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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-19-06 IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA ORPHANS' COURT DIVISION ~ ) " :~--;-" In Re: Estate of Claire W. Crego, an alleged incapacitated person No.: '",L \ - ~ ~ - \) \)S<c ',_ ~~.l ----1 ',_:-0>' \.~~ PETITION FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF INCAPACITY AND APPOINTMENT OF PLENARY GUARDIANSHIP OF THE ESTATE AND PERSON OF CLAIRE W. CREGO, PURSUANT TO 20 PA.C.S. ~5511 TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT: 1. Petitioners are Christine Rathbun and Geoffrey B. Crego, the parents of Claire W. Crego. Petitioner Christine Rathbun resides at 24 North 20th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011. Petitioner Geoffrey B. Crego resides at 30 North 36th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011. 2. Claire W. Crego was born on February 26,1987, and is 18 years of age and resides at 24 North 20th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011. 3. The following persons are the parents and presumptive adult heirs of Claire W. Crego: Christine Rathbun, Mother 24 North 20th Street Camp Hill, PA 17011 Geoffrey B. Crego, Father 30 North 36th Street Camp Hill, PA 17011 4. Claire W. Crego is provided occupational services through Pollock Center for Industrial Training through the special education program at Camp Hill School District, 100 South 24th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011. 3 PI- 5. To the extent known by Petitioners, the assets of Claire W. Crego are valued at approximately $270,000.00, comprised of the following holdings: Beneficiary of the Janet B. Crego Five Year Trust Valued at $170.000.00 Beneficiary of the Dixon Grandchildren Trust Valued at $100,000.00 To the extent known by Petitioners, Claire W. Crego has no debts. 6. Petitioners estimate the annual income of Claire W. Crego to be approximately $8,000.00, consisting of income from the Janet B. Crego Five Year Trust. 7. Claire W. Crego was not a member of the armed services of the United States and is not receiving benefits from the United States Veteran's Administration. 8. Claire W. Crego suffers from mental retardation. 9. Because of Claire W. Crego's mental condition, Claire W. Crego is totally unable to manage her financial affairs and property, and is unable to make and communicate responsible decisions relating thereto, including the need to communicate her need for assistance in these areas, and would likely fall victim of designing persons. 10. Because of her impaired mental condition, Claire W. Crego lacks the capacity to make or communicate responsible decisions concerning her person and is unable to seek needed medical services or make decisions as to her medical needs. 11. Petitioners believe and, therefore, aver that there are no effective alternatives to the appointment of a guardian of the person and Estate of Claire W. Crego because the provision of care appropriate to her condition and the preservation 4 of her assets and income in order to secure appropriate care, with supplemental contributions by Petitioners, can be best accomplished by the appointment of a guardian. 12. The severity of Claire W. Crego's mental condition and the lack of viable, less restrictive alternatives, necessitate that a plenary guardianship of her estate be appointed to manage and handle all aspects of her estate, including but not limited to: all issues relating to cash, checks, bank savings, stocks, bonds, personal property, real property, insurance policies, government entitlements, taxes, claims made or to be made on her behalf or against her, execution of documents, entry into contracts and payment of reasonable compensation for services provided to her. 13. The severity of Claire W. Crego's mental condition and the lack of viable, less restrictive alternates, necessitate that a plenary guardian of her person be appointed to handle all issues relating to her person, including, but not limited to: her living arrangements, medical and psychiatric care, administration of medication, and the employment and discharge of physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, nurses, therapists and other professionals for her physical and mental treatment and care. 14. Petitioners are not aware of any other signed powers of attorney or advance health directive. 15. The proposed plenary guardian of the person and estate of Claire W. Crego is Christine Rathbun, Claire W. Crego's mother, age 52, who resides at 24 North 5 20th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011. Christine Rathbun has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of New Mexico and has completed graduate work in Humanities and Public Administration at Penn State University. Christine Rathbun has provided care of Claire W. Crego all of her life, and is qualified and competent to undertake the duties of guardianship. 