Special Education Process Part I-Identification of a Suspected Disability National Association of Special Education Teachers

Special Education Special Education Process Part I-Process Part I-

Identification of a Identification of a Suspected DisabilitySuspected Disability

National Association of National Association of Special Education Special Education

TeachersTeachers

Sources of ReferralsSources of Referrals

Every staff member within a Every staff member within a school should be trained to identify school should be trained to identify certain behaviors in children that certain behaviors in children that may indicate a more serious may indicate a more serious problem. When such behaviors problem. When such behaviors begin to seriously interfere in the begin to seriously interfere in the child’s ability to function in school child’s ability to function in school the term that we use to indicate the term that we use to indicate such a child is “high risk.” such a child is “high risk.”

The referral of a potential high The referral of a potential high risk student can come from a risk student can come from a variety of sources. These may variety of sources. These may

include: include: The child’s classroom teacherThe child’s classroom teacherThe special education teacher The special education teacher

who identifies a potential who identifies a potential problemproblem

The child’s special teachers e.g. The child’s special teachers e.g. art, music etc.art, music etc.

The child’s parent/sThe child’s parent/sThe school’s support staff i.e. The school’s support staff i.e.

psychologist, speech and psychologist, speech and language therapist, occupational language therapist, occupational therapisttherapist

Outside professionals i.e. child’s Outside professionals i.e. child’s therapist, medical doctortherapist, medical doctor

The child him/herselfThe child him/herself

ClergyClergy

Legal personnel i.e. policeLegal personnel i.e. police

When one of these sources feels When one of these sources feels a child needs to be reviewed as a a child needs to be reviewed as a potential high risk student, a potential high risk student, a referral form is filled out and referral form is filled out and forwarded to a local school forwarded to a local school committee called the Child Study committee called the Child Study Team or CST. Team or CST.

Child Study TeamChild Study Team

Many schools are moving Many schools are moving towards a team approach to the towards a team approach to the identification of potential high-identification of potential high-risk students. This local school risk students. This local school based team may be called The based team may be called The Child Study Team, School Based Child Study Team, School Based Support Team, and Pupil Support Team, and Pupil Personnel Team etc. depending Personnel Team etc. depending on the school district.on the school district.


The members of this team work The members of this team work as a single unit in determining as a single unit in determining the possible etiology (cause), the possible etiology (cause), contributing factors, educational contributing factors, educational status, prognosis (outcome) and status, prognosis (outcome) and recommendations for the recommendations for the referred student.referred student.


The concept of bringing together The concept of bringing together many disciplines to help work on many disciplines to help work on a case is the major objective of a case is the major objective of the CST. In this way you have the CST. In this way you have many experts covering many many experts covering many fields and disciplines rather than fields and disciplines rather than a single individual trying to a single individual trying to determine all of the factors. determine all of the factors.

Membership of the Child Membership of the Child Study TeamStudy Team

The Child Study Team is usually The Child Study Team is usually made up of the following made up of the following individuals:individuals:

• • Administrator (usually the Administrator (usually the principal or assistant principalprincipal or assistant principal

• • School Psychologist School Psychologist • • Nurse/TeacherNurse/Teacher


• • Classroom TeacherClassroom Teacher

• • Social WorkerSocial Worker

• • Special Education Teacher Special Education Teacher (SET)(SET)


• • Guidance Counselor on the Guidance Counselor on the secondary levelsecondary level

• • Reading TeacherReading Teacher

• • Speech and Language TeacherSpeech and Language Teacher


The members of this team The members of this team usually meet on a regular basis, usually meet on a regular basis, once or twice a week depending once or twice a week depending upon the case load. upon the case load.

This is a local school based This is a local school based support team and should not be support team and should not be confused with the IEP Committee confused with the IEP Committee which is district based team.which is district based team.


The Child Study Team does not The Child Study Team does not have a parent member and is not have a parent member and is not required to do so as is the IEP required to do so as is the IEP Committee.Committee.

Gathering Information for the Gathering Information for the CSTCST

The school usually has a wealth The school usually has a wealth of information about all children, of information about all children, distributed among a number of distributed among a number of people and a number of records.people and a number of records.


Gathering this information after Gathering this information after a referral has been initiated will a referral has been initiated will provide a very thorough picture provide a very thorough picture of the child and his/her abilities of the child and his/her abilities and patterns. and patterns.


This information is usually This information is usually gathered once a referral has gathered once a referral has been made and prior to the been made and prior to the initial CST meeting.initial CST meeting.


Gathering information will Gathering information will contribute to the overall contribute to the overall "picture” of the child and assist "picture” of the child and assist each member of the CST brings each member of the CST brings certain information to the first certain information to the first meeting. For instance:meeting. For instance:

AdministratorAdministrator

This individual may bring prior This individual may bring prior knowledge or contact with the knowledge or contact with the family or student, prior family or student, prior disciplinary or suspension disciplinary or suspension information, and legal information, and legal information that may have been information that may have been communicated to the school by communicated to the school by outside professionals.outside professionals.

