Special Education Frequently Asked Questions
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Special Education Frequently Asked Questions |
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Dyslexia Educational....Evaluations Assistive Technology Occupational Therapy Response To Intervention
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Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
An individual with dyslexia has difficulty with written letters and words. Most commonly, a person with dyslexia has difficulty learning to read and spell words. They commonly add, omit, substitute, shift or repeat sounds in words (reading) or letters in words (spelling). These reading and spelling difficulties occur despite adequate teaching, home environment, motivation, intelligence, and sensory acuity (vision, hearing, and touch).
Dyslexia is a medical diagnosis, made by a qualified physician or psychologist. Schools commonly do not use the diagnostic medical term dyslexia. Rather, the equivalent term in an educational setting is a specific learning disability (SLD). A specific learning disability in reading generally means the same as dyslexia, difficulty with reading words. However, SLD's can also indicate other learning difficulties besides reading, such as a specific learning disability in mathematics or written expression (Dysgraphia). However, this educational term (SLD) is misleading, as rarely do children with an SLD diagnosis lack the ability to read. Rather, they are not being taught in the methods in which they are able to learn to become accurate and fluent readers. The good news is that 30 years of research clearly indicates that an individual's reading ability can be dramatically improved after proper instruction and methodology in these deficient reading skills!
What causes Dyslexia?
A single cause of dyslexia has not been universally identified. However, over 30 years of research indicates that one primary cause of dyslexia is poorly developed phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to judge the number, order, and sameness or difference of sounds in words. Phonological awareness typically develops well before children are taught letters. Phonological awareness first develops during learning to speak. It helps a child be able to hear a word and learn to repeat it correctly. Another example of early phonological awareness is the ability to rhyme words (which typically develops around 3 years of age). Thus, well before children are taught letters and their sounds (commonly called phonics instruction), the brain typically learns to hear, see and feel the differences between individual sounds and sounds put together in the form of words. Individuals with poorly developed phonological awareness (and ensuing difficulty with reading) have developmental dyslexia.
Developmental dyslexia, or a strong likelihood of developing dyslexia, is believed to result from an uncommon development of the brain before birth. This uncommon development of the brain results in a brain that is not well organized to learn the sound structure of the English language, e.g. the poor organization hinders the development of good phonological awareness. Again, phonological awareness develops before learning what sounds each alphabet letter or letters makes (phonics instruction). When letters are being taught in school, then most individuals with dyslexia will learn the specific sound for each letter or letters. However, when these sounds are put together to form a word, then the difficulty begins. To most individuals with dyslexia a word is like a solid chunk of sound. Thus, children and adults with dyslexia have great difficulty dividing a word into its individual sounds. Likewise, individuals with dyslexia typically have trouble sounding out new or unfamiliar words. This difficulty sounding out words puts individuals with dyslexia at a distinct disadvantage for developing fluent and accurate reading skills. However, dyslexia is not common only to English. Research on dyslexia has found it to exist in most any language that has graphic shapes (letters) that are associated with a sound or sounds of a language.
Is there a cure for dyslexia?
There is no cure for dyslexia. However, the primary cause of dyslexia, phonological awareness, can be greatly improved through very specific, frequent, and intense (more than an hour per day) instruction, using published programs that have been solidly proven to be effective in large scale research studies. Significant improvements in phonological awareness and its highest level of development (called comparator function) provide the foundation for greatly enhancing the reading skills of individuals with dyslexia. Well-designed research shows that children as young as 4 and 5 years of age can be reliably diagnosed as being likely to develop dyslexia (after reading instruction begins). Likewise, longitudinal research shows that early intervention (beginning in Kindergarten) can greatly reduce the reading difficulties of children at risk for dyslexia. In contrast, a significant amount of research shows that poor reading skills are unlikely to be a maturation problem, as rarely do poor reading skills greatly improve just because of age. Thus, parents who are told to "wait and see" if a child gets better at reading or falls further behind are being significantly misguided. The sooner proper intervention is started, the greater the benefit for the individual with a reading difficulty.
How prevalent is dyslexia?
It has been estimated that ten to thirty percent of the population may have poor phonological awareness skills. Likewise, this same range of individuals are believed to have mild to severe forms of dyslexia. Dyslexia is not reliably related to intelligence, race, or gender.
What are some of the signs that a child may have dyslexia?
