Bio Data

Name Z.E

Gender Female

Age 11 yrs

Number of Sibling 5 (Brothers)

Birth Order 4

Religion Islam

Presenting Complaints

Table 1

Presenting Complaints of Z.E.

Serial No. Presenting Complaints

‫۔‬1 ‫انگریزی میں مشکل ہوتی ہے‬

‫۔‬2 ‫جغرافیہ کے سوالات یاد نہیں ہوتے‬

‫۔‬3 ‫اردو لکھنے میں مشکل پیش آتی ہے‬

‫۔‬4 ‫کبھی کبھار بات کرنے کا دل نہیں کرتا‬

Z.E. reported significant challenges with English, particularly in reading and

writing. She struggles with geography and has difficulty recalling and answering related
questions. Additionally, she experiences issues with Urdu writing and occasionally feels
disinterested in social interactions. These issues have impacted her academic performance
and self-esteem.
Family Background:

Z.E.’s family background has had a significant impact on her academic performance. The
death of her father, Muhammad Ishaq, four years ago due to hepatitis C was a major event that
affected her educational situation. Prior to his passing, Z.E. was attending a nearby school and
was managing her studies relatively well. However, his death led to substantial financial
difficulties for the family.

Following her father's death, Z.E.’s mother, Uzma, became the sole provider for the
family. She works long hours in a glove factory in Sialkot, but her earnings are insufficient to
cover the family’s needs, including Z.E.’s school fees. As a result, Z.E. struggled to continue her
education at her previous school due to the inability to pay for her schooling.

In addition to the financial strain, Z.E. faced challenges due to the involvement of her
older siblings. Her eldest brother is married and lives separately, contributing minimally to the
family’s support. Her second brother, Zohaib, who is 17 years old, works at a hotel and has
limited time to assist with family responsibilities. Her third brother, Mateen, is learning a trade in
cutting, and is also busy with his own commitments. The youngest siblings, Faizan and Alyan,
are still in school and unable to contribute financially.

Educational History

This lack of sufficient family support and financial instability led to Z.E.’s admission to
the Model Children’s Home. The move was made to ensure that Z.E. could continue her
education in a stable environment despite the family’s financial difficulties. At the Model
Children’s Home, Z.E. has access to educational resources and support that were previously
unavailable to her.

Z.E. has been enrolled in her current school for the past few years. Her academic
performance has been affected by her difficulties in English and geography. Despite her
challenges, she demonstrates a strong work ethic and a willingness to improve. Her favorite
subject is science, although she finds English particularly challenging. Her educational history
indicates a consistent struggle with writing and spelling, which has been exacerbated by her
current living situation and emotional stress.
Social History

Z.E. has reported developing a network of friendships within the Model Children’s Home, which
has been instrumental in helping her adjust to her new environment. She values these friendships
and finds them supportive, contributing positively to her adaptation to the children’s home
setting. Her ability to connect with peers has provided her with a sense of belonging and
stability, which is crucial given the recent upheavals in her life.

Despite the supportive network of friends, Z.E. occasionally experiences emotional

distress. She has shared that she sometimes becomes upset when faced with teasing or negative
interactions from other children. This teasing affects her mood and self-esteem, making it
challenging for her to maintain a positive outlook and cope with her emotions effectively.

Z.E.’s response to these social challenges highlights her ongoing struggle to navigate her
social environment, especially given her recent transition and the residual impacts of her family’s
financial difficulties. Her emotional reactions to teasing indicate a sensitivity that may be linked
to her past experiences and the stress of adapting to a new living situation.

Informal Assessment

Clinical Interview:

During the clinical interview, Z.E. openly discussed several areas of difficulty related to
her academic performance and social interactions. She reported that English is a particularly
challenging subject for her. Z.E. struggles with understanding and applying English grammar
rules and vocabulary, which affects her overall performance in this subject. This difficulty in
English is compounded by her challenge with reading and writing, leading to frustration and a
sense of inadequacy when compared to her peers.

In addition to her struggles with English, Z.E. mentioned having trouble remembering
and retaining information related to geography. She finds it difficult to recall key facts and
concepts from her geography lessons, which impacts her ability to perform well in this subject.
This issue is further exacerbated by her difficulty in writing in Urdu. Z.E. expressed that writing
in Urdu is challenging for her, affecting her ability to complete assignments and tests effectively.
 Z.E. shared that these academic difficulties have contributed to her feelings of frustration
and disheartenment. She expressed a sense of discouragement when she is unable to keep up
with her classmates, which impacts her confidence and motivation. This frustration is
particularly evident when she is faced with tasks that she finds difficult or when she receives
lower grades than she expects.

In addition to her academic challenges, Z.E. reported occasional disinterest in social

interactions. She mentioned that she sometimes feels overwhelmed by her academic difficulties,
which leads to a lack of interest in engaging with others. This disinterest in social interactions is
not constant but occurs particularly during times when she feels especially stressed or when her
academic performance is not meeting her expectations.

Overall, Z.E.’s account during the clinical interview reflects her significant struggles with
academic subjects, particularly English and geography, as well as difficulties with writing in
Urdu. Her feelings of frustration and occasional disinterest in social interactions highlight the
impact of her academic challenges on her overall well-being and engagement with her
environment.

Behavioral Observations

During the sessions, Z.E. exhibited hesitation and reluctance when engaging with
academic tasks. She frequently paused to reread instructions and sought additional prompts,
indicating a lack of confidence in her abilities. In English tasks, she struggled with grammar and
vocabulary, displaying a slow and cautious approach. Z.E. often needed clarification and
checked her work multiple times.

