Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD

1. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Cindy Millikin, Supervisor, SLP Consultant CDE Fran Herbert, Principal Consultant, CDE Metro Symposium 2-4-12

2. SLD: Review of Eligibility Criteria & Determinations Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 2

3. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Caution should be taken not to delay a referral for special education evaluation beyond the point when the team should be suspecting a disability. RtI problem-solving and the provision of interventions do not replace the right of a child with a disability to be identified as such and to receive special education and related services. - adapted from Colorado Guidelines for Identifying Students with SLD (2008), p. 40 An OSEP Memo to State Directors of Special Education dated 1/21/11 reiterates that an RtI process cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation for eligibility under IDEA. Important not to delay referral for second language learners when SLD is suspected. ELL 3

4. State/Federal Definition of SLD “Specific learning disability (SLD) means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations……….” Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 4

5. The following eligibility criteria must be met: The child does not achieve adequatelyfor the child’s age or to meet State-approved grade-level standards …when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child’s age or state-approved grade-level standards… and The child does not make sufficient progressto meet age or state approved grade-level standards … when using a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Specific Learning Disability 5

6. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD As determined by a body of evidence demonstrating… • Academic skill deficit(s); and • Insufficient progress in response to scientific, research-based intervention 6

7. The SLD eligibility criteria must be met in one or more of the following areas… Oral expression Listening comprehension Basic reading skills Reading fluency Reading comprehension Written language Basic mathematical skills Mathematical reasoning * Specified in federal law as “areas” of SLD since 1975 Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD } Not new to federal law*, but added in Colorado ECEA Rules (2008) to align with federal law (IDEA ’04) 7

8. The learning problems in the area(s) identified are not primarily due to… Visual, Hearing or Motor Disability; Intellectual Disability (assess Adaptive Behavior first – a child found to be within normal limits would not be special education eligible within this category) Serious Emotional Disability (Data from observation and checklists) Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Consideration of “Exclusionary Factors” 8

9. The learning problems in the area(s) identified are not primarily due to… Cultural Factors (Local, disaggregated norms for AYP); Environmental or Economic Disadvantage (AYP for low SES); or Limited English Proficiency (AYP data for LEP) – see pages 59-61 in Guidelines Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Consideration of “Exclusionary Factors” (cont.) 9

10. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Consideration of “Exclusionary Factors” (cont.) References to “AYP” in the previous slide… A school system should be cognizant of the Adequate Yearly Progress data for all disaggregated groups. If most students within a school setting who are of a particular ethnic group, low SES, or at a similar level of English language acquisition are achieving poorly, it might be inappropriate to label an individual student from one of these groups as having a disability based on similar poor performance. The system should be striving to provide (universal/core) instruction in such a way as to improve the achievement of all students. 10

11. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Consideration of “Exclusionary Factors” (cont.) The determination that an individual student’s difficulties are not “primarily due to” one of these specified factors must be carefully weighed by eligibility team. One or more of these factors may certainly be relevant to a individual child whose difficulties may appropriately be determined to be the result of a Specific Learning Disability. Even though these factors are commonly referred to as “exclusionary,” they can co-exist with an identified SLD disability. 11

12. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Findings of disability/eligibility are not due to… • lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including in the essential components of reading instruction (as defined in section 1208(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965); • lack of appropriate instruction in math; or • limited English proficiency. Applicable to consideration of any disability! 12

13. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD SLD: Evaluation & Body of Evidence 13

14. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Key Question: What is a “Full and Individual” Evaluation that includes the required “Body of Evidence?” Full and Individual Evaluation… • More focused than when conducted a “comprehensive evaluation” (e.g., same battery of assessments for all referred) • Student assessed in all areas related to suspected disability • Must be “sufficiently comprehensive” to identify all child’s special education needs (whether or not commonly linked to primary disability) 14

15. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Evaluation In conducting an evaluation, the public agency must— • Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information… • Not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability and for determining an appropriate educational program for the child… -34CFR §300.304(b) 15

16. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Building a Body of Evidence: A “variety of assessment tools and strategies” (during RtI & evaluation) may include… • Interviews (classroom, family) • Observations in relevant settings (classroom) • Analysis of work samples • Performance of informal tasks • Curriculum Based Measurements and/or • Other progress monitoring strategies (Required at some point for SLD determination) 16

17. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Building a Body of Evidence: A “variety of assessment tools and strategies” (during RtI & evaluation) may include… • Results from state and district assessments • Functional Behavior Assessment • Behavior Rating Scales • Vocational assessments • Norm-referenced assessment (focused, not full battery for every child referred) (Required at some point for SLD determination) 17

18. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Body of Evidence (Converging Data) SLD identification should be based on a convergence of datagathered throughout the RtI/problem-solving process as well as any further assessment data gathered as part of the evaluation for special education. Specifically, Colorado Rules require “a body of evidence demonstrating: academic skill deficit(s); and insufficient progress in response to scientific, research-based intervention” to determine that these two key criteria for SLD have been met. ELL 18

19. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Assessment Purposes/Types: • Universal Screening/Benchmarking (at grade level) • Brief assessments of key skills • Comparison to established benchmarks • Identification of students at-risk • Progress Monitoring (typically at instructional level) • Frequent measures of skill attainment • Measurements are sensitive to incremental growth • Provides evidence of sufficiency of growth (e.g., evidence of “insufficient progress in response to scientific, research-based intervention”) • Diagnostic/Prescriptive Assessment • Focused to identify specific skills needing improvement (within area of concern) • Typically norm-referenced & individually administered • Informs specific instruction or intervention for an individual student • Adds to evidence of performance level (e.g., evidence of “academic skill deficit” for eligibility determination) 19

20. Specific Learning Disability (SLD) v Speech or Language Impairment (SLI) Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Considerations in Determining Disability... 20

21. Speech or Language Impairment (SLI) Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Considerations in Determining Disability... 21

22. Speech or Language Impairment “A child with a speech or language impairment shall have a communicative disorder which prevents the child from receiving reasonable educational benefit from regular education.” Colorado ECEA Rules [section 2.08(7)] Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 22

23. Criteria for a speech or language impairment … shall include: Interference with oral and/or written communication in academic and social interactions in his/her primary language. Demonstration of undesirable or inappropriate behavior as a result of limited communication skills. The inability to communicate without the use of assistive, augmentative/alternative communication devices or systems. - Colorado ECEA Rules [2.08(7)(b)] Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 23

24. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Speech or Language Impairment • Speech or Language Impairment • Deficit disability • Determined by an assessment process that compares a child’s performance to a representative normative sample of children of the same age and demographic characteristics • Performance is significantly discrepant from age-related peers – language impaired 24

25. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Areas of Significant Overlap Between SLD and SLI • Oral Expression / Expressive Language • Listening Comprehension / Receptive Language • Pre-Literacy/Early Literacy Skills 25

26. LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION Skilled Reading- fluent coordination of word reading and comprehension processes BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGE STRUCTURES VERBAL REASONING LITERACY KNOWLEDGE SKILLED READING: fluent execution and coordination of word recognition and text comprehension. increasingly strategic WORD RECOGNITION PHON. AWARENESS DECODING (and SPELLING) SIGHT RECOGNITION increasingly automatic The Many Strands that are Woven into Skilled Reading (Scarborough, 2001) Reading is a multifaceted skill, gradually acquired over years of instruction and practice.

27. The woven skills of language and reading Relationship of Specific Learning Disabilities and Speech or Language Impairments (specifically, Language Impairments) Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Strategies for the Root Cause Analysis of Reading Problems 27

28. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Oral Expression 28

29. What is Oral Expression? Oral expression is the ability to convey wants, needs, thoughts, and ideas meaningfully using appropriate syntactic, pragmatic, semantic, and phonological language structures. Oral expression should NOT be confused with reading aloud or reading fluently. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 29

30. Students are asked to… share stories or retell and answer questions over stories read to them to demonstrate comprehension predict or make inferences express their opinions tell what story is about (main idea) in sequence (beginning, middle, end) Summarize what they’ve read Question as they read Clarify as they read Revisit predictions as they read Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Examples of Oral Expression in the Classroom 30

31. Oral Language: Importance to Learning Oral language provides the foundation for literacy development which leads to success in reading and writing. Both comprehension and expression are essential to academic achievement in all content areas. Communication skills are critical for overall success in school. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 31

32. Developmental sequence – for both first and second language acquisition As knowledge and experiential base expands, language becomes more cognitively and academically complex; decontextualized Acquisition influenced by: culture, environment, experience, exposure, instruction, and active communication Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD ELL Oral Language: Language Acquisition for L1 and L2 32

33. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD ListeningComprehension 33

34. Listening Comprehension… “Listening comprehension refers to the understanding of the implications and explicit meanings of words and sentences of spoken language.” CDE Guidelines for Identifying Students with Specific Learning Disabilities Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 34