A delay in learning to talk, difficulty learning the alphabet, trouble learning to rhyme words, problems dividing word into their separate sounds, speech errors occurring beyond typical age appropriateness that involve adding, substituting, shifting or omitting sounds in words, weak language comprehension, poor fine-motor skills, sloppy handwriting, and messy eating skills are all indicators of the potential for developing poor phonological awareness and dyslexia. Current research shows that children at the age of 4 and 5 years of age who show these early indicators of dyslexia should be properly tested right away, even prior to beginning reading instruction. Unfortunately, contrary to the results and recommendations of well-designed research studies, many schools and educators encourage parents to wait until nearly fourth grade before referring a child for a diagnostic assessment, if at all. Waiting until 2nd or 3rd grade puts the child at a large disadvantage, as by this point they will likely be significantly behind their peers in reading skills and now have a much larger gap between their abilities and that of their peers. The larger the gap between a child's reading skills and his/her peers' skills, the more intervention will be necessary to help the child reach their grade level and potential reading ability. Similarly, the longer one delays seeking proper diagnosis and treatment, the greater the risk that the individual will develop a poor self-esteem, behavior problems, and poor motivation towards school.
Will dyslexics ever learn to read?
With well-researched instructional programs (focused on developing phonological awareness and its application to reading, spelling and speech) and proper environmental supports, individuals with dyslexia can learn to read, and read very well. Research shows that reading skills can improve more than 4-5 grade levels for children with even moderate to severe dyslexia. Improvements in phonological awareness and reading skills can occur regardless of the age of the individual with dyslexia; yes, even adults with dyslexia can benefit from proper instruction. However, the older an individual is the greater the likelihood that his/her poor phonological awareness and reading skills have inhibited the development of other academic/language skills, such as vocabulary, grammatical writing skills, and oral speaking abilities. Nevertheless, following proper reading instruction and remediation of other deficient academic/language skills, not only is college an option for many individuals with developmental dyslexia, but also a larger range of employment opportunities are available, due to having better developed reading, writing, speech and comprehension skills
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Educational Evaluations
What happens if I do not consent to an evaluation?
If a parent does not consent to evaluations, the District cannot evaluate the child unless the school files an impartial hearing against the parent and a hearing officer orders the evaluations. At the impartial hearing, the school must (1) prove that the child needs an evaluation and (2) show that the school offered the child intervention services before requesting evaluations. If the school proves these things, the IHO may order evaluations without a parent’s consent.
Can I take back my consent after I have given it?
Yes. You have the right to end the evaluation process at any time by simply writing to the CSE. Once you choose to stop the evaluation process, your child’s case will often close automatically. The CSE does, however, have the option of requesting an impartial hearing and asking the hearing officer to order the evaluations without your consent.
Can I Just Ignore the CSE If I Decide I Don’t Want an Evaluation?
Ignoring the CSE will often cause problems in the future. While the CSE cannot evaluate your child without your written consent, sometimes if you ignore a request by the CSE they can make changes to your child’s IEP or placement without your consent. You should always respond to requests from the CSE and send all correspondence by certified mail return receipt requested, by fax (keep the receipt as proof), or by hand delivery (and make sure your copy is stamped received by a CSE / school official).
Can I Give an Outside or Private Evaluation to the CSE?
CSEs will usually accept a private (also called
independent
) evaluation in
place of CSE evaluations. While the CSE may conduct evaluations in addition to
your private evaluation, CSEs must consider all
information about the student.
What
Happens If I Want a Private Evaluation and Can’t Afford One or I am dissatisfied
with the CSE’s evaluation?
The law says that a parent can request that the district pay for a private evaluation if s/he is not satisfied with the evaluation conducted by the CSE (or the school). You should make your request in writing to the CSE chairperson and your child’s principal. Once you request the evaluation, the district must either request an impartial hearing or make sure that the independent evaluation is completed. If the district requests an impartial hearing, it must prove that its evaluation is appropriate. Often, a CSE will take no action when a parent makes a request. If this happens, you can request a hearing to force the CSE to comply with their obligation to pay for the evaluation(s).
In addition to asking the CSE to pay for the evaluation, you can also try to get evaluations by using insurance coverage -- most insurance companies, including Medicaid, often cover educational, psychological, and other evaluations as medical expenses.
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Assistive Technology
What is Assistive Technology?
Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of children with disabilities.- I.D.E.A.
