Imagine That You Are a High School Counselor

Multiple Choice

Imagine that you are a high school counselor. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson meet with you to express their concern that their 15-year-old son Jeremy has poor handwriting. "His writing used to be neat and easy to read," Mr. Johnson says. "Now he writes so quickly that we often don't know what he's written." "Sometimes even he can't read what he wrote," Mrs. Johnson adds. Based on what the Johnsons have told you, what might you most reasonably suspect?

A) Jeremy is intentionally trying to cover up errors in his spelling.
B) Deterioration in handwriting is rare in adolescents and suggests possible depression or other mental illness.
C) Jeremy has automatized his handwriting skills and may have improved his effectiveness in writing.
D) Jeremy is showing signs of a possible writing disability, but you need more information before you can determine this for sure.