Educational Planning for IDEA Disabilities

1. Educational Planning for IDEA Disabilities Lisa Bilton, Exceptional Education Coordinator Tanuel Ford, Speech/Language Pathologist Kimberly Mountjoy, Vision Teacher

2. Objectives • To present the most common 13 areas of disability recognized by the State of Tennessee. • To describe characteristics of these 13 disability categories. • To discuss the assessment strategies utilized in identifying eligibility for each. • To identify common areas impacting educational performance for each disability area.

3. Format for Discussion • Characteristics of the disabilities • Assessing for the Disabilities • Educational areas impacted by the Disabilities

4. Foundation: Assessment Basics

5. Primary Purpose of Assessment: Primary Purpose of Assessment is Two-Fold: • Determine the needs of a particular student • Identify instructional strategies and methods which will provide the most educational benefit

6. Other Purposes of Assessment • To identify the nature of the problem • To target skills or identify content areas • To determine progress or response to instruction • To determine whether related services are needed • To assist in determining which factors support student learning

7. IDEA Mandates for Assessment • Tests utilized must be free of bias and multi-factored. • Tests must be administered in the student’s native language. • Tests must be free of racial, cultural, or language discrimination. • Decisions relating to identification, placement, and programming must not be based solely on one test.

8. These tests are uniform in content, administration, and scoring. Norm-Referenced Criterion-Referenced Diagnostic Standardized Tests

9. Uses of Standardized Tests Standardized tests are useful in comparing results across students, classrooms, schools, school districts, and states. The key word is standardized . Everyone who takes the particular test takes it the same way with the same content—thus comparisons can be made.

10. Can be designed to measure a variety of variables Can be developed to match state standards Can help drive curricular decisions Can show which skills are lacking Allow following a student over time Provide information regarding whether knowledge is being applied Can show how a student is doing by comparing to a norm group Arguments for Standardized Testing

11. Can narrow a student’s learning Tend to focus on what is easily measured Do not always match state standards Are better at measuring rote learning than thinking skills Can be culturally biased Sometimes measure only what students know rather than what they understand Students with poor test-taking skills may not do as well as “savvy” testers Arguments Against Standardized Testing

12. Type of standardized test that compares a student’s performance to the performance of same-age students in a normative group—scoring is based on performance of normative group IQ Tests Academic Achievement Tests Behavioral Rating Scales Norm-Referenced Tests

13. Intelligence Tests • WISC-IV • Stanford-Binet-V • DAS-II • CAS • KABC-II • Leiter • Unit • Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive

14. Mean score of 100 Standard deviation of 15 Provides a general measure of overall cognitive functioning Another term used for cognitive functioning is “aptitude” Verbal Comprehension Perceptual Reasoning Working Memory Processing Speed WISC-IV

15. Mean score of 100 Standard deviation of 15 Provides an overall measure of cognitive functioning An overall measure of cognitive functioning Both Verbal and Nonverbal measures Fluid Reasoning Knowledge Quantitative Reasoning Working Memory Visual-Spatial Stanford-Binet-V

16. Nonverbal IQ Tests • Tests are given by pantomime—no verbal communication • Good for students with language disorders or hearing impairments • Provide an estimate of cognitive functioning

17. Mean score of 100 Standard deviation of 15 Norms for age and grade scores Provide a way to determine how a child is functioning in key academic areas Basic Reading Reading Comprehension Math Calculation Math Reasoning Written Expression WIAT-II WJ-TA-III Academic Testing

18. Ranges 69 and Below Extremely Low 70 – 79 Borderline 80 – 89 Low Average 90 – 109 Average 110 – 119 High Average 120 – 129 Superior 130 and Above Very Superior

19. Low Scores • Severe delays in cognitive processing • Severe delays in academic functioning • Severe delays in adaptive functioning • Usually result in certification of MR

20. Borderline Scores • Limited cognitive functioning • Slower to learn than peers • Global delays in processing and reasoning • May or may not have delayed adaptive functioning • These students most often “fall through the cracks”

21. Low Average • Slightly slower cognitive ability than average • Generally can do grade level work but require MUCH assistance • Will struggle in the class for C’s • Are often referred for LD but may not qualify

22. Average • Have the cognitive capacity to succeed in school • A and B students, depending on motivation • Most likely to qualify for LD if referred • Students in the 90’s may struggle for C’s

23. High Average to Very Superior • Students are considered “bright” by teachers • Often work more quickly than peers • A and B students, depending on motivation • May be seen as “Gifted” • Rarely are they referred for LD

24. Types of Assessment Used for Eligibility Determination • Cognitive • WISC-IV, SB-V, WJTCA-III • Achievement • WIAT-II, WJTA-III • Behavior • BASC-II, Connors-III, CARS-II, GARS-II, GADS • Speech • GFTA-2, PAT-3, AAPS-3

25. Types of Assessment Used for Eligibility Determination • Fluency • SSI-4 • Language CASL, CELF-4, TOLD-3, OWLS

26. IDEA Disabilities

27. Federal Disabilities Autism Deaf-Blindness Deafness Developmental Delay Emotional Disturbance Hearing Impairment Mental Retardation Multiple Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment Other Health Impairment Specific Learning Disability Speech/Language Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment State Disabilities Functional Delay Intellectually Gifted Approved Disabilities in TN Regulations

28. Autism Characteristics: • Developmental Disability • Significantly affects a child’s ability to communicate verbally and nonverbally • Difficulty relating to others and interacting in socially appropriate manner • Unusual/Inconsistent responses to sensory stimuli • Repetitive body movements, persistent or unusual preoccupations, and/or resistance to change

29. Note: • Autism is a wide spectrum that includes the following: • Asperger’s Disorder • Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS • Because of the wide range of the spectrum, children with autism will have varying levels of functioning.

30. Autism Assessment: • Cognitive Measure • Academic Achievement • Adaptive Measure • Social/Emotional Measure • i.e., CARS-II, GARS-II, or GADS • Speech/Language/Communication Assessment • Medical statement ruling out other disorders

31. Autism Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Social/Emotional • Social skills training, FBA/BIP, structured environment, controlled transitions • Academic • Remedial services, support in grade level classes, modifications to amount and type of work • Adaptive • Training in basic self-care areas • Language/Communication • Services to improve pragmatic, “social” language or training to communicate needs

32. Developmental Delay Characteristics: • Children ages 3 through 9 • Significant delays in one or more of the following areas: physical, cognitive, communication, social or emotional, or adaptive development • Initial eligibility for this category must be determined before the child’s 7th birthday

33. Developmental Delay Assessment: • Cognitive Measure • Adaptive Measure • Social/Emotional Measure • Speech/Language Measure • Both Receptive and Expressive • Motor Measure • Both Fine and Gross Motor

34. Developmental Delay Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Communication • Language goals, remedial services with SLP, vocabulary development • Adaptive • Training in basic self-care skills • Social/Emotional • Social skills training, FBA/BIP, structured environment, controlled transitions • Motor • PT and/or OT as related services • Academic (depending on the age of the child) • Remedial services, support in grade level classes, modifications to type and length of assignments

35. Emotional Disturbance Characteristics: • Inability to learn which cannot be explained by limited school experience, cultural differences, or intellectual, sensory, or health factors; • Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and school personnel; • Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings when no major or unusual stressors are evident; • General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; • Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. • Above must be present to a significant degree and over and extended period of time.

36. Note: • Term may include other mental health diagnoses. • Term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an Emotional Disturbance. • Social maladjustment includes, but is not limited to: • substance abuse related behaviors, • gang-related behaviors, • oppositional defiant behaviors, and/or • conduct behavior problems.

37. Emotional Disturbance Assessment: • Cognitive Measure • Achievement Measure • Behavioral/Personality Measures • BASC-II, Devereaux, Brown’s ADD scales, SAED, CDI • Specific Behavioral Data • Previous Interventions Attempted • Consideration of internal vs. external locus of control

38. Emotional Disturbance Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Social/Emotional • FBA/BIP, Safety Plan, Social Skills Training, counseling in severe cases, structured environment • Academic • Needs may be due to emotional issues that interfere with learning but will still need to be addressed on the IEP. Some may require remedial services while others may simply need supports in place in the general education classroom along with modifications.

39. Functional Delay Characteristics: • Significant disability in intellectual functioning and achievement • IQ scores of 70 or below • Academic achievement at or below 4th percentile in two or more areas • Adaptive/Self Help skills are generally age-appropriate • Scores on adaptive measures must be above 70

40. Functional Delay Assessment: • Cognitive Measure • Achievement Measure • Adaptive Measure

41. Functional Delay Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Academic • Remedial services, support in general education classroom, modifications of length and type of classwork assignments

42. Intellectual Disability (Formerly Mental Retardation) Characteristics: • Significantly impaired intellectual functioning • IQ of 70 or below • Deficits in adaptive/self help behavior • Adaptive scores 70 or below • Significant impairments in academic functioning • Students may show difficulty communicating and processing spoken language

43. Intellectual Disability Assessment: • Cognitive • Academic • Adaptive

44. Intellectual Disability Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Academic • Remedial services, support in general education classroom, modification of length and type of classwork • Adaptive • Training in self-care activities • Some may present with behavioral challenges similar to autism. FBA/BIP, safety plans, structured environment, controlled transitions

45. Intellectually Gifted Characteristics: • A child whose intellectual abilities and potential for achievement are so outstanding the general curriculum alone is inadequate to appropriately meet the student’s educational needs • Looks at three areas of performance: • Cognition • Educational Performance • Creativity/Characteristics of Gifted

46. Intellectually Gifted Assessment: • Cognitive • Achievement • Creativity

47. Intellectually Gifted Areas of Potential Educational Impact: • Academic • Pre-testing/compacting curriculum, advancement of courses, acceleration, small-group instruction with gifted peers, extending lessons in general education classroom, Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment, early college entry

48. Multiple Disabilities Characteristics: • More than one category of disabilities • Intellectual Disability-Deafness • Intellectual Disability-Orthopedic Impairment • Other Health Impaired-Orthopedic Impairment-Deafness • The combination of disabilities causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated by addressing only one of the impairments • Often students who are medically fragile • Some may be in wheelchairs • Many may have medical plans

49. Multiple Disabilities Assessment: Evaluation procedures for each disability category under consideration must be followed. Typically: • Cognitive • Achievement • Adaptive • Motor (OT/PT) • Medical Statement

50. Multiple Disabilities Areas of Potential Educational Impact: Can vary widely but usually: • Medical • Medical plan, health needs at school • Motor • Lifts, mobility issues, OT/PT • Academic • Remedial services, support in general ed classroom, modifications • Sensory • For students with deafness and visual impairments, may need support from vision and hearing specialists