A quandary that districts face is the delineation of educational vs. therapeutic therapies and assistance. There is a need for greater justification in I.E.P. goals to demonstrate the use of equipment or assistive technologies is being used not just for skill development but for educational needs. Equipment should assist greater independence and lessen dependence of a caregiver or further goals that are moving towards a less restrictive environment.
What is an Independent Assistive Technology Evaluation?
Independent Educational Assistive Technology Evaluations are created in accordance with I.D.E.A. regulations for Assistive Technology consideration which by law should appear in every Students I.E.P. All evaluations are made after direct assessment of a students abilities, a review of pertinent school records, parent interviews, teacher interviews with district staff including classroom teachers, related service staff, special needs educators. Evaluations from district and outside sources are reviewed which normally include educational, psychological, medical, and speech language and hearing reports, Specialized medical, clinical, and educational testing will also be used where available.
Evaluations are prepared based on the standards and ethics demands specified for RESNA for Assistive Technology Providers. Recommendations are independently crafted without undue influence from the school district or advocates for the student. The evaluator is not affiliated with any specific manufacturer or product and any item suggested in the report Ethical testing and evaluation standards for individuals examining students are also discussed at http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/outprint/nd13txt.htm
An independent evaluation is requested either from a C.S.E., or when an impasse has been reached on the evaluation. These evaluations are presented at a district C.S.E. The C.S.E. by consensus approve the recommendations.
Is Assistive Technology just AAC and is it all High Tech?
Assistive Technology is for more independent, productive and enjoyable living. It can be simple or complex. It can include Velcro, adapted clothing and toys, computers, seating systems, powered mobility, augmentative communication devices, special switches, assisted listening devices, visual aids, memory prosthetics, and thousands of other commercially available or adapted items. These technology solutions are designed to improve an individual's educational abilities to learn, communicate, work and interact. Assistive technology should help a student achieve greater independence and enhance the quality of their lives . Outside of school this might also include Environmental Control Devices or E.C.U.s. They may also be known by the mnemonic E.A.D.L. (Electronics for Assisted Daily Living)
What are the regulations school personnel should know about?
I.D.E.A., A.D.A., and specific knowledge of law cases, I.E.P. regulations, and 504 regulations are all vital “talking points” about which district C.S.E.s should be well versed. Knowing the specific regulations and training for teachers and those who are responsibility for teaching to assist I.E.P. goals is often a missing piece in a district or classroom planning.
These services include aids, services and other supports, and are to be made available in regular education classes and "other education-related settings" to enable children with disabilities to be educated with their nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. 20 U.S.C. § 1401(29). AT devices and services would be included in this definition. These supports are to be provided in other settings, in addition to the classroom, such as extracurricular activities. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.306. A student who needs an alternative communication system, for example, should be able to use that system in after school and other nonacademic functions. As noted above, any such use must be listed on the IEP. 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(iii).
Who pays for Assistive Technology?
AAC devices are considered to be "durable medical equipment" and generally are funded through private insurance or through Medicare. The process in obtaining an AAC device has many steps.
A school district or agency may purchase AAC for use by an individual but the device is the property of the school or agency, not the individual. This can be problematic if the individual moves out of the district or the agency service area.
All other equipment may be provided from home or outside sources, but if it is used in the educational setting, then it is the districts responsibility to provide any equipment that is listed in the students’ I.E.P. Part of a home school collaboration is the sharing of equipment and devices within the regulations.
Who Evaluates a student for Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology is not nice and neat and in most cases can not be taken care of by a single individual. A C.S.E. will often pay for an evaluation out of ignorance of the materials requested, for items that will cost less the evaluation itself. A P.T. can pick out a modified toilet with the C.S.E. will have no problem with that, yet if assistive technology is recommended they are hampered by a lack of familiarity with the particular components, or overwhelmed with anything beyond a basic computer. This often delays or hinders acquiring Assistive Technology often having it languish between staffings and annual reviews.
If an Assistive Technology Evaluation is to be done, it should be done right. A justification of need should be done with evaluation in various settings, with classroom and parental involvement. A battery of tools should be employed to look at the educational day of a student and determine where if any assistive technology should be integrated into a students personal curriculum.
