Special Needs - 1 - Applying Strategies and Best Practices

Student 1: Kali
Kali is suffering from a serious illness and may be having difficulty finding time to do her work.  I would imagine she is in pain, and having a hard time concentrating - and may be shutting down because of her frustrations.  In addition to feeling like she cannot concentrate, she may be falling behind and feeling like the work is piling up on her.

The first thing I would do is call Kali and her mom to be sure they know I am here to support them. I would remind Kali of how to navigate the course and the documents I've included in the course that provide extra resources if students need help.  Since her absences have been excused, I would discuss a modified schedule and plan to help get Kali back on track. After this initial discussion, I would check in weekly with Kali and her parents to verify deadlines, stay up to date on any health changes and necessary modifications to the schedule, and to provide general encouragement.

Student 2: Joyce
A students' Anxiety and Depression can provide major obstacles in their completion of school work, particularly online.  I can imagine that once a student with those struggles falls behind, she finds it very challenging to catch back up and loses motivation.  In addition, Joyce seems to be struggling with communication - her plagiarism is clearly a sign that she is not understanding the material, but hasn't communicated that to her teacher.

First, I would address the plagiarism in an objective way - I'd acknowledge Joyce's struggles and encourage her to reach out to me regarding her issues the next time.  I would give Joyce an opportunity to re-do the assignment, but before she does I would guide her to the recorded Synchronous session that would help her with it.  I would remind Joyce that everyone makes mistakes and that I do not hold this against her and remind her that I have enjoyed getting to know her in this class and that I want to hear her point of view! Lastly, I would be sure to provide positive feedback once she does complete the assignment!