General conclusions based on information gathered during the screening process:

• Tom does not appear to have an intellectual inability. He is able to express himself. He has been able to maintain employment and obtained some high school credits with average marks. Tom most likely has been taught basic skills through his elementary school experience.
• An auditory processing disability and short term memory problems may be present based on the following:
  • His tendency to interrupt without realizing
  • His difficulty verbalizing some words
  • He forgets the initial question when he provides a detailed explanation
  • He reports poor spelling
  • He doesn't like to read material that contains a lot of information
  • His possible difficulty hearing and recording information, based on his experiences with the telemarketing job
• Tom appears motivated but wants a quick fix. He doesn't seem to understand why he has problems with his spelling and writing and really doesn't see it as a big deal. This may be a bit of avoidance on his part. Tom does have fairly strong verbal skills and he has used them to get around his weaknesses, although unconsciously. He can be easily distracted and has difficulty staying focused. Tom appears to be quite upfront about what he wants.

Further informal assessment would be needed to understand the potential of an auditory learning disability and the level of spelling and writing challenges. If Tom wants to obtain his Grade 12 diploma, both reading and math skills should be assessed. It is recommended that this assessment be done with Tom before entering into any discussion about potential learning disabilities.

Questions for practitioners to consider: