Special Education Process-Part II

Slide 1:Special Education Process-Part II

Evaluation, Diagnosis, Classification, and Placement of students with Disabilities

Slide 2:Overview of the Multidisciplinary Team

Once the CST has tried everything possible and the issues still exist, a referral is made to the team that will be responsible for the formal assessment.

Slide 3:Overview of the Multidisciplinary Team

This team is called the multidisciplinary team (MDT). Since this referral by the CST is for a formal assessment it will require another referral form to be filled out.

Slide 4:Review of Special Education Process-Part I-Determination of a Suspected Disability

Step 1-Initial Referral Step II-Gathering Available School Records Step III-Initial Child Study Team Meeting Step IV-Parent Intake Step V- Pre-Referral Strategy Plans Step VI-Determination of a Suspected Disability

Slide 5:Overview of the Multidisciplinary Team

. A formal referral to the MDT is nothing more than a form starting the special education process. A referral for more formal individualized evaluation and possible special education services is initiated by a written request by the CST.

Slide 6:Overview of the Multidisciplinary Team

However, you should understand that other people other than the CST have the right under due process to initiate a formal referral for a child with a suspected disability.

Slide 7:Referral to the MDT

Depending on state regulations, these could include: The child�s parent and advocate or person in parental relationship A classroom teacher Any professional staff member of the public or private school district A judicial officer- A representative of the court

Slide 8:Referral to the MDT

A student on his or her own behalf if he/she is 18 years of age or older, or an emancipated minor- a person under the age of 18 years of age who has been given �certain adult rights� by the court. The Chief School Officer of the State or his designee responsible for welfare, education or health of children.

Slide 9:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Initial Referral to the MDT From the School Staff To: Chairperson of the MDT From: Bill Wethers School: Harrison High Date:5/15/00 Name/Title: Chairperson of the Child Study Team The following student is being referred to the CSE for suspicion of a disability: Student Name: Rosa Carlarzo Sex: F Grade: 5 Ethnicity: Hispanic

Slide 10:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Parent/Guardian Name: Livia/Carlos Address: 12 High Court City: Birchwood Glen State: NY Zip: 15789 Telephone: (914) 456-9867 Date of Birth: 3/2/90 Current Program Placement: Regular mainstream Teacher (Elem): Mrs. Buglia Guidance Counselor (Secondary):

Slide 11:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Reasons for Referral: Describe the specific reason and/or needs that indicate the suspicion of a disability. Specify reason why referral is considered appropriate and necessary. Rosa is being referred for a formal assessment as the result of suspected learning disability. The school has attempted a variety of pre-referral strategies but have been unable to change Rosa�s level of impaired performance. Rosa exhibits severe problems in processing information, retaining information and expressing her ideas on paper. While she is a bright girl, and articulates appropriately, her written expression is well below average. Rosa also needs a great deal of attention, encouragement and monitoring in the classroom. She is not a self starter and tends to avoid academic tasks.

Slide 12:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Describe recent attempts to remediate the pupil�s performance prior to referral, including regular education interventions such as remedial reading and math, teaching modifications, behavior modifications, speech improvement, parent conferences, etc. and the results of those interventions. The referral is considered necessary at this time because Rosa continues to do poorly in school despite classroom modifications, parent training and conferences, portfolio assessment, observation, remedial reading and math intervention, and changes in teaching strategies and management. The results of these intervention strategies have been unsuccessful and have even added to Rosa�s sense of frustration and lack of confidence.

Slide 13:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Do you have a signed Parent Assessment Plan ? __X_yes___no (If yes send copy attached) Is there an attendance problem? Yes__X__No____ Language Spoken at home? English Did student repeat a grade? Yes___No__X_If yes, when? Is an interpreter needed? Yes___No_X__Deaf: Is a bilingual assessment needed? Yes___no__X_ If yes, what language Language spoken at home: English

Slide 14:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Is student eligible to receive ESL(English as a Second Language) services?yes____no__X_ If yes, how many years receiving ESL services? __NA__ If yes, determine how student�s educational, cultural and experiential background were considered to determine if these factors are contributing to the student�s learning or behavior problems

Slide 15:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

TEST SCORES WITHIN LAST YEAR (i.e. Standardized Achievement, Regents Competency etc) TEST NAME AREA MEASURED PERCENTILE SCORE COMMENT 1-Wechsler Ind. Achievement Test Basic Reading 22 Screening 2- Wechsler Ind. Achievement Test Reading Comp. 18 Screening 3- Wechsler Ind. Achievement Test Numerical Operations 12 Screening 4- Wechsler Ind. Achievement Test Oral Expression 67 Screening 5- Wechsler Ind. Achievement Test Written Expression 11 Screening 6-KBIT-Kauffman Brief Intelligence Test Intelligence 67

Slide 16:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Has school staff informed parent/guardian of referral to CSE? Yes_X__No___ By whom? School Psychologist What was the reaction of the parent/guardian to the referral? Positive To be Completed by School Nurse-Medical Report Summary Any medication? Yes___No_X__If yes, specify: Health Problems? Yes___No_X__If Yes Specify: Schorliosis Screening: Positive____Negative__X__ Date of Last: Physical: 8/99 Vision results: Normal Hearing Results: Normal

Slide 17:Referral to the MDT from the School Staff

Relevant Medical information: None Nurse Teacher signature: Principal�s signature To Be Completed By The Appropriate Administrator Date received: Signature: Chairperson: Date Notice and Consent Sent to Parent/Guardian: Parent Consent for Initial Evaluation Rec�d: Date Agreement To withdraw Referral Received: Projected Eligibility Meeting Date: If eligible, projected date of implementation of services: Projected Eligibility Board of education meting date:

Slide 18:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

While specific state regulations may differ on the membership of the MDT, the members are usually drawn from individuals and professionals within the school and community.

Slide 19:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

You should also be aware that the law mandates that an individual who is an expert in the field of the suspected disability must be a member of the MDT. For instance, in the case of a suspected learning disability you will be considered the expert on the team in this area.

Slide 20:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

School Psychologist: The role of the school psychologist on the MDT involves the administration of individual intelligence tests, projective tests, personality inventories, and the observation of the student in a variety of settings. School Nurse: The role of the school nurse is to review all medical records, screen for vision and hearing, consults with outside physicians, and may refer to outside physicians if necessary.

Slide 21:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Classroom Teacher: Works with the local school based Child Study Team to implement pre-referral strategies, plans and implements, along with the special education team, classroom strategies that create an appropriate working environment for the student. School Social Worker: The social worker�s role on the MDT is to gather and provide information concerning the family system. This may be accomplished through interviews, observations, conferences etc.

Slide 22:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Special Education Teacher: The role of this individual includes consultation to parents and classroom teachers about pre-referral recommendations, administers educational and perceptual tests, may be called upon to observe the student in a variety of settings, may be involved in the screening of students with suspected disabilities, writes IEP�s including goals and objectives and recommends intervention strategies to teachers and parents.

Slide 23:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Educational diagnostician: Administers a series of evaluations including norm-referenced and criterion referenced tests, observes the student in a variety of settings, makes educational recommendations that get applied to the IEP as goals and objectives. Special education supervisor:

Slide 24:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Physical Therapist: The physical therapist is called upon to evaluate a child who may be experiencing problems in gross motor functioning, living and self help skills, and vocational skills necessary for the student to be able to function in certain settings. This professional may be used to screen, evaluate, provide direct services or consult with the teacher, parent or school. Behavioral consultant: This individual works closely with the team in providing direct services or consultation on issues involving behavioral and classroom management techniques and programs.

Slide 25:Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Speech/Language clinician: This professional will be involved in screening for speech and language developmental problems, be asked to provide a full evaluation on a suspected language disability, provide direct services, and consult with staff and parents. Audiologist: This professional will be called upon to evaluate a student�s hearing for possible impairments and as a result of the findings may refer the student for medical consultation or treatment. The audiologist may also assist in helping students and parents obtain equipment i.e. hearing aids that may impact on the child�s ability to function in school.

Slide 26:Membership of the MDT

Occupational Therapist: The occupational therapist is called upon to evaluate a child who may be experiencing problems in fine motors skills and living and self help skills, This professional may be used to screen, evaluate, provide direct services, consult with the teacher, parent or school and assist in obtaining the appropriate assistive technology or equipment for the student. Guidance Counselor: This individual may be involved in providing aptitude test information, provide counseling services, work with the team on consolidating, changing, or developing a student�s class schedule, and assist the Child Study Team in developing pre-referral strategies. Parents: The parents plays an extremely important role on the MDT in providing input for the IEP, working closely with members of the team, and carry out, assist, or initiate academic or management programs within the child�s home.

Slide 27:Objectives of the MDT

Only when the parents have been informed of their rights, a release is obtained, and the assessment plan is signed, can assessment begin. The MDT has several evaluation options from which to choose depending upon the specializations of the members of the MDT.

Slide 28:Assessment Domains

Psychologist: responsible for an intellectual assessment and a dynamic assessment Intellectual Assessment Options Wechsler Scales of Intelligence Stanford Binet Intelligence Test

Slide 29:Psychological Assessments

Wechsler Scales of Intelligence Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-WPPSI-III for ages 2.6-7 years of age Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV-WISC-IV for ages 6-16-11

Slide 30:Psychological Assessments

3-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-WAIS-III for ages 16-11 on This intelligence test is the universal standard most often used by School Psychologists. This version of the Wechsler is standardized for children from age 6 to 16. The test is divided into two main sections. The Verbal Scale measures how well children are able to express themselves verbally and how well they are able to understand what is being said to them. The Performance Scale measures the nonverbal areas of being able to perceive spatial relationships, such as putting puzzles together and being able to transfer visual information rapidly.

Slide 31:Psychological Assessment

Using test interpretation, the three I.Q. scores and the specific pattern of strengths and weaknesses indicate how well the child is able to learn and whether there are any specific learning disabilities. This information is then used to predict at what academic level the child should be functioning. In this way, diagnoses of learning impairments are possible.�

Slide 32:Psychological Assessment

Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale This intelligence test is a standard tool of many school psychologists. This test has been fairly recently revised and now provides multiple I.Q. scores instead of a single I.Q. score, as before. In addition to being able to measure the verbal and nonverbal areas of a child's development, the Binet also provides a quantitative score, measuring the child's mathematical reasoning, and a memory score, measuring the child's short term memory.

Slide 33:Psychological Assessment

The materials in this test are very appealing to children. The child has little chance to become bored with this test since the activities are changed frequently. The test is somewhat cumbersome for the psychologist to administer. For that reason, many psychologists prefer the Wechsler scales.

Slide 34:Dynamic Assessment

Measuring Personality: Often the first step in understanding personality is to come up with tools that measure it. The tools used by psychologists tend to fall into two general categories:

Slide 35:Dynamic or Projective Tests

Objective tests are paper and pencil type tests that directly ask a person to answer various questions about their personality i.e. MMPI Projective tests examine personality in a much more indirect way by assessing a patients reaction to certain stimuli

Slide 36:Dynamic or Projective Tests

The Rorschach (or inkblot) test in which students are asked to describe what they see when presented with an ambiguous pattern of ink The Thematic Apperception Test: People are shown ambiguous pictures and are asked to construct a story about the events that lead up to the picture, including detailed discussion about what the characters in the story are doing and thinking. The notion is that the person will project themselves into the story and the things they tell you about the characters are really about themselves

Slide 37:Dynamic or Projective Tests

Figure drawings Sentence completion tests i.e. When I grow up I want to be a ____ When my father comes home I____ Friends are____

Slide 38:Symptoms that Might Indicate a Need for a Psychological Evaluation

High levels of tension and anxiety exhibited in behavior Aggressive behavior Lack of motivation or indications of low energy levels Patterns of denial Oppositional behavior

Slide 39:Psychological Symptoms

Despondency Inconsistent academic performance, ranging from very low to very high History of inappropriate judgment Lack of impulse control Extreme and consistent attention seeking behavior Pattern of provocative behavior

Slide 40:Educational Evaluation

Such an evaluation is frequently recommended when a child's academic skill levels (reading, math, writing, and spelling) are unknown or inconsistent and when his or her learning process shows gaps (e.g., memory and expression).

Slide 41:Educational Evaluation

This type of evaluation will: will determine strengths and weaknesses in the child�s academic and processing areas.

Slide 42:Educational Evaluation

Whatever achievement battery (a battery is a group of tests) the special educator chooses, it should be one that covers enough skill areas to make an adequate diagnosis of academic strengths and weaknesses.

Slide 43:Areas Covered in an Educational Evaluation

Reading Math Spelling Written Expression

Slide 44:Examples of Tests used in Educational Evaluations

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II (WIAT-II) Woodcock Johnson Achievement Battery Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT) Key Math Test Test of Written Spelling (TWS) Test of Written Language (TOWL)

Slide 45:Language Evaluations

This recommendation usually occurs when the child is experiencing significant delays in speech or language development, problems in articulation, or problems in receptive or expressive language.

Slide 46:Perceptual Evaluation

A perceptual evaluation is suggested when the team suspects discrepancies in the child�s ability to receive and process information. The evaluation may give us this information that is very useful when making practical recommendations to teachers about how to best-input information to assist the child's ability to learn.

Slide 47:Occupational Therapy Evaluation

The team may consider this evaluation when the child is exhibiting problems involving fine motor/upper body functions. Examples of these would include abnormal movement patterns, sensory problems (sensitive to sound, visual changes etc.), and hardship with daily living activities, organizational problems, attention span difficulties, equipment analysis, and interpersonal problems.

Slide 48:Other Evaluations

Psychiatric Evaluation Physical Therapy Evaluation Neurological Evaluation Audiological Evaluation Vocational Assessment

Slide 49:Non Standardized Forms of Assessment

Ecological assessment basically involves directly observing and assessing the child in the many environments in which he or she routinely operates.

Slide 50:Non Standardized Forms of Assessment

Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) is one type of direct evaluation. "Tests" of performance in this case come directly from the curriculum. For example, a child may be asked to read from his or her reading book for one minute. Information about the accuracy and the speed of reading can then be obtained and compared with other students in the class, building, or district. CBA is quick and offers specific information about how a student may differ from peers.

Slide 51:Non Standardized Forms of Assessment

Portfolio Assessment: Perhaps the most important type of assessment for the classroom teacher is the portfolio assessment. A portfolio is �a purposeful collection of student works that exhibits the student�s efforts, progress, and achievement in one or more areas. The collection must include student participation in selecting contents, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection.�

Slide 52:Follow �Up Child Study Team Meeting

Options Referral to the Committee on Special Education Development of the CSE Packet-Case Manager Meeting with the teacher/s

Slide 53:Reporting Test Results to Parents

Assigned members of the MDT will hold a follow-up meeting with the parent/s to discuss the results of the comprehensive assessment At that meeting they will also answer any questions on due process rights and inform the parent of the procedures of the CSE meeting that will be held

Slide 54:Reporting Test Results to Parents

Freedom of Information Act Copy of CSE Packet Parent Booklet from NY State Education dept.

Slide 55:Committee on Special Education (Also know as the IEP Committee, or Eligibility Committee)

This committee is usually made up of mandated members and assigned members whom the board of education deems necessary. Most states require that certain professionals and individuals be core members.

Slide 56:Committee on Special Education

These usually include: an administrator or director of pupil personnel services or director of special education school psychologist a medical doctor (does not need to be in attendance at every meeting but should be present anytime medical issues are involved i.e. health related classifications, issues involving medication etc.), and a parent of a disabled child residing within the district.

Slide 57:Committee on Special Education

Other professionals may be appointed such as a guidance counselor, social worker, nurse teacher, and so on. The child's teacher is usually required to attend the meeting but at the secondary level, where a child may have numerous teachers, the guidance counselor usually represents all the teachers� views and comments after consultation with the child's teachers.

Slide 58:Responsibilities of the CSE

1-Following appropriate procedures and taking appropriate action on any child referred as having a suspected disability. 2-Determining the suitable classification for a child with a suspected disability. The classifications from which the Eligibility Committee chooses are defined as follows:

Slide 59:Responsibilities of the CSE

3-Reviewing, at least annually, the status of each disabled child residing within the district. 4-Evaluating the adequacy of programs, services and facilities for the disabled children in the district.

Slide 60:Responsibilities of the CSE

5-Reviewing and evaluating all relevant information that may appear on each disabled student. 6-Maintaining ongoing communication in writing to parents in regards to planning, modifying, changing, reviewing, placing or evaluating the program, classification or educational plan for a disabled child

Slide 61:Responsibilities of the CSE

7-Advising the Board of Education as to the status and recommendations for all disabled children in the district. 8-Determining the least restrictive educational setting for any child having been classified as having a disability.

Slide 62:Annual Review

An annual review of a disabled child's classification and educational program by the CSE. The purpose of this review which includes the parent and sometimes the student, recommends the continuation, modification or termination of classification, placement or IEP needs and related services for the upcoming year.

Slide 63:Triennial Evaluation

A full and comprehensive reexamination of a disabled child held every three years. This reexamination may include educational, psychological, and medical or any evaluation deemed necessary by the CSE in order to determine the child's continuing eligibility for special education.

Slide 64:Aging Out

Aging out is the date upon which the disabled child will no longer be eligible for tuition free educational services.

Slide 65:Adaptive Physical education

specially designed physical education program for disabled children who cannot , as a result of their disability, benefit from the normal school program. This program is an individually designed program of games, sports, and developmental activities that are individually suited to the needs, interests, capabilities, and limitations of each disabled child.