Developed by Dawn Rux, Cynthia Red Hill and Roberta Yeske

After the WJIII, WISC, WPPSI, KTEA, DAB, TOLD, PPVT,

PAT, EVT, and TOPL results IDEA requires SPED RR, OT, PT, and SLP to create an IEP

qualifying under LD, ODD, ADHD, PDD, OED, SED, OHI,

or OCD in LRE through RTI mandate including ESY.

Confused???

Let’s Explain…

Special Education Process

Aberdeen School District Facts

• ASD currently employs 20 Resource Room teachers, 11 Speech and Language Therapists, 2 Occupational Therapists and educational aides.

636 children are in special education, 158 of which are in speech and language services only.

It is the first month of school and there is a

child in your room that you are concerned

about….

Now what do you do??

Referrals

• First: SAT – Student Assistance Team

• Second: SNT – Special Needs Team

SAT• The Student Assistance Team is the teacher’s first step

in exploring options for improving a child’s education.• Members: Teachers, Principal, Resource Room Staff,

School Psychologist and Counselor• The SAT Referral Form (yellow, elementary or secondary)

is filled out by the referring teacher and turned into the Principal prior to the meeting. To make this process successful the teacher is asked to bring data on what behaviors the children is exhibiting and what interventions the teacher has made in the classroom. The Resource Room Staff can assist in this process.

• Each elementary school averages 25 SAT referrals a year. High school averages 95.

Cont…..

Cont…..• Meetings are held every other Wednesday.• Team members will be informed which students will

be discussed prior to the meeting.• The purpose is to problem solve and assist the

teacher in appropriate accommodations for the student that may be attempted. The Resource Room staff is available to help set up the accommodations in the classroom. These accommodations will be used in the classroom

for 6 weeks.• The Teacher will be in contact with the parents with

his or her concerns prior to this meeting.• Parental issues such as homework not being returned are not

a SAT issue unless there is an academic concern.

Intervention? Accommodation? Modification?

• Intervention: a specific skill-building strategy implemented and monitored to improve a targeted skill and achieve adequate progress in a specific area. This often involves a changing instruction or providing additional instruction to a student in the area of learning or behavior difficulty. This is research-based.

Intervention Examples• Best Teaching Practices

• Reading: AIMS, Sidewalks, CORE activities, Reading Strategies

• Math: Touch Math, Math Expressions

• Social: Boys and Girls Town, positive behavior plans

• Preteaching, Reteaching, Mini lessons of a skill, Manipulatives, Hands-On, One on one assistance, Supplementing curriculum to help students make progress towards benchmarks, Rephrasing directions

Accommodations

• An accommodation eliminates obstacles that would interfere with a student’s ability to perform or produce at the same standard of performance expected of general education students.

Accommodations Examples

• Reading a test to a student• Allowing extra time to take the same test or

completing an assignment• Preferential seating• Providing an extra set of books at home• Staying after school for homework help• Signing an assignment notebook• Allowing use of calculator• Providing study guides before tests• Allowing movement to increase physical comfort

Modifications

• A modification is a change that actually lowers the standards of performance (i.e. what is expected to be known.)

Modification Examples• Reading a test and rewording/re-

explaining questions on the test

• Changing multiple choice answers from 4 to 2 options

• Shortening the spelling list

• Reducing the number of assignments needed to be completed

Clarification Example

• If a student was expected to complete 100% of every math assignment given to peers, reducing the number of problems would be a modification. However, if a student was expected to show they could add 2-digit numbers with 100% accuracy allowing the student to work just enough problems (on a assignment) to prove he/she has mastered the goal would be an accommodation.

Documentation• Teacher documents the

effectiveness of interventions: what worked, what didn’t, how many they tried, how long.

• Interventions will be used 6 weeks before reporting back to SAT.

• After reporting to the SAT, a decision will be made to continue interventions or refer to Special Needs Team.

SNT• Special Needs Team (SNT)

• Team: Teacher, Principal, Resource Room, Psychologist, SPED Coordinator, Counselor, Speech and Language Therapist, Deaf Educator and Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist (as needed).

• Meets every other week, opposite of SAT meeting.

SNT ProcedureProcedure once a student is referred to SNT

from SAT:The Student Referral Form (pink) needs to

be filled out prior to SNT and turned into the Principal.

Parents need to be contacted.The Team will be informed which students

will be discussed prior to the meeting.Any pertinent information should include:

therapy notes, data sheets, grade book, cumulative file, Parent Report Form, etc.