For geography tasks, Z.E. had difficulty recalling key facts and required frequent hints.
Her Urdu writing was meticulous but slow, as she focused on neatness and accuracy, leading to
extended task completion times
Subjective Rating by client

Serial No. Presenting Complaints Ratings

1 ‫انگریزی میں مشکل ہوتی ہے‬ 7

2 ‫جغرافیہ کے سوالات یاد نہیں ہوتے‬ 6

3 ‫اردو لکھنے میں مشکل پیش آتی ہے‬ 7

4 ‫کبھی کبھار بات کرنے کا دل نہیں کرتا‬ 4

Formal Assessment

● Color Progressive Matrices

● Curriculum Based Assessment

Color Progressive Matrices

Z.E. underwent the Raven's Color Progressive Matrices (CPM) test, where her raw score of 24
placed her in the 25th percentile, corresponding to a grade level of 3. This indicates that her
cognitive abilities are within the average range, though she faces specific challenges in certain
academic areas.

Curriculum-Based Assessment:

As part of the curriculum-based assessment, Z.E. was asked to bring her books and copies for
review. In the English writing assessment, she was observed to struggle with writing speed and
pressure on her pencil. Despite these challenges, Z.E. correctly produced all words in a given
paragraph with no spelling errors. However, during dictation, she made mistakes in writing 10
dictated words and was able to construct only one correct sentence from these words. This
assessment revealed areas of difficulty in both spelling and sentence formation.
Predisposing Factors include Z.E.'s family background, including the loss of her father and
family conflicts, which have influenced her emotional and academic challenges. Her early
educational experiences and cognitive abilities also contribute to her current difficulties.

Perpetuating Factors include ongoing academic challenges in English, geography, and Urdu
writing, emotional stress from teasing, and limited family support. These factors continuously
impact her academic performance and emotional well-being.

Precipitating Factors include recent emotional stressors and academic pressure, particularly in
areas where Z.E. feels less competent. Environmental changes, such as living in the Model
Children’s Home, have also exacerbated her difficulties.

Protective Factors include Z.E.'s strong work ethic, supportive peer relationships, and
motivation to make her mother proud and her interest in science. These factors provide
motivation and resilience despite her challenges.

Interventions

1. Chunking

Chunking was used to break down complex information into smaller, more manageable units.

● Word Chunking: Z.E. practiced breaking down complex words from her English
textbooks into smaller parts. For instance, when working with the word "unbelievable"
from a reading passage, she was guided to segment it into "un-believe-able." This
approach made it easier for her to remember and spell difficult words.

● Sentence Chunking: To improve comprehension and writing fluency, Z.E. divided long
sentences from her textbooks into shorter, more manageable chunks. For example, from a
passage in her English textbook, the sentence "The elephant, which had been lost for
several days, finally found its way back to the jungle, much to everyone's relief" was
broken down into "The elephant had been lost for several days" and "It finally found its
way back to the jungle." This technique helped her understand and construct sentences
more effectively.
2. Stress Management

To manage stress associated with writing tasks, Z.E. used specific relaxation techniques:

● Deep Breathing: Before starting writing tasks, such as a paragraph from her Urdu
textbook, Z.E. practiced deep breathing exercises. She took slow, deep breaths to help
calm her nerves and reduce anxiety. For example, she spent a few minutes practicing
deep breathing before working on a writing exercise to help improve her focus and
performance.

3. Writing Fluency

To improve writing fluency, Z.E. engaged in practical exercises:

● Timed Writing Exercises: Z.E. participated in short, timed writing sessions where she
had 5 minutes to write on topics from her textbooks. For example, she was asked to write
a brief summary of a chapter from her 6th-grade geography book within the time limit.
This exercise aimed to help her write more quickly and efficiently.

● Dictation Practice: Z.E. practiced dictation using sentences from her English and Urdu
textbooks. For example, a sentence from her English book like "The sun rises in the east
and sets in the west" was dictated for her to write down. After writing, the sentence was
reviewed to focus on spelling and punctuation.

4. Sentence Formation

Activities were designed to enhance Z.E.’s sentence construction skills:

● Sentence-Building Activities: Z.E. was provided with words from her textbooks and
asked to create sentences using them. For example, using words like "river," "flowing,"
and "fast" from a science lesson, she constructed sentences such as "The river is flowing
 fast." This activity began with simple sentences and progressed to more complex
structures.

● Sentence Scrambles: Sentence scramble exercises involved rearranging jumbled words

into coherent sentences. For example, with the words "the," "river," "in," "flowing," and
"summer," Z.E. arranged them into the sentence "The river is flowing in summer." This
exercise helped her practice organizing words into meaningful sentences.

Recommendations

● Continued Support with Chunking Techniques: Use chunking for word and sentence
management; provide customized 6th-grade worksheets.

● Ongoing Stress Management: Apply deep breathing exercises before and during tasks;
introduce relaxation techniques like guided imagery.

● Enhanced Writing Fluency: Conduct timed writing sessions on curriculum topics;

practice dictation with increasing complexity and error review.

● Sentence Formation Activities: Use sentence-building and scramble exercises with

textbook vocabulary to improve sentence construction.

● Curriculum-Based Support: Offer extra academic support in English, geography, and

Urdu writing through tutoring or practice.

Limitations

Limited Number of Sessions: Due to the summer vacations, only two sessions were conducted
with Z.E. This limited timeframe may have restricted the depth of assessment and the
implementation of comprehensive interventions. Extended and consistent sessions are necessary
for more effective support and evaluation.

Incomplete Family Involvement: The current lack of active involvement from Z.E.’s family
members, particularly her older siblings, may limit the effectiveness of family-based
interventions and support strategies.