allow her to participate in class, weekly, alongside her typical peers. She
should continue to work on strength, coordination, and balance. As well as continuing education
in physical safety and teamwork skills. Her fine motor skills; threading beads, and manipulating
small pieces should continue to be addressed in the classroom, and with her occupational
therapist.
In the area of emotional development, although no major concerns were noted, Meadow
may need assistance in for safety awareness, and unforeseen changes in the environment. To
support Meadow from falling into a pattern of solitary play, she should be encouraged to interact
in either a small group, or large group activities. Social activities, and peer bonding exercises are
recommended. Continued practice in self-care is suggested, as well as positive reinforcement for
social norms in this area.
In the area of philosophical development, Meadow is subject to rules imposed by her
parents and teachers. Continue to set clear, reasonable guidelines and consequences. Meadow
apparently responds well to this type of reinforcement. In order to lessen the need for negative
consequences, concentrate on positive reinforcements, or reward systems for good behavior as a
preventative measure.

PEPSI SCREENING 9
In the area of social development, especially in school, Meadow shows great strength.
(Solitary play was observed primarily in the home and community.) At school, however,
Meadow is very friendly; she gets along well with other students, and is well liked by the entire
school and staff. My recommendation here is to continue to assist her in establishing
relationships at school. Peer partnering programs are a great way to encourage interaction.
Meadow is easily distracted in her own thoughts, and redirection is often required to encourage
cooperation and conversation.
In the area of intellectual development, Meadow demonstrates a significant struggle in
keeping pace with her typical sixth grade peers. I recommend continuance of the work of her
interdisciplinary team in conducting assessments, setting short-term and annual goals, and
collaborating to help her reach her goals. In following with her IEP, I would recommend
Meadow remains in a self-contained classroom that will provide a variety of learning strategies
to address her deficits in math, reading, writing, communication, behavioral/social skills. In
order to reduce any negative effects of this placement, I recommend increased exposure with
non-disabled peers. Meadow should continue to work with her Speech pathologist to produce
multi-syllabic words, and slow her rate of speech to increase intelligibility, thus promoting
acceptance from the community. Meadow excels in computer skills, and I encourage the use of
technology in her education to keep her motivated, and provide a sense of accomplishment. She
enjoys life skill lessons, especially cooking and laundering clothing, both at school and at home.
My recommendation is to encourage, and motivate her to continue to build life skills that will
benefit her now and in the future.
In conclusion, I find that Meadow is a happy, healthy child. She benefits from interaction
with her non-disabled peers; showing improving social skills. She learns quickly via modeling,

PEPSI SCREENING 10
and stays on task with some necessary prompts, or redirection. She most enjoys learning
independent life skills and maneuvering through computer websites. The further development of
these skills will assist her in real-life situations. Meadow has a strong, committed
interdisciplinary team to support her and continued implementation of setting benchmarks and
goals will encourage her flourish in all areas of her development.

PEPSI SCREENING 11

PEPSI
16

Normal for Age

14
12
10
8
6
4

7.5

2
0

3.5
1
Physical

Emotional

6
4

3
Philosophical

Social

5.5

Intellectual

PEPSI SCREENING 12
References

American Academy of Pediatrics (2015). Social Development in Preschoolers. Retrieved from

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/preschool/Pages/Social-Development-inPreschoolers.aspx

CDC Growth Chart, United States (2015). Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set2/chart-08.pdf
Child Development Institute, LLC (2015). Piagets Stages of Cognitive Development. Retrieved
from http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/piaget/

Education.com Special Education Life Skills (2015). Retrieved from

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Life_Skills_Mastery/

Ellsworth, JAnne. (1999). Northern Arizona University. Methods and Materials in Special
Education. Retrieved from
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/PEPSIObserv/pr_philos.html

Growth Charts for Children with Downs Syndrome (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.growthcharts.com/charts/DS/fewp218.gif

NSW Family and Community Services (developmental checklist) (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/par_development.pdf

PEPSI SCREENING 13
Paiget, J. (1964). The origins of intelligence in children. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Parke, W.D. (1997). An empirical typology of perfectionism in academically talented children.

American Education Research Journal, 34(3), 545-562.

Parten, M. (1932). Social participation among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and
Social Psychology, 27, 243-269.