16. The proposed plenary guardian has no interest adverse to Claire W. Crego, except as an heir of her estate. 17. The written consent of the proposed guardian, including her place of residence; her occupation; a statement that the proposed guardian is a citizen of the United States of America, that the proposed guardian speaks, reads and writes the English language, that the proposed guardian does not have any interests adverse to Claire W. Crego, that the proposed guardian is not a fiduciary, or an officer or employee of a corporate fiduciary, of an estate in which Claire W. Crego has an interest; nor is the proposed guardian a surety or an officer or employee of a corporate surety of such a fiduciary, is attached as Exhibit "A." 18. No other court has ever assumed jurisdiction in any proceeding to determine the capacity of Claire W. Crego. 19. No other guardian has ever been appointed for the estate or person of Claire W. Crego. 20. A bond is unnecessary as the proposed guardian has only love and affection for Claire W. Crego, and will act only in the best interests of Claire W. Crego. 6 WHEREFORE, Petitioners respectfully request that this Court issue a Citation, directed to Claire W. Crego, with notice thereof also to be given to her next-of-kin who would be entitled to share in the estate of Claire W. Crego if she died intestate at this time, and to such other persons as the Court may direct, to show cause why Claire W. Crego should not be judged to be fully incapacitated and Christine Rathbun, Petitioner, should not be appointed plenary guardian of her estate and person, and why a bond should be required. Respectfully submitted, Wix, Wenger & Wei Date: II, 8/6;- By: Jeff Wi, eng r Weidner 508 North Second Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 234-4182 Attorneys for Petitioners F:\jcc\7347 (Rathbun, Christine)\Documents\Guardianship Petition.doc 7 VERIFICATION We, Christine Rathbun and Geoffrey B. Crego, Petitioners in the foregoing Petition for the Adjudication of Incapacity and Appointment of Plenary Guardianship of the Estate and Person of Claire W. Crego, Pursuant to 20 Pa.C.S. S 5511, have read the foregoing Petition and hereby affirm and verify that it is true and correct to the best of our personal knowledge, information and belief. We verify that all of the statements to which we have personal knowledge, information and belief are true and correct and that false statements made therein may subject us to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S.A. Section 4904, relating to unsworn falsification to authorities. Date: n ~..;100G. .))~ Date: C}tJ/)1(}ctlJy 9; ZOO~ Ge~ 8 IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA ORPHANS' COURT DIVISION In Re: Estate of Claire W Crego, an alleged incapacitated person Date: No.: DECLARATiON OF CONSENT 1. I, Christine Rathbun, do hereby give my consent to petition this court for the appointment of myself as guardian of the person and estate of Claire W. Crego. 2. My current place of residence is 24 North 29th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011, and I have resided there for ten (10) years. 3. I am a citizen of the United States of America. 4. I speak, read and write the English language. 5. I do not have any interests adverse to those of Claire W. Crego. 6. I am not a fiduciary, or an officer or employee of a corporate fiduciary, of an estate in which Claire W. Crego has an interest; nor am I a surety, or an officer or employee of a corporate surety of such a fiduciary. . ~J.QL the phone and re-hanging the clothes. She also occasionally is asked to help out in other departments. A recent quarterly report indicated that strengths include her being on time; accepting assigned tasks and accepting changes; following rules for safety; being cooperative with co-workers and supervisors and accepting supervisor comments. Needs included her being more assertive and being more familiar with Wal-Mart products and locations. Claire has also apparently been working part time in a local Pappa John's Restaurant, typically answering the phone and working in the kitchen. A review of Claire's evaluation history was undertaken. She was initially evaluated by the CAIU on 1/92 she earned a full scale I.Q. of 98. On a CAIU retest on 4/94 she earned a total I.Q. of 94 with her weakest areas being in verbal reasoning. An evaluation conducted by the undersigned on 4/96 revealed WISC-III IQ scores of verbal-87; performance-77; full scale-80. She was identified as being learning disabled in the area oral and written language areas. A 5/03 psychological conducted by her school district revealed WISC-III scores of 67/70/66. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale composites from the teacher and parent were 60 and 54 respectively, corresponding to a ~low adaptive behavior level". A 4/01 group achievement/I.Q. was as follows: school ability index: 60/63/56. Stanford Achievement Testing over 4/01, 4/98, and 4/04 testing revealed total reading percentiles ranging from 1-15 and total math percentiles ranging from 9-16. On the Pennsylvania School Assessment Test Claire was listed as ~below basic" levels for reading and math. The ~below basic" descriptor was used to describe her writing skills on the 9th grade PSSA Testing. A 3/01 CAIU Vocational Evaluation revealed Claire to be a cooperative individual who followed instructions but was very slow in her processing. Needs included her improving her receptive language, recent memory and sequential memory, and her physical strength. She was functioning at a "pre-vocational" training stage. ~ ~ IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA ORPHANS' COURT DIVISION In Re: Estate of Claire W. Crego, an alleged incapacitated person No.: 21-06-0056 PROOF OF SERVICE Pursuant to Cumberland County Orphans' Court Rule 14.2-3; I hereby certify that the Petition for the Adjudication of Incapacity and Appointment of Plenary Guardianship of the Estate and Person of Claire W. Crego, Pursuant to 20 Pa.C.S. 9 5511, along with the Citation with Notice was read to Claire W. Crego on th~"+day ~, ,.~ 2006, and explained to her, to the maximum extent possible, in language and terin~' . e is most likely to understand. Ch istine Rathbun .. CURRICULUM VITAE George D. Schmidt 6370 Miftlin Avenue Harrisburg, PA. 17111 Telephone; (717) 564-4632 (h) (717) 732-8400 (w) Education Ph.D. 1988 School Psychology Penn State Univenity, U nivenity Park, P A. M.Ed. 1979 Elementary Counseling Northeastern Univenity, Boston, MA B.A. 1978 Psychology New England College, HenDiker, NH Honon Penn State Univenity CoUege of Education FeUowship Recipient - 1986 Outstanding Young American - 1982 Dean's List - Spring, 1977 Eagle Scout - 1972 ClinicallTeachin2 EXDerience School Counselor (10/0l-Present) Capital Area Intermediate Unit -Non-Public School Division FuD-time counselor conducting individual and smaU group counseling sessions regarding academic, peer, family, and interpenonal problems. Developed and gave presentations to parent and teacher groups on various school and child topics. Head of student support team staflings with case management responsibilities. Current interests include childhood depression, ADHD medication monitoring, and social-emotional adjustment of gifted students. School Psychologist (8/92-10/01) East Pennsboro School Distrid Full-time school psycllologist providing services to a public school district. Responsible for assessment, program planning, and consultation for all major handicapping exceptionalities and crisis intervention. Coordinator of pupil staffings, parent meetings, and liaison with community and medical penonneL Activities include individualized diagnosis, therapy, and family and behavior management consultation. Provide child development articles to school newsletter for parents. PETITIONER'S EXHIBIT () fJ?t!tlolO '/ ,r' . ClinicallTeachine: EXDerience (Cont.) George D. Schmidt, Ph.D. - Page 2 Psychologist - Private practice (5/90-present) Providing diagnostic & treatment for children through adults. Specializing in ADHD, parent training, and teaching self- monitoring to youngsten. School Psychologist (8/86-7/92) Doctoral Intern (8/85-6/86) Capital Area Intermediate Unit #15, Summerdale, P A. Psychologist for public and parochial school districts and I.U. programs. In addition to above responsibilities, was the senior psychologist evaluating pre-school aged children at United Cerebral Palsy. Assisted with supervision of doctoral intern. Part-time Psychologist (6/88-12/97) Holy Spirit Hospital, Camp Hill, PA. Staff Psychologist providing individual, couples, and group counseling primarily with adults haviag moderate to severe psychiatric disturbance. Served as school psychology consultant during treatment team staffings and supervised therapists. School Psychology Clinician - Pennsylvania State Univenity (c)/83 - 8/85) Participant in a multi disciplinary clinic, conducting psychoeducational evaluations of children with leaming/behavior problems. Provided follow-up support and consultation to parents and teachen from diagnostic assessment. Participated in three praeticum sites in P A and NJ. Created and co-led a single-parents' workshop regarding discipline and family communication. Evaluated and tutored learning disabled adults. Counseled tutored clients ages five through twenty-two OR academic, social, and interpenonal issues. Guidance Counselor-Concord Public Schools, Concord, NH (9179 - 6/83) Responsibilities included case management for special-education students and out-of- district placements. Counseled pupils with mild to severe adjustment problems. Conducted parent effectiveness groups on development and communication issues. Taught groups including creative-problem solving (gifted students), divorce adjustment, and study skills workshops. Instructed K-6 classes in