Referrals

Beginning the Special Education Process

What constitutes a special education referral?

• A parent calls the teacher about their child’s inability to get along with others.

• A parent emails about their child’s speech.• A teacher talks to the SPED Resource Room

teacher about the child’s difficulty in math and reading.

• The school counselor talks to the principal about a child’s behavior.

• Interventions in the classroom have not been successful.

The referral process generally begins when a teacher, parent, or doctor is concerned that a child

may be having trouble in the classroom, and the teacher notifies the principal, school counselor or psychologist. Interventions have

been attempted and are not successful.

Who is responsible for putting the referral in writing?

• The teacher along with the Resource Room teacher or Speech and Language Pathologist will fill out the (pink) referral form.

Who gets the written referral?

• The Principal will review the referral form and initiate the process by bringing the student to the attention of the Special Needs Team.

Who documents a parent referral?

• The Special Education staff are required to put the referral in writing along with a prior notice to the parents on what actions are being taken. To neglect this is to be out of compliance with regulations.

SNT INITIAL REFERRALS:

• Background information is reviewed and concerns discussed. Teacher is asked to give information on their concerns and child’s academic functioning. Teachers are asked to bring whatever documentation that they feel is pertinent to this student along with the data graphed from the interventions made.

• Tests will be recommended and assigned to staff.

• Parent Report Form will be reviewed.

Psychological Evaluations:Intelligence (IQ), verbal communication,

perceptive reasoning, processing and memory.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV)

Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI)

Functional assessment and classroom observation: behavior in classroom, parent and/or interview.

These evaluations will show the student’s intellectual ability at that time. Scores range from:

85-90 Low average, 90-110 Average

All other scores will be compared to these scores.

Cont……

Cont…..

For Attention:Behavior Assessment System for

Children (BASC) Connors Parent Test Rating Scale

(Connors)

The school cannot recommend medication and only a Doctor can prescribe the medication. A parent may take the school’s evaluation information to the Doctor.

Academic Evaluation:These evaluations will show what they are

achieving at this time.

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA)

Diagnostic Achievement Battery (DAB-3)Woodcock Johnson Reading Fluency (WJIII)Key Math TestReading Fluency

Cont….

Functional: (Present level of performance)

Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills: this will show specific skills that the student uses. This is their present level of performance.

Observation: In classroom observation by Special Education staff of attention, on task behavior, participation, behavior, adaptive skills they use, and quantity and quality of work. It is compared to their peers on a scale of 1-5.

Initial evaluations are completed by district

evaluators.

Re-Evaluations are completed by special

education staff.

Speech and Language Evaluations• SLP’s evaluate communication disorders

of which there are two types:– Language disorders: problems with using

proper forms of language (phonology, morphology, syntax), using the content of language (semantics) and using the functions of language (pragmatics).

– Speech disorders: problems producing speech sounds (articulation), controlling sounds that are produced (voice), and controlling the rate and rhythm of speech (fluency).

Cont…..

Speech and Language Tests:Photo Articulation Test (PAT3)Goldman Fristoe Articulation Test (GFAT)Assessment of Phonological Process-Revised

(APP-R)Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT)Test of Language Development: Primary or

Intermediate (TOLD)Test of Language

Development-Primary:3/Intermediate:3 (TOLD-P:3 or I)

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-3 (CELF-3)

Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language-3 (TACL-3)

Other tests may be used depending on need.

Occupational Therapy Evaluations• Occupational therapy is skilled treatment that

helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapy assists people in developing the "skills for the job of living" necessary for independent and satisfying lives. Services typically include

• Customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to perform daily activities

• Comprehensive home and job site evaluations with adaptation recommendations

• Performance skills assessments and treatment • Adaptive equipment recommendations and

usage training • Guidance to family members and caregivers• Cont……

OT Evaluations:

Battelle Developmental Inventory

Peabody Developmental Motor Scales

Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency

School Functional Assessment

Sensory Profile

Developmental Test of Visual Perception -2

Physical Therapy Evaluations• A branch of rehabilitative health that uses

specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities. Physical therapists work with many types of patients, from infants born with musculoskeletal birth defects, to adults suffering from sciatica or the after- effects of injury, to elderly post-stroke patients.

• Evaluations used are the same as OT.