This justification includes a profile of the potential user including vision, hearing, motor and cognitive abilities, present ability to communicate, communication situations he/she might regularly encounter, necessity of being able to communicate emergency information to a caregiver (medical necessity), and summaries of the user's ability in the interaction with each AAC device. In this part the clinician has to state why one device is more appropriate than the other. A complete list of equipment including the AAC device, amount of memory, batteries, carrying cases, A/C adapters, specialized software and other peripherals must be a part of the justification as well as a request for funds for repair and maintenance, usually 5% of the overall cost of the device per year.
SETT stands for Student, Environment, Tasks and Tools. Determining the students hopes, their dreams, their goals, their aspirations, their strengths, their abilities. Find out what is we asking that student to do in what environment? The classroom, the library, the cafeteria, the bus? Look at what tasks students to do in those places. Finally, after we know that student, the tasks we want them to do and the places we want them to do them, then we take a look at the solutions or the tools that will help that child do those things in those places. Those solutions can run the gamut of really fall into three groups of options, from no-technology options to low-technology options to high-technology options.
Assistive Technology evaluation is a cross discipline process. Often a team of professionals including an S.L.P., and O.T. a P.T., a reading specialist, as vision, Hard of Hearing , or Deaf Education professionals are needed to be part of this process.
An A.T.P. (assisted technology provider) can be a certified specialist in this
area. This is a national certification from the Rehabilitation Engineers
Society of North America (R.E.S.N.A.). There are excellent exemplar training
programs like the one offered from California State University at Northridge,
which help train generalists in aspects of this transdisciplinary approach to
learning.
A district technology coordinator is usually NOT the person who should do
an A.T. evaluation. They may be very helpful when it comes to getting
hardware and peripherals but few have any special education training or
knowledge, and most would not know a Cheap talk from a Liberator. You should
ask questions if you have a recommendation made by a person who is unqualified
to do assistive technology evaluations.
What is an A.T.P.?
An Assisted Technology Provider is certified through the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (R.E.S.N.A.) . In order to be considered as an A.T.P. a candidate must have extensive experience working with Assistive Technology in the field, had a course of study directly in assistive technology. Candidates are then eligible to sit for a national test of 200 questions demonstrating their knowledge and proficiency in areas of A.T.
There are 10 competencies an A.T.P. needs to demonstrate in order to be certified. (See RESNA.org for the complete list)
Does an Item need to be purchased for only one individual?
Missing from the federal requirements is the notion that assistive technology is for all students. On a broader scale, assistive technology, or any technology, is for all students. If you look at schools today, you see grand computer labs for students, and assistive technology should become a part of the total technology program and make the technology for students with disabilities a bit more personalized through the I.E.P. process. School districts and visionary principals should be looking at access for all instead of modifications for a few.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) draws upon and extends principles of universal design as used in architecture and product design. Architects practicing universal design create structures which accommodate the widest spectrum of users possible. In universally designed environments adaptability is subtle and integrated into the design. Designing for the divergent needs of special populations increases usability for everyone. The curb cut is a classic example. Although they were originally designed to help those in wheel chairs negotiate curbs, curb cuts ease travel for those pushing carriages, riding skateboards, pulling suitcases, or simply walking.
The central practical premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts. The "universal" in universal design does not imply one optimal solution for everyone. Rather, it reflects an awareness of the unique nature of each learner and the need to accommodate differences, creating learning experiences that suit the learner and maximize his or her ability to progress.
The C.A.S.T. program which is well known for the BOBBY web check program for accessible web sites, is a good resource on other types of modifications and techniques that a school can look at integrating into their system.
Who is Responsible for the Assistive Technology Device?
Assistive Technology in the schools is funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This special education program lists a variety of assessments and services that school systems must provide so students with disabilities may receive a "free and appropriate public education."
Section A, Part 300 of IDEA states that for Special Education
in a school district:
Assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child
with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive
technology device.
This includes:
· The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment;
· Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities;
· Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;
· Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs.
Can any Device or Equipment go home?
If an individual is school-age and has a disability, and if the AT service or tools are written into the IEP in such a way that they must be available in the home for the student to successfully complete homework, then the school district is responsible for providing the tools. The Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is the plan or outline of placement decisions, goods, and services to be provided to the student according to the annual determinations of a student's IEP team.
Part of the complete IEP is attachment of goals and objectives for each individual student. If the student needs Assistive Technology to successfully meet the goals and objectives, and if it is written in, then the student must have access to the same tools at home as he uses in school.
Equipment (hardware/software) written into IEPs should appear in the Special Equipment section of the IEP as well. It is only by having it written into the IEP that the school becomes responsible for ensuring that it is available to the student, it necessary, outside of the school.