affective, developmental, and career education. Related Professional EIoerience Psychologist for cleft-palate clinic (1 day/mo.) - Philipsburg, PA (8/84 -7/85) Counseling intern at a K-5 school (2 days-wk.) - Framingham, MA (9/78 - 6/79) Reading and math tutor in a K-5 school (2 days/wk.) - Henniker, NH (1/78 - 5/78) MembenhiDs PennsylvaRia Psychological Association National Association of School Psychologists American Society of Clinical Hypnosis P A School Counselon Association ./ / . George D. Schmidt, Ph.D. - Page 3 Credentials Certified School Psychologist and Elementary Counselor (P A) State Licensed Psychologist (P A) Nationally Certified School Psychologist (National Association of School Psychologists) Associate Member (American Society of Clinical Hypnosis) Publications Guidance Program Evaluation (1986) Idea Exchange CoL Elementa" School Guidance and Counselin2. 20. 224-227. Dissertation Title Concurrent Validity of the Scale of Adolescent Adaptive Behavior (SAAB) ~ ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGISTS, INC. 200 SHELL STREET HARRISBURG, PA. 17109 PHONE: 657-3867 REPORT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION NAME: Claire Crego SEX: F DOB: 2/27/87 AGE: 18-8 SCHOOL: Camp Hill GRADE: 12th PHONE: 761-6480 PARENTS: Geoff & Christine (Divorced) ADDRESS: 24 N. 20th Street, Camp Hill, PA. 17011 DATES ADMINISTED: 11/16 & 11/19/05 RESULTS OF EVALUATION: TESTS GIVEN: Parent Interview Clinical Interview Review of Records Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised (CIBS-R) Wide Range Achievement Test - 3 Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability Survey of Teen Readiness & Neurodevelopmental Status (STRANDS) Parent Report Writing Sample Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Survey Form REASON FOR REFERRAL: Claire was requested to receive a psychological evaluation at the request of her parent. There was an interest in determining her overall intellectual skills as part of the process of her parent obtaining guardianship of Claire. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Claire Crego, aged 18-8 resides with her step-mother and step-father. She was born in Hong Kong by Chinese parents and adopted by her parents at 2 years of age. Her parents divorced early on but Claire has regular visits with her PETITIONER'S EXHIBIT 3> ;1t.-~~IOG natural father. Claire has an older brother and sister and a younger sister. A review of early records suggests that Claire had speech language problems and was seen at the POloyclinic during early 1991-92. She also attended the Discovery School at that time. She then attended Intermediate Unit kindergarten language class for the 92-93 school year. During the 93-94 school year she attended the IU primary language class. Moving into the Camp Hill School District for 1st grade she received both learning support and speech and language assistance. Learning support has been provided for Claire throughout her school history. During the 2nd through 8th grade she had marked difficulties with advanced language concepts and understanding content as related to social studies and science. She had a below average rate of acquisition and retention. Her speech and language intervention continued on through the 9th grade where she was then placed on a monitored basis. Individual Education Plans were reviewed. During a more recent 2003-04 IEP completed in the 9th grade Claire apparently had learning support classes for history and reading while being mainstreamed for the remainder. Her IEP for the 2004-05 school year indicated she was enrolled at the Cumberland-Perry Vocational School in the horticultural and landscaping shop. This apparently was discontinued in her junior year where she received work study assistance. Her reading skills were described as being strong in decoding skills but weak with vocabulary development and reading comprehension. In terms of math skills she needed to develop her calculation and problem solving skills as well as budgeting skills. Specially designed instruction accommodations included modified tests; extended timeline tests; testing read as needed; possible opportunities for focus on practical application of knowledge and skills in everyday life. A review of her IEP for the present 2005-06 school year indicates specially designed instruction accommodations adding the use of a calculator and alternate forms of assessment. Claire's 11th grade report card for the first three marking periods of last year indicated her grades ranged from 60's to 100's with 80's being an average. She also was enrolled in the Center for Industrial Training (CIT) program. Claire is currently working at Wal-Mart on a 2-day a week basis in the fitting room. Her duties include answering 2 the phone and re-hanging the clothes. She also occasionally is asked to help out in other departments. A recent quarterly report indicated that strengths include her being on