AdministratorAdministrator

If known, this staff member will If known, this staff member will bring prior conference bring prior conference information obtained between information obtained between previous teachers and parents, previous teachers and parents, administrators and parents that administrators and parents that may be important in may be important in understanding the child's understanding the child's patterns and history.patterns and history.

PsychologistPsychologist

This individual may bring past This individual may bring past psychological reports, information psychological reports, information gained from observation, reports gained from observation, reports from therapists or outside mental from therapists or outside mental health facilities, clinical interviews health facilities, clinical interviews or screening information.or screening information.

PsychologistPsychologist

While certain information can be While certain information can be brought by several members it is brought by several members it is sometimes more likely that the sometimes more likely that the school psychologist will bring school psychologist will bring group intelligence test group intelligence test information.information.

Nurse TeacherNurse Teacher

This individual may bring past This individual may bring past and present medical information, and present medical information, medical reports, medication medical reports, medication information, screening results on information, screening results on eyesight and hearing, eyesight and hearing, observation, and other medical observation, and other medical screening information.screening information.

Nurse TeacherNurse Teacher

This information will need to be This information will need to be investigated for indications of visual investigated for indications of visual or hearing difficulties, prescribed or hearing difficulties, prescribed medication that may have an affect medication that may have an affect on the child's behavior (i.e. on the child's behavior (i.e. antihistamines), medical conditions in antihistamines), medical conditions in need of attention or that can be need of attention or that can be contributing to the child's present contributing to the child's present situation.situation.

Classroom TeacherClassroom Teacher

This individual may bring This individual may bring examples of class work, informal examples of class work, informal testing results, anecdotal testing results, anecdotal records, observations of social records, observations of social interactions, academic levels, interactions, academic levels, and parent intake information. and parent intake information.


This staff member will also bring This staff member will also bring comments or reports of his or comments or reports of his or her prior parent-teacher her prior parent-teacher interviews. The classroom interviews. The classroom teacher will usually bring teacher will usually bring attendance records which need attendance records which need to be reviewed for patterns of to be reviewed for patterns of lateness or absence. lateness or absence.


Classroom teachers should also Classroom teachers should also bring Non-standardized bring Non-standardized assessment information.assessment information.


There may be times when There may be times when teachers will assess students in teachers will assess students in their classroom using a variety their classroom using a variety of non-standardized assessment of non-standardized assessment measures i.e. portfolios, informal measures i.e. portfolios, informal reading inventories. reading inventories.

Social WorkerSocial Worker

If a district has this type of If a district has this type of individual on staff he or she may individual on staff he or she may bring family history or bring family history or information, history of outside information, history of outside agency involvement, agency involvement, observation, or experiences with observation, or experiences with the student in group interaction. the student in group interaction.

Special Education TeacherSpecial Education Teacher

This individual may bring past This individual may bring past academic testing results, academic testing results, perceptual testing results, perceptual testing results, observations, prior special observations, prior special education services, outside education services, outside educational test results and educational test results and reports, copies of IEP’s on students reports, copies of IEP’s on students who have been involved in special who have been involved in special education, and any screening education, and any screening results. results.

Membership of the CSTMembership of the CST

Guidance counselor on the secondary Guidance counselor on the secondary levellevel

Reading TeacherReading Teacher

Speech and Language TherapistSpeech and Language Therapist

Materials Presented at the Initial Materials Presented at the Initial CST MeetingCST Meeting

Referral form from teacherReferral form from teacherObservation reportObservation reportStandardized testing results-Standardized testing results-

groupgroupAttendance recordsAttendance recordsWorks samplesWorks samplesAnecdotal records from teachersAnecdotal records from teachersReport cardsReport cardsPast interviews with parentsPast interviews with parents

Materials Presented at the Initial Materials Presented at the Initial CST MeetingCST Meeting

Past psychological reportsPast psychological reportsPast educational evaluationsPast educational evaluationsOutside professional reportsOutside professional reportsMedical information from the Medical information from the

nurse or child’s doctorsnurse or child’s doctors

Observation QuestionsObservation Questions

Is there a difference between the Is there a difference between the nature of behaviors in a nature of behaviors in a structured setting i.e. classroom structured setting i.e. classroom and an unstructured setting i.e. and an unstructured setting i.e. playground?playground?

Does the child seem to respond Does the child seem to respond to external boundaries?to external boundaries?

Observation QuestionsObservation Questions

What is the child's attention span What is the child's attention span during academic tasks?during academic tasks?

Does the child require constant Does the child require constant teacher supervision or teacher supervision or assistance?assistance?