If, however, the student has a disability that is identified and the student has an IEP, and if the IEP has Assistive Technology equipment or services written as part of the educational plan, this service must be provided. According to IDEA, it can be provided in the public school setting or at a neutral site to which the student with the disability must travel.
Is a school district responsible for providing AT in the home if a child is home tutored?
Home tutoring is described as an employee of the school district entering the home of a student for a prescribed length of time weekly or daily to work directly with the student who requires such service.
If the student has a disability that is identified and the student has an IEP, and if the IEP has Assistive Technology equipment or services written as part of the educational plan, the technology and services must be provided, but it does not have to be provided within the home. According to IDEA, it can be provided in the public school setting or at a neutral site to which the student with the disability must travel.
Is a school district responsible for providing AT in the home if a child is home schooled? (IDEA)
If the student has a disability that is identified and the student has an IEP, and if the IEP has Assistive Technology equipment or services written as part of the educational plan, it must be provided, however, it does not have to be provided within the home. According to IDEA, it can be provided in the local public school setting or at a neutral site to which the student with the disability must travel.
Who needs to be trained to use any Assistive Technology?
Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability or, if appropriate, that child's family; and training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child. It includes everything from evaluation through coordination of the assistive technology services with all the other services that the student receives.
Training for the child and professionals is very important. Without that training, that technology goes unused and stays in the closet. As assistive technologies are being considered for all students, consideration of how that technology is going to be implemented in the classroom, who is responsible for that hardware and software, and how to support people to implement that technology are needed.
When is Assistive Technology Appropriate? When is it Necessary?
Assistive Technology is appropriate any time a student needs help or needs the ability to concentrate and be more efficient on their work then it could qualify as being appropriate to meet their needs. If they are a special needs student in order for it to be acceptable, then it needs to be in their I.E.P. with verifiable ease of access and classroom coordination. If not and the district C.S.E. is unwilling to consider this, then it needs to be appealed. Additionally needed equipment must be in working order, and needs to be should be documented by a comprehensive A.T. evaluation done in the student’s regular learning environment.
It becomes a necessary item for consideration when the student can benefit from the use of technology. Just having the computer in the room does not make it accessible, usable, or appropriate. This does not count if they are asked to settle for a broken computer in the corner of the room. This does not mean that they may need to have their own computer or a laptop. A basic system used properly and possibly with some small modifications can be sufficient to meet a student's needs.
Computers can help level the playing field
It becomes an assistive technology issue when a level of transparency can not easily be met because of logistics. Examples would be a high school student moving between rooms where each room would need modifications. Practicality issues should also be addressed, such as Is the student y are trying to use the computer facing the back of the room to take classroom notes, or they have to go down to the library to print anything). In these cases the best solution often is having the student be as independent of the system, often by the use of a portable device, often a laptop computer.
Districts are not always ready to jump to the laptop level (because then everyone will want one), and staff will not know how to use them. A step I usually take is to ask for training for staff, set up benchmarks for using the existing computer system, with a follow up C.S.E. or at least a staffing to demonstrate why the current system is or is not working well (and then get the laptop). A district might also consider a lower technology device before going to a laptop level. There are systems like the alphasmart that are keyboards with little monitors that use infrared to send work to the printer or to a word processing program. They have their merits but a laptop or tablet can be used for many more and things (they have started to add Internet and little work applications to the systems), but a computer that goes back and forth to and from school is far more appropriate.
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Occupational Therapy
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a health profession in which the therapists are trained to improve a person's occupational performance. A pediatric occupational therapist work with the child and family to improve a child's play, education, or self-care skills such as feeding and dressing. An occupational therapist evaluates the child's fine motor, sensory integration, visual perceptual and self-care care skills as well as range of motion, muscle tone, motor planning, functional communication and social adaptation. If the child and family would benefit from occupational therapy, the occupational therapist will recommend treatment and will utilize his or her knowledge in sensory integration, anatomy, neurology, kinesiology, child development, medical diagnosis and current research to improve the child's occupational performance. The therapy sessions are generally fun for the child and a variety of activities may be adapted to address your child's needs
What is an occupational therapy evaluation?
An occupational therapy program is designed after a complete evaluation. Many tools are used for the evaluation. Some are standardized (scored on a statistical standard) and some are criterion referenced (performances are judged on an average performance scale for a specific age group). Another form is clinical observations: the OTR's look at the style and form with which the child does specific tasks
What does an occupational therapy evaluation assess?