time; accepting assigned tasks and accepting changes; following rules for safety: being cooperative with co-workers and supervisors and accepting supervisor comments. Needs included her being more assertive and being more familiar with Wal-Mart products and locations. Claire has also apparently been working part time in a local Pappa John's Restaurant, typically answering the phone and working in the kitchen. A review of Claire's evaluation history was undertaken. She was initially evaluated by the CAIU on 1/92 she earned a full scale I.Q. of 98. On a CAIU retest on 4/94 she earned a total I.Q. of 94 with her weakest areas being in verbal reasoning. An evaluation conducted by the undersigned on 4/96 revealed WISC-III IQ scores of verbal-87; performance-77; full scale-80. She was identified as being learning disabled in the area oral and written language areas. A 5/03 psychological conducted by her school district revealed WISC-III scores of 67/70/66. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale composites from the teacher and parent were 60 and 54 respectively, corresponding to a ~low adaptive behavior level". A 4/01 group achievement/I.Q. was as follows: school ability index: 60/63/56. Stanford Achievement Testing over 4/01, 4/98, and 4/04 testing revealed total reading percentiles ranging from 1-15 and total math percentiles ranging from 9-16. On the Pennsylvania School Assessment Test Claire was listed as ~below basic" levels for reading and math. The "below basic" descriptor was used to describe her writing skills on the 9th grade PSSA Testing. A 3/01 CAIU Vocational Evaluation revealed Claire to be a cooperative individual who followed instructions but was very slow in her processing. Needs included her improving her receptive language, recent memory and sequential memory, and her physical strength. She was functioning at a "pre-vocational" training stage. .., -' A 10/02 Differential Aptitude Testing showed Claire earning the following percentiles: verbal reasoning-7th; numerical reasoning-13Ch; abstract reasoning-23rd; perceptual speed- 5th; language useage-6th; and school aptitude-6th percentile. EVALUATION RESULTS: Behavioral Observations: Claire presented herself as a female of Asian decent who was a bit short and of sturdy build. She was neatly groomed and attired while wearing jeans and her school district sweat shirt. Claire utilized appropriate expressive language skills for vocabulary and syntax although was not elaborative in her observations. She utilized her right hand for fine motor tasks and employed an appropriate pencil grip. All basic sensorium appeared to grossly intact. Claire was a cooperative and friendly individual to evaluate. She readily tried all of the procedures and showed fairly good task persistence. She did demonstrate several long processing times and even at the end of some of these, she could not provide an answer. This appeared to be most notable on questions related to verbal reasoning and recall of information. Claire did not ask for clarification of directions nor request help. She did not display and noticeable difficulties with restlessness, distractibility, or emotional fluctuations. The results of the present evaluations are felt to be a valid estimate of her current functioning. Clinical Interview: Claire reported having some difficulties falling asleep at night, initiating sleep at 10:30 - 11:00 while arising at 6. She had no concerns with appetite or health areas. Claire takes no medications. Claire reported her mood as generally being "good". She might feel some minor sadness if she cannot understand a particular math procedure or understand some social interactions. She denied any consistent worries. She admits only to having a minor temper with her sister but with no others. Claire reports enjoying school but is glad it is her senior year. Her best subject was math and hardest English. She reports she does not get much homework but when she does, she usually knows how to complete it on her own. She reports taking all tests and courses and in the resource room and she enjoys studying with friends. She does get somewhat nervous when having to take a test. 4 In terms of peer relations, socialization goes well and she denied any instances of being bullied. 