ACADEMIC UNDERACHIEVEMENT

CLIENT PRESENTATION

1. History of Underperformance (1)*
   1. The client's teachers and parents report a history of overall performance that is below the client's chronological age, given the client's measured intelligence or performance on standardized achievement tests.
   2. The client verbally admitted that their current academic performance is below their chronological age.
   3. The client has started to assume more responsibility for increasing academic performance to an age-appropriate level.
   4. The client has taken active steps (e.g., studying at routine times, seeking outside tutor, consulting with teacher before or after class) to improve academic performance.
   5. The client's academic performance has improved to a level expected for their chronological age.
2. Academic Underachievement (2)
   1. The client's teachers and parents reported a history of academic performance that is below the expected level, given the gifted client's measured intelligence or performance on standardized achievement tests.
   2. The client verbally admitted that current academic performance is below the expected level of functioning.
   3. The client has started to assume more responsibility for completing school and homework assignments.
   4. The client has taken active steps (e.g., studying at routine times, seeking outside tutor, consulting with teacher before or after class) to improve academic performance.
   5. The client's academic performance has improved to the expected gifted level.
3. Incomplete Homework Assignments (3)
   1. The client has consistently failed to complete classroom or homework assignments in a timely manner.
   2. The client has refused to comply with parents' and teachers' requests to complete classroom or homework assignments.
   3. The client expressed a renewed desire to complete classroom and homework assignments on a regular basis.
   4. The client has recently completed classroom and homework assignments on a consistent basis.
   5. The client's regular completion of classroom and homework assignments has resulted in higher grades.
4. Disorganization (4)
   1. The parents and teachers described a history of the client being disorganized in the classroom.
   2. The client has often lost or misplaced books, school papers, or other important things necessary for tasks or activities at school.
   3. The client has started to take steps (e.g., using a planner or agenda to record school/homework assignments, consulting with teachers before or after school, scheduling routine study times) to become more organized at school.
   4. The client's increased organizational abilities have contributed to improved academic performance.
5. Poor Study Skills (4)
   1. Parents and teachers reported that the client has historically displayed poor study skills.
   2. The client acknowledged that lowered academic performance is primarily due to the lack of studying.
   3. The client has recently spent little time studying.
   4. The client reported a recent increase in study time.
   5. The client's increased study time has been a significant contributing factor to improved academic performance.
6. Procrastination (5)
   1. The client has repeatedly procrastinated or postponed doing classroom or homework assignments in favor of engaging in social, leisure, or recreational activities.
   2. The client has continued to procrastinate doing classroom or homework assignments.
   3. The client has agreed to postpone social, leisure, or recreational activities until completing homework assignments.
   4. The client has demonstrated greater self-discipline by completing homework assignments before engaging in social, leisure, or recreational activities.
   5. The client has achieved and maintained a healthy balance between accomplishing academic goals and meeting social and emotional needs.
7. Lack of Motivation (6)
   1. The client verbalized little motivation to improve academic performance.
   2. The client has often complained of being bored with or disinterested in schoolwork.
   3. The client verbally acknowledged that their academic performance will not improve unless the client shows more interest and puts forth greater effort.
   4. The client has shown more interest in schoolwork and put forth greater effort.
   5. The client's renewed interest and motivation have contributed to improved academic performance.
8. Depression (7)
   1. The client's feelings of depression, as manifested by apathy, listlessness, and lack of motivation, have contributed to and resulted from lowered academic performance.
   2. The client appeared visibly depressed when discussing lowered academic performance.
   3. The client expressed feelings of happiness about improved academic performance.
   4. The client's academic performance has improved since their depression has lifted.
9. Low Self-Esteem (7)
   1. The client's low self-esteem, feelings of insecurity, and lack of confidence have contributed to and resulted from lowered academic performance.
   2. The client displayed a lack of confidence and expressed strong self-doubts about being able to improve academic performance.
   3. The client verbally acknowledged a tendency to give up easily and withdraw in the classroom when feeling insecure and unsure.
   4. The client verbalized positive self-descriptive statements about academic performance.
   5. The client has consistently expressed confidence in their ability to achieve academic goals.
10. Disruptive/Attention-Seeking Behavior (8)
    1. The client has frequently disrupted the classroom with negative attention-seeking behavior instead of focusing on schoolwork.
    2. The parents have received reports from teachers that the client has continued to disrupt the classroom with negative attention-seeking behavior.
    3. The client acknowledged tending to engage in disruptive behavior when they begin to feel insecure or become frustrated with schoolwork.
    4. The client has started to show greater self-control in the classroom and inhibit the impulse to act out in order to draw attention to self.
    5. The client has demonstrated a significant decrease in disruptive and negative attention-seeking behavior.
11. Low Frustration Tolerance (8)
    1. The client has developed a low frustration tolerance as manifested by a persistent pattern of giving up easily when encountering difficult or challenging academic tasks.
    2. The client's low frustration tolerance has resulted in patterns of acting out, disruptions, and negative attention-seeking behaviors.
    3. The client's frustration tolerance with schoolwork has remained very low.
    4. The client has started to show improved frustration tolerance and has not given up as easily or as often on classroom or homework assignments.
    5. The client has demonstrated good frustration tolerance and consistently completed classroom/homework assignments without giving up.
12. Test-Taking Anxiety (9)
    1. The client described a history of becoming highly anxious before or during tests.
    2. The client's heightened anxiety during tests has interfered with academic performance.
    3. The client shared that test-taking anxiety is related to fear of failure and of meeting with disapproval or criticism by significant others.
    4. The client has begun to take steps (e.g., deep breathing, positive self-statements, challenging irrational thoughts) to reduce anxiety and feel more relaxed while taking tests.
    5. The client reported a significant decrease in the level of anxiety while taking tests.
13. Excessive Parental Pressure (10)
    1. The client has viewed parents as placing excessive or unrealistic pressure on the client to achieve academic success.
    2. The parents acknowledged that they have placed excessive or unrealistic pressure on the client to achieve academic success.
    3. The parents denied placing excessive or unrealistic pressure on the client to achieve; instead, they attributed the client's lowered academic performance to lack of motivation and effort.
    4. The client reported that parents have decreased the amount of pressure they placed on the client to achieve academic success.
    5. The parents have established realistic expectations of the client's level of capabilities.
14. Family History of Academic Problems (11)
    1. The client and parents described a family history of academic problems and failures.
    2. The client's parents have demonstrated little interest or involvement in the client's schoolwork or activities.
    3. The client expressed a desire for parents to show greater interest and involvement in schoolwork or activities.
    4. The parents verbalized a willingness to show greater interest in and to become more involved in the client's schoolwork or activities.
    5. The parents have sustained an active interest and involvement in the client's schoolwork and have implemented several effective interventions to help the client achieve academic goals.
15. Environmental Stress (12)
    1. The client's academic performance has markedly declined since...