An occupational therapy evaluation assesses through standardized tests and clinical evaluations the following:
How does the school district decide what services my child gets?
Remember: everything derives from the I.E.P. If you feel your child may need Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy to meet the goals described in the I.E.P., then the district must provide that therapy. If you think your child is in need of Occupational Therapy, request a CSE meeting, and at that meeting, request an OT evaluation, at district expense.
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Response To Intervention
RtI stands for Response to Intervention. A Response to Intervention program is one that provides direct, intense intervention to the student prior to assessment for determination of special education eligibility. The idea that underscores RtI is that if a student responds to the intervention, it is likely the student does not have a disability. If the student does not respond, then a team may determine that the student is eligible for special education services. In other words, RtI programs are a better way of determining which students are not performing at grade level due to a lack of instruction and which students require special education services due to a disability.
The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 gives local education agencies the option to provide RtI as a type of Early Intervening Service. RtI offers an alternative to the well-established discrepancy model (difference between the IQ score and an achievement score) which determines eligibility for special education services. An RtI program must be based on solid scientific research.
All of the Tiers precede a determination of eligibility for special education services.
RtI is a regular education service and belongs in Tier III. Special educators, speech-language pathologists, and reading specialists who implement an RtI program provide both instruction and intervention for students without identified disabilities.
IDEA 2004 allows up to 15% of the funds for special education to be spent on prevention/intervention activities or Early Intervening Services.
A central principle of a response to intervention (RTI) approach is that it is not one particular person's responsibility – not a general educator, nor a special educator, but every educator's responsibility. This is especially true when it first becomes evident that a student may need support – it may be a parent or a teacher or a specialist or an administrator who first notices the need. It may come from informal observation or results on a class-wide screening measure or examples of student work. Whoever the person is who first notices the need, carries the responsibility of either beginning the process of considering what supports might be needed, or conferring with others to do so. Communication is obviously another important component of this approach, as well as agreed-upon protocols for how to initiate the process. That being said it is most often the child's classroom teacher who initiates the process.
Each district has policies and procedures regarding plans in the area of literacy – when they start, how they're documented, etc. Those procedures should be followed. However, they may not pertain to the early stages when a student has just begun to demonstrate need - documentation is also needed during this phase, but it need not necessarily be extensive or formal. Anecdotal records of changes made, differentiation provided, interventions tried – along with their results – should be maintained. These are useful later on should more extensive interventions and more formal procedures be needed. In areas other than literacy, district policies should be followed if they exist – otherwise, development of interventions and documentation should be patterned on those used for literacy.
Roles of people already in the school tend to change in the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach, giving them more time to provide support to the classroom teacher and, if appropriate, directly to the student(s). People such as speech-language pathologists, psychologists, reading specialists, special educators, counselors, etc., as well as other teachers, Support Team members, administrators, volunteers, paraprofessionals may all provide assistance and support. The teacher should remain the center of the efforts. The role of support people is to help the teacher analyze data, design and/or carry out interventions, maintain documentation, check for progress, etc. Because the aim is to improve instruction and interventions within general education, support is not considered to be "special education" even though it's provided by special education staff.
Schools should have policies and procedures that make it easy for a teacher to request support from the appropriate staff.
First, the role of a school's Child Study Team (CST) depends on what type of function it has customarily carried out, and schools vary widely in this regard. In some schools they have long been a genuine opportunity for teachers to come together as colleagues to brainstorm strategies to support student learning – and teams like this have a valuable role to play in the problem-solving approach. In other schools, CSTs have only served to pass through referrals for special education evaluation. And in others, they really don't exist at all.
Who gathers and pulls together all the pre-referral documentation for the team reviewing a special education referral?
When a teacher and other school staff have been providing and documenting interventions and progress monitoring for a student for some time, the process itself calls for a continuous gathering, analyzing and summarizing of data. There should be little additional "gathering" needed for a team to consider a referral and determine whether there is a suspicion of disability. Support systems of schools vary, and so may the mechanism and the personnel responsible for bringing a student's information to a referral meeting.
This program is going to require more people to work in the classrooms – are there grants or anything to help pay for that?
Schools using this approach have all found that the roles that various professionals play change from what they have traditionally been. There is more time for specialists of various kinds to work with general education teachers and students in supporting interventions and progress monitoring.