8he associates with the same friends at home as in school. In her free time, she works at Pappa John's part time, meets with friends, or is on the computer. In the future, she is unsure exactly what she wants to do but suggested that she may prefer working in the restaurant field rather than at Wal-Mart. Cognitive Results: Claire was administered the Woodcock-Johnson III Test of Cognitive Abilities in order to estimate her overall I.Q. and information processing. The standard scores of the Woodcock-Johnson can be interpreted as follows: very low- standard score (88) 55-69; low functioning-88 70-79; low average functioning- 8S 80-89; and average functioning-S8 90-110. On the general intellectual ability domain, Claire earned an 8S of 68 which corresponds to the 2nd percentile. This indicates that Claire only exceeds 2 percent of individuals cognitively in her same grade level. This score also equates to 3.8 grade equivalent (GE) while Claire is in the 12~ grade. On the verbal abilities cluster, Claire earned an 88 of 64 and 1st percentile (2.6 GE). On the picture vocabulary subtest, she had difficulties precisely naming various pictures. She also was slow and weak in solving verbal analogies i.e. mother is to father as brother is to - She made several ~don't know" responses on the synonyms subtest. On the thinking abilities cluster, Claire earned an S8 of 68 and a 200 percentile (2.6 GEl. This cluster samples a variety of different thinking processes including auditory, visual, and ability to reason. On the cognitive efficiency cluster, Claire earned an 58 of 81 and 11ch percentile (6.3 GEl. Two aspects of cognitive processing are tapped here, processing speed and short-term memory. Both skills are needed for more complex cognitive processing. Claire showed even but weak ability across processing speed and short-term memory. On the long term retrieval cluster, Claire earned a S8 of 64 and a 1st percentile (1.9 GEl. Here the subtests tap her ability to store information efficiently and then retrieve it later through associations. Claire did have marked 5 difficulty on the retrieval fluency subtest, earning an 55 of 60. Here she is asked to rapidly name objects in a particular category under timed conditions. Although given 1 minute per category, Claire often had problems summoning objects after a mere 15 seconds. Under the short-term memory cluster, Claire earned an 55 of 82, which equates to 12th percentile (4.6 GE). Here the task required her to show her ability to hold orally presented information in immediate awareness and use it within a few seconds. On the spatial relations subtest, Claire earned an 55 of 85 at the 15th percentile (4.6 GE). Other than requiring much time, visual processing seemed to be a more comfortable task for her. Finally on the concept formation subtest (fluid reasoning), Claire scored within the low range (55 78 - 8%ile). Here she is required to solve problems which involve the changing of rules. Even with modeling, Claire was slow to see the rule or deduce the change that was occurring. In terms of achievement levels, both formal and informal measures were used. On the WRAT-III, Claire was asked to read simple to complex sight vocabulary words. 5he earned an 55 of 86 which equates to the 7th grade level. She showed average decoding skills up to the 8th grade level. She was able to employ good segmenting skills but was slow in blending components of more difficult words. Claire's level of reading fluency and comprehension was tapped using the Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised (CIBS- R). Using the 4thg=~ story, Claire read 66 of 67 words correctly (98 percent). Her rendition of the overall gist was fair and she answered two of three detailed-type comprehension questions correctly. However when asked to define two vocabulary words (boast and cramp), Claire was inexact. On the 5th grade story she read 66 of 67 words correct (98 percent). Her overall rendition of the story gist was fair and again she answered 2 of 3 detailed type questions correctly. However Claire could not define vocabulary words in the story (i.e. severe and accumulate) . On the 6Ch grade story she 67 of 67 words correctly (100 percent). Her rendition of the story gist was quite poor and she only answered 1 of 3 detailed questions correctly. Again she had 2 of 2 vocabulary definition questions incorrect (relic and crude) . 6 Claire was also asked to write a free form persuasive letter. She made the product in letter form with a greeting but no closing. (Claire was able to add a correct ending with a prompt). Her letter had complete sentences but redundant phrasing and some awkward wording. Her idea flow was seauential vet overlY simple in persuasiveness. Her product -would be-what a 4th or 5th grader would create. In terms of math skills, Claire earned an SS of 87 which equates to the 7th grade level on the WRAT-III. She was able to calculate elementary problems involving addition through division with 2 and 3 digits. She did make 1 error in regrouping on a subtraction problem. Her basic facts appeared to be fairly solidified. Yet she was quite weak in solving fractions, percentages, and finding an average. She did not attempt any pre-algebra items. Claire's mother was interviewed by phone using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Survey Edition. Her mother commented how Claire is eager to please but does demonstrate some low frustration tolerance and can ~shut down" emotionally during these times. Under the communication domain for receptive skills, Claire comprehends vocabulary but not always