Does the child interact Does the child interact appropriately with peers?appropriately with peers?

Is the child a high or low status Is the child a high or low status child?child?

Questions discussed at the Questions discussed at the initial CST meetinginitial CST meeting

Has this child ever been referred Has this child ever been referred to the CST?to the CST?

Do we have any prior Do we have any prior psychological, educational, psychological, educational, language etc evaluations?language etc evaluations?


What are the comments from What are the comments from past teachers?past teachers?

Is anyone familiar with other Is anyone familiar with other family members?family members?


What is going on at home?What is going on at home?

What does the developmental What does the developmental history look like?history look like?

Are there any medical issues we Are there any medical issues we need to be aware of at this time need to be aware of at this time that might impact on this case?that might impact on this case?


When was the last time both When was the last time both vision and hearing were checked?vision and hearing were checked?

Has anyone observed this child?Has anyone observed this child? Do we have samples of his class Do we have samples of his class

work?work? Has the parent been notified of Has the parent been notified of

the teacher’s concerns?the teacher’s concerns?

Options of the Child Study Options of the Child Study TeamTeam

Educational screeningEducational screening

Language screening:Language screening:

Intellectual screening:Intellectual screening:

Options of the Child Study Options of the Child Study TeamTeam

Parent IntakeParent Intake Referral to Child Protective Referral to Child Protective

ServicesServicesDisciplinary actionDisciplinary actionChange of programChange of programConsolidation of programConsolidation of programClassroom managemnt techniquesClassroom managemnt techniquesMedical referralMedical referral

Pre-Referral Strategy PlanPre-Referral Strategy Plan

After analyzing all of the After analyzing all of the information presented at the information presented at the meeting, the CST has to make a meeting, the CST has to make a decision: What do we decision: What do we recommend at this point?recommend at this point?


If this is the first time a student is If this is the first time a student is being reviewed by the team then being reviewed by the team then pre-referral strategies will be pre-referral strategies will be recommended to the teacher. These recommended to the teacher. These are techniques and suggestions to are techniques and suggestions to attempt to resolve the child’s issues attempt to resolve the child’s issues without the need for a more without the need for a more comprehensive assessment. comprehensive assessment.


The classroom teacher is The classroom teacher is provided with indirect provided with indirect collaboration (non-participation collaboration (non-participation suggestions) or direct assistance suggestions) or direct assistance involvement (working with the involvement (working with the teacher in the classroom.) Pre- teacher in the classroom.) Pre- referral strategies can include a referral strategies can include a variety of intervention strategies.variety of intervention strategies.

Examples of Pre-Referral Examples of Pre-Referral StrategiesStrategies

Change seatingChange seatingSeat student with good role Seat student with good role

modelsmodelsUse peer tutors when appropriateUse peer tutors when appropriateLimit number of directionsLimit number of directionsSimplify complex directionsSimplify complex directionsGive verbal as well as written Give verbal as well as written

directionsdirections


If after some time the teacher If after some time the teacher reports to the CST that the reports to the CST that the problems still exist despite all problems still exist despite all the pre-referral strategies then the pre-referral strategies then the CST team must consider the CST team must consider whether or not the child has a whether or not the child has a more serious suspected more serious suspected educational disability.educational disability.

Determination of a Suspected Determination of a Suspected DisabilityDisability

The team will usually accomplish The team will usually accomplish this by using the following this by using the following criteria:criteria:

1-The level of the discrepancy 1-The level of the discrepancy between the child’s ability and between the child’s ability and his/her performancehis/her performance


2-The historical patterns of this 2-The historical patterns of this discrepancydiscrepancy


3-Behavioral manifestations of a 3-Behavioral manifestations of a suspected disability. For instance, in suspected disability. For instance, in the case of a suspected learning the case of a suspected learning disability the following behaviors may disability the following behaviors may be present:be present:

distractibilitydistractibilityproblems in attentionproblems in attentionproblems in memoryproblems in memorysocial difficultiessocial difficultiesgross motor coordination issuesgross motor coordination issuesfine motor concernsfine motor concerns


If these factors are present and If these factors are present and the pre-referral strategies were the pre-referral strategies were unsuccessful then it is the unsuccessful then it is the responsibility of the CST to refer responsibility of the CST to refer the child for a more formal the child for a more formal assessment. This referral for a assessment. This referral for a more formal assessment begins more formal assessment begins Part II of the Special Education Part II of the Special Education Process.Process.

Special Education Special Education Process Part II-Process Part II-Assessment, Diagnosis, Assessment, Diagnosis, Classification and Classification and Placement of a Child with Placement of a Child with a Suspected Disabilitya Suspected Disability

Documents

Special Education Process Part I-Identification of a Suspected Disability National Association of Special Education Teachers