Paraprofessionals across the state have been receiving professional development that enables them to assist with various aspects of this process under the supervision of general and/or special education teachers.
Federal law allows for up to 15% of special education funds to be used in supporting students in general education as part of early intervening services.
During this time of changing roles it is important for staff members to document how they spend their time, so appropriate changes can be made to future job descriptions.
It is important for schools to share their processes and successes with the public and with their school committees, making clear that without sufficient support for classroom teachers, this plan to support student proficiency cannot be fully successful.
Schools need to "do this" – "ready or not." It is obviously more difficult to do if high-quality comprehensive literacy and math curricula are not in place, if teachers are not well-prepared to implement them, or if staff in the school are not working collaboratively and flexibly in providing support in general education classrooms. Teachers and support staff need to request support and assistance where it is lacking. For example, in a school in which the only additional support for students in the area of reading is a Reading Recovery program, staff needing assistance with planning interventions for students not in that program should ask the school or district reading staff to provide it. General education carries the responsibility of providing evidence that a student has had not only appropriate instruction in reading and math, but also interventions and progress monitoring tailored to the student's needs and implemented with fidelity.
Can subtests of psychological or educational tests be administered prior to a referral to gather specific information? For example: if the psychologist wanted to get a handle on a student's memory?
What needs to be remembered, first, is that everything BEFORE referral is to be focused on determining the most effective instructional approaches to help the child learn. The key way of looking at it would be, "what do we need to know in order to shape his instructional experience so he learns most efficiently?"
Would test results tell one how to change his instruction? Any better than trying different instructional interventions would? Through interventions and progress monitoring one can discover a great deal about memory, in an authentic context, that would be sufficient information at least for the time being. If MUCH faster progress is made when relying on memory strategies than multisensory instruction, e.g., you'd know that multisensory instruction by it's self is not enough, and you need to also include memory strategy instruction.
Yes, down the line, IF the current progress being sought isn't sufficient, THEN, IF there's suspicion of a disability, one might want to do some further exploration, through informal or formal means. I think a good question would be, both before referral and when deciding if further "evaluations" are needed, "what do we need to know about his memory skills - how helpful they are to him as he learns new things, compared to other ways of learning ... or do we need to know how his skills compare to a nationally-normed sample of kids his age?"
When are districts required to use the new RTI approach and forms for identifying students with learning disabilities? With the changes in federal law and regulations comes the new requirement that states issue policies on learning disability identification and that districts follow those policies. This period of preparation allows districts to try out the new approaches,
How do you decide what's good evidence-based instruction?
Start with the documentation provided by school staff of the instruction, interventions and data on the student's progress to date. Ask for information on how the various approaches and strategies were selected, and their relationship to district guidance and scientifically-based practice. This is easier to do if the district has developed easily referenced documentation of curriculum by subject and grade-level expectations.
Staff will have an easier time discussing fidelity and effectiveness of instruction in team meetings if they do so as a regular part of grade-level meetings and professional development work.
Local norms are the most appropriate comparison group – at school or, better, district level. If these are not yet available, national norms are available via a variety of web-based tools. At least one of these – AIMSweb – compiles local norms over time as more and more local student information is entered and eventually provides the choice to use them instead of the national norms.
There are a number of national CBM tools available, ie: AIMSweb, DIBELS, PALS and the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring.
And yes, students may be considered "learning disabled" in one community and not in another – just as has been the case for many years. What is more important, using the response to intervention approach contributes to greater quantities of useful information passing between districts to help support the student's continuous learning – in general and/or special education.
What about when you get a prescription slip from a doctor for testing a child?
As usual, it must be considered by a team … and the team must still answer the questions for suspicion of a disability. If sufficient evidence is not available of the student's rate of learning, gaps in performance and/or intensity of instruction needed for the child to progress, the team should not accept a referral for evaluation.
If certain physicians or other sources are "prescribing" testing or an IEP, district personnel should contact them and offer information and professional development on policies and procedures the district must follow in making these decisions. An invitation to meet with the superintendent, director of curriculum and director of special education on the issue has been found to be effective in changing such inappropriate "prescriptions."
Isn't it controversial to be documenting "adequate instruction"?
"Adequate instruction" starts at the district level with policies, procedures and materials for high-quality, comprehensive curriculum, instruction and assessment. It continues at the school level, with discussions of assessment results and planning for helping students improve. Use of an evidence-based problem-solving approach at these levels helps insure that classroom teachers have what they need to support student learning.