multiple or complex directions. She shows partial attention during public lectures. Under the expressive domain, Claire has problems giving complex directions and is not always realistic about future goals and her abilities. Under the written area, she is able to use cursive writing and write short messages. Further she can address envelopes independently but conversely does not use a dictionary, index, or read newspapers. Under the daily living skills domain, for personal care, Claire is able to dress herself independently but does not efficiently care for hair and fingernails or look after her health needs. As far as domestic skills, she can use a microwave and make simple foods. She can change her bedding with reminders and does complete simple cleaning tasks. Conversely she does not sew, make complex meals, or wash her clothes without supervision. Under the community area, she is able to tell time when using a digital clock. She can use a cell phone and does work regular hours. Conversely, she is not able to budget or save money for purchases without supervision. Further she has problems 7 computing change that is due and making bank deposits (paper work) without supervision. Under the social domain, for interpersonal relations, Claire can make and buy gifts for family members and recall birth dates independently. She does belong to a church and is an acolyte. On a partial basis she can enter conversations and respond to indirect cues. As far as play and leisure areas, she does watch T.V. for pleasure but not for practical information. She can go to a school or community event unsupervised with or without friends. As far as other skills, Claire uses appropriate table manners, follows time limits, and has a hobby (computer). She has . trouble weighing independent consequences of her actions, keeping secrets, and does not always use good judgment making some statements. Claire was given the student interview portion of the Survey for Teenage Readiness and Neurodevelopmental Status. Under the memory domain, Claire scored at a T-score of 28 (1st ile) and is rated as ~deficient". Under short-term and active memory areas, Claire feels she needs to repeat things a lot in order to remember them. She cannot recall ideas for writing and has problems recalling facts in class. She further admits to recalling information during a test. Under the long-term memory area, Claire has problems remembering where her belongings are and forgets things that she has just heard. Under general memory, Claire views herself as being weaker with memory compared to peers. She also does poorly in class with recall demands. Under higher order cognition, Claire scored at a T-score of 26 and 1st percentile again relating to the ~deficient" range. Under social-political cognition, Claire is positive about having others respect her, being a leader, and her ability to make friends. Conversely, under verbal cognition, Claire feels she has problems winning arguments, editing a story, or writing an essay. Under non-verbal cognitions, Claire feels she is weak in all non-verbal areas except being average for using the computer. Finally, under creativity Claire feels she is very weak creatively with either verbal or non-verbal ways. 8 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Claire Crego, aged 18-8 had been referred for psychological evaluation at the request of her parent. There was an interest in documenting her current intellectual status to assist with determining the need for Claire's guardianship. Her parent has concerns about Clare's limited intellectual ability affecting her decision-making skills. Claire is an adopted female of Asian decent who is currently a senior at Camp Hill High School. She is identified as a special needs student, early on with speech and language needs and later with learning disabilities in oral and written language. Thereafter, with lower I.Q. and adaptive behavior scores, she was identified as mildly mentally retarded. Claire's last full school based psychological showed even verbal and non-verbal abilities with overall I.Q. in the mild mentally retarded range. Commensurate adaptive behavior levels were also found from both the parent and teacher perspective. Claire currently works 2 days a week at Wal-Mart in a supervised work-study program via the Center for Industrial Training. She also has an after school job at a pizza shop. A recent 10/05 quarterly reported indicated that Claire was pleasant, quiet, and shy in the work setting. Yet she is consistent with her attendance, is neatly groomed, and cooperative with co-workers. She does accept constructive criticism but needs to be more assertive and spend more time learning various products and functions of other store departments. Further Claire needs to improve speaking more loudly and clearly. Claire's current IEP indicates she takes all classes in her high school in a self-contained/resource room