35. Listening Comprehension Skills Comprehension – understanding semantics, grammar, syntax and pragmatic considerations Making connections to prior learning Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 35

36. Language Components of both Oral Expression and Listening Comprehension: Syntax – word order; sentence structure Grammar – the rules of language Morphology – the smallest units of meaning in words Pragmatics/social language – making language choices based on social contexts; speaking/writing for specific audiences Semantics – knowledge of vocabulary; meaning-based language Phonology – understanding the sound rules of our language and use of sounds to encode the meaning of language Metalinguistics – the conscious consideration of language through use of language; meta-skills are CRUCIAL to reading Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 36

37. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Impact of Language Impairments • Impact on meeting the grade level standards • Two areas of SLD specific to language, itself – although a language impairment will impact all areas of literacy • Oral Expression • Listening Comprehension • Other areas of SLD will also be impacted by a language impairment • Reading – basic reading skills, reading comprehension, written language, and to some extent, reading fluency • Written language 37

38. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Interventions • Any interventions for oral expression or listening comprehension should be anchored in curriculum • Measures of improvement should be linked to academic progress monitoring 38

39. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Language and Literacy Speech/Language Areas Literacy Areas Semantics Syntax Morphology Pragmatics Orthographic Graphophonemic Graphemic Text Type, Genre, and Text Structure • Semantics/Vocabulary • Syntax • Morphology • Pragmatics • Grammar • Phonology/Articulation • Metalinguistics • Fluency • Voice Kucer, S.B. (2005). Dimensions of literacy: A conceptual base for teaching reading and writing in school settings. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 39

40. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD General Considerations When Selecting Interventions: • Research/evidence-based • Targeted to student needs • Sensitive to cultural differences • Level of acculturation and stage/level of English language acquisition • CELP – Colorado English Language Proficiency Standards (WIDA) ELL 40

41. Narrative Skills Sequencing activities such as arranging picture cards to illustrate a story and then providing the language of the story Re-tell Summarize Create narratives with explicit scaffolding provided if needed for beginning, middle, and end Learn the language and vocabulary of story grammars Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD 41

42. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD SLD/SLI: Considerations in Determining Disability 42

43. Is there a sufficient body of evidence in all areas of suspected disability to make a determination decision? Are the eligibility criteria for ANY categorical disability met? Continued eligibility may NOT be warranted – a child may no longer meet the criteria for any of the disability categories. There is some overlap between SDI and SLD -- both address language skills that impact academic achievement. Assuming eligibility criteria being met, it would typically be more appropriate to identify a young child as SLI since formal academic instruction, especially in reading, has not yet occurred. Ultimately, the multidisciplinary eligibility team, including the parent, will examine the body of evidence and make any determination of disability. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Considerations in determining disability… 43

44. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Most importantly…. Consider the continuum of instruction, intervention and support that effective implementation of a tiered system of support provides through Recognition & Response or RtI. Consider what each of our roles are for ensuring that each child’s learning needs are being met in preschool, kindergarten and beyond – and that the student meets the standards. Consider how communication and information sharing can be continually improved upon for optimal educational benefit for all children. 44

45. May include… previous referrals, evaluations, special education history health/social histories observation of area(s) of difficulty in learning environment classroom-based assessment data Targeted instruction/intervention provided that has been effective progress monitoring data (e.g., curriculum-based measures) school records, schools attended and attendance history prescriptive/diagnostic, standardized and/or norm-referenced assessments ELA assessments and information, including stage/levels of language acquisition primary language/home language survey assessment of acculturation Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Critical Sharing of Information ELL 45

46. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD CLD: (Cultural and/or Linguistic Diversity) & SLD 46

47. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Key Question: What are the unique considerations and procedures when referring, evaluating and identifying a student who is culturally and/or linguistically diverse? 47

48. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD “Exclusionary Factors” Specificlearningdisability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of: visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; significant limited intellectual capacity; significant identifiable emotional disability; cultural factors; environmental or economic disadvantage; or limited English proficiency. [2.08(6)(a)(i) of Colorado ECEA Rules; consistent with federal regulations] 48

49. Adapted from WIDA Consortium Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD Student Profile Family History 49

50. Relationships Among SLD, SLI, and CLD How do cultural influences, such as values, social interaction patterns, expectations and behaviors, experiences and linguistic patterns affect classroom expectations and performance? 50