So it's not always a question of a colleague's practice, but of what is provided by the system, including effective professional development opportunities.
Discussion of a student's progress – and everything that went into achieving current levels – should not reach team level without teachers knowing what questions the team will be asking. Teachers are more likely to be able to document effective instruction if they've had clear direction and support on doing that, and know what they'll be asked to present as the circle of support expands to include more people – perhaps eventually including an Evaluation Team.
Almost all people, as soon as they understand that children needing help with learning get support RIGHT AWAY, respond positively to this approach. They say, quite frequently - "This makes sense." People are quite accustomed to the old "wait to fail" system – which requires watching students slip further and further behind – and are willing to make changes to accommodate to this new approach. So the best advice is to focus on that aspect of the process, and then try to provide the supports the person needs to be able to adapt to it.
In this process, it is not necessary to obtain a "precise" ability level. By the time a team is discussing whether a student may have a disability, a great deal of functional information has already been gathered. The team knows a lot about how the student learns, and about his/her strengths and needs. It is sufficient for the team to consider this information, and determine if there is any question about the student's ability level that would impact the decision on disability. That is, does anyone suspect, given the student's profile, that s/he may have a particularly high or low ability level? If not, further assessment is not necessary. If there is such a suspicion, the team might decide that more information is needed to answer this question, and a traditional ability measure (or a portion of one) might be used to provide it.
An article by Kovaleski helps explain this and other concepts related to a response to intervention process.
When do we need to bring parents into the RTI process?
The sooner the better. The first conversations regarding concerns about student performance should be with the student's family. The Expanding Circle of Support is conceived as having the teacher, the student and the parent always at the center of the efforts. The more the families can be involved in the discussions and the interventions, the better the prospects for steady progress.
As discussed above parent involvement from the beginning is recommended. During the instructional intervention and progress monitoring process parent permission is not required. This is because the assessments are focusing on improving instruction, not on determination of a disability. If the child is referred for special education evaluation parent permission is required as part of the usual procedural safeguards.
Most parents commenting on this approach are quite pleased at the prospect of children getting "help" much sooner than in the current system. Data and graphs are concrete representations that are very helpful for sharing periodic student progress. Schools that have been using the approach for a few years report fewer challenges from families than they expected – as long as help is incorporated into the process families have rarely pushed for "referrals" or "testing."
Going Beyond Literacy and Learning Disabilities
Is there a similar system we can apply to mathematics or behavioral issues?
Yes … the same one! It works the same way for any subject, skill or performance area, at any age (including adults). What is the target performance/behavior? What intervention might be most successful? Who will carry it out? When? Where? How will progress be measured? When? By whom? What do the data tell us? Do we need another intervention to reach the target?
Will this process change the format of IEPs?
As teams develop IEPS, evidence from a response to intervention process is likely to provide greater clarity, more specific data, and increased focus for developing strengths and needs, writing measurable present levels of educational performance and annual goals, and measuring progress toward goals.
How does this apply at secondary level?
As mentioned elsewhere, the process of assessment, intervention and progress monitoring is applicable at any age and in any subject area. Learning issues emerging for the first time for a student at the secondary level are more likely to be related to study skills, focus, motivation, etc., than to a difficulty in reading or math, for example. The intervention process can be used to address such concerns within general education. For students who already have IEPs, the process should be used to ensure focus on the student's specific learning issues, appropriate interventions, frequent assessment, and ongoing modification of instruction and interventions. The evidence gleaned provides a critical foundation for annual IEP and reevaluation meetings. The process is also well suited to providing appropriate interventions for students who are learning beyond the general curriculum, for example students who need additional challenge, higher-level thinking skills, etc.
Many students come into primary school from preschool special education, how does this process relate to making the decision on disability at age six?
The response to intervention approach used with young children provides a rich bank of information on a student's performance rate and gaps, and the intensity of supports needed for the student to progress. In addition to ensuring that the student continues to progress in the preschool curriculum, this evidence can help smooth the transition from pre-school to kindergarten, can help the team make the decision later as to whether the student with developmental delay continues to be a student with a disability, and helps with planning whether or not the student continues to require special education services.
As described above, this approach is useful with students of any age. A current research project on indicators of progress for pre-school children being done by the Universities of Minnesota and Oregon, et al, may be of interest.
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