setting. These are usually in a one-to-one or small group setting. The focus is on life skills, math, writing, and consumer and career skills. In terms of extra curricular activities, Claire is a member of the band and color guard. She is also is a member of a church. The present evaluation confirms the findings of more recent school evaluations. Claire's overall cognitive skills were again found to be in the mentally deficient range (standard score 68 - 2nd percentile). She had relative personal strengths in short-term memory and visual processing. Notable deficiencies were seen in her verbal conceptualization skills, higher-order thinking, and 9 0' retrieval of information from long-term memory. Claire also needed significant processing time for a variety of tasks. Academically, she functioned at approximate 7th grade level for reading decoding and math calculation skills. Lower ability at the 4th or 5th grade level was estimated for Claire's writing and reading comprehension abilities. Her adaptive behavior skills based on parent report were in the low range across communication, daily living skills, and social areas. Typically, skills related to higher-order reasoning were problematic for Claire. Claire then is a cooperative and friendly individual who tries hard in both work and school settings. She has a somewhat naive but friendly outlook in her interactions with both peers and adults. Problematic areas are that Claire is vulnerable to deception, manipulation, and unintentional mistakes by others. Due to her pleasant nature and agreeable manner, she may be a target for unscrupulous individuals. Claire herself may want to overly please and not consider the long-term consequences of her actions and resulting negative effect. She may not always seek help or clarification due to shyness and a desire to be independent given her age. Yet, with supervision, there is a good chance that our society will have a productive citizen in Claire who enlivens those around her with pleasant demeanor and work ethic. The following recommendations are offered: 1. Claire would continue to qualify as a young adult with mild mental retardation based on limited cognitive and adaptive behavior skills presented in the developmental period. She could continue to receive school-based services until age 21 and thereafter- possible social security and work training opportunities. 2. Claire expressed an interest food preparation and restaurant jobs verses retail occupations. Her school team should discuss this interest with her and determine available internships and realistic jobs. 3. Claire's school team should continue to monitor her overall progress. After reviewing Claire's IEP, there could be one or two reading goals added in the area of comprehension and improving her vocabulary development. Specifically, teaching her vocabulary and technical terms could be helpful as well as her using context cues and previewing stories. Claire 10 would also benefit from using a newspaper to find practical information in additional to entertainment news. 4. Claire could be referred to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for other services along with the continued case management and supervision by CIT. Close coordination of all agencies will need to occur upon Claire's actual graduation from school. 5. Claire has the benefit of patient and loving parents. Their taking guardianship of her should be legally clarified so that Claire is not taken advantage of by others. Particularly for financial, medical and independent living decisions her parents should be given and retain guardianship of Claire. (, ~~ ~. Q ".J). George Sc idt, Ph:D. Certified School Psychologist Licensed PA Psychologist GS/pkl 11 COMPUSCORE VERSION 1.1 b SCORE REPORT Name: Crego, Claire School: CHHS Date of Birth: 02/27/1987 Age: 18 years, 9 months Grade: 12.3 Sex: Female Date of Testing: 11/1912005 Examiner: GS TABLE OF SCORES: Woodcock-Johnson 11/ Tests of Cognitive Abilities Norms based on grade 12.3 CLUSTERlTest RAW GE EASY to DIFF RPI PR SS(90% BAND) AE GIA 3.8 2.4 5.8 31/90 2 68 (64-71) 9-1 VERBAL ABILITY 2.6 1.6 3.9 6/90 1 64 (58-70) 7-11 THINKING ABILITY 2.6 1.2 5.5 46/90 2 68 (63-73) 8-1 COG EFFICIENCY 6.3 4.9 8'.0 34/90 11 81 (76-87) 11-8 L-T RETRIEVAL (Glr) 1.9 K.3 7.7 69/90 1 64 (57-71) 7-4 SHORT-TERM MEM (Gsm) 4.8 3.2 7.2 39/90 12 82 (75-90) 10-1 ------------------- Verbal Comprehension 2.6 1.6 3.9 6/90 1 64 (58-70) 7-11 Visual-Auditory Learning 23-E 2.0 K.8 5.7 63/90 5 75 (69-82) 7-7 Spatial Relations 63-D 4.6 1.4 11. 8 74/90 15 85 (77-92) 9-6 Sound Blending 14 1.0 K.2 2.9 24/90 1 67 (58-77) 6-9 Concept Formation 21-E 3.4 2.3 5.1 24/90 8 78 (73-84) 8-9 Visual Matching 41-2 5.5 4.6 6.6 9/90 5 76 (70-81) 10-10 Numbers Reversed 14 8.3 5.7 11.8 73/90 31 92 (84-101) 13-11 Retrieval Fluency 38 1.7 <K.O 11. 9 75/90 0.4 60 (48-71) 6-10 Memory for Words 15 2.4 1.2 4.0 14/90 7 77 (68-87) 7-8 -------- -------------