After SNT

• Once the testing is assigned, the paperwork is mailed home to the parent:

–Parental Consent for Evaluation (yellow)

–South Dakota Parental Rights and Procedural Safeguards (packet)

Abbreviated Parental Rights covers:• Surrogate parents• Parent participation• Written notice• Consent• Right of refusal• Assessment• Independent educational evaluations• Individualized Education Program• Transition• Access to education records and other rights related to

records.• Suspension, alternative placement and expulsion of Special

Education Students• Due process• Children attending private schools• Parent placement in a non-public school• Complaints

Timelines• Once a parent signs the consent, we have 25

school days from the date received to complete all evaluations.

• Evaluations are completed.

• Following evaluation there are 30 calendar days to hold a meeting to discuss results with the parents.

Qualifying AreasDisability Areas:o Deaf-Blind

o Emotionally Disturbed

o Cognitive Disabilities

o Hearing Losso Learning Disabled: Oral Expression, Listening

Comprehension, Written Expression, Basic Reading Skills, Reading Fluency Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mathematic Calculation, Mathematics Problem Solving

o Multiple Disabilities

Continued……

Continued…..

o Orthopedic Impairment

o Vision Loss

o Deaf

o Speech/Language

o Other Health Impaired

o Autism

o Traumatic Brain Injury

o Developmentally Delayed (ages 3-5)

Test Score Comparisons

• Each test has an average range of scores; usually from 85 or 90 to 110 or 115.

• Each individual child’s full scale IQ score is compared to their testing scores.

This discrepancy scale is required by the federal government.

Scenarios • # 1 “Jacob”

WISC – IV

Verbal comprehension 96

Perceptual Reasoning 90

Working memory 94

Processing Speed 94

Full Scale IQ 91

South Dakota Discrepancy score: 76 or below in one or more of the following qualifying academic areas.

Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify

under?

Answer:

Child does not qualify for special education under LD category.

• #2 “Sarah”

WISC - IV

Verbal Comprehension

110

Perceptual Reasoning

121

Working Memory 102

Processing Speed 100

Full Scale 113

South Dakota Discrepancy score: 87 or below in one or more of the following qualifying academic areas.

Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify

under?

Answer:Child qualifies for special

education under LD category.

• #3 “Betty”

WISC – IV

Verbal comprehension

98

Perceptual Reasoning

92

Working memory

86

Processing Speed

97

Full Scale IQ

91

South Dakota Discrepancy score: 76 or below in one or more of the following qualifying academic areas.

--through academic testing child did not qualify under LD category.

Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify

under?

Answer:Child does not qualify for special

education under Other Health Impaired – ADHD

Re-Evaluation

A child is re-evaluated every three years or if their situation

has drastically changed.

Meeting Time!• Meetings are set up by each school’s

secretary who will then email the staff on the time and date.

• Team Members: Parents, Teacher, Principal, Evaluators, RR, SLP, Deaf

Educator, OT, PT (as needed).

• Prior to the meeting, parents receive a copy of the evaluation, Parent Rights form and a Prior Notice for the meeting.

A Multidisciplinary Team Assessment Report

Determination of Eligibility/Continued Eligibility

form is used as a team decision making tool.

Individualized Education Plan

Once a need category has been determined and services are

recommended, an IEP is developed.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP):

The purpose of an IEP is to discuss the evaluations (initial IEP or 3 year) or progress (annual IEP), determine accommodations or modifications needed, determine goals, services to be provided, ESY services and to receive parental consent.

An annual IEP is held before the previous year’s date.

ASD uses Infinite Campus to manage the SPED caseload.

List of AccommodationsBehavior• Arrange a “check-in” time to organize the day• Use verbal/nonverbal cues• Teach acceptable behavior• Anticipate problems• Use role-play• Positive as well as negative consequences• Teach problem solving• Seat close to teacher• Set time limits for task• Provide study carrel• Reduce distractions• Provide checklists for completion of assignments• Teach self correction• Use peer tutors• Be aware of behavior that relates to medication change• Develop interventions for behaviors that are annoying but not

deliberate

Tests• Go over directions orally• Teach the students how to take tests• Provide a vocabulary list with definitions• Permit as much time as possible• Allow tests to be taken in a room with few distractions• Have tests read orally and have students answer orally• Divide tests into smaller sections• Use recognition tests instead of essays• Use simple wording• Allow open book/open note• Provide study guides• Test review with LD teacher, parents, tutor, or others

Reading• Use taped text• Highlight text• Use material at student reading level• Use study guide• Shorten assignments• Read text to student• Allow extra time• Omit more difficult reading assignments• Use legible, well spaced worksheets• Use reading strategies • Use assisted reading• Use choral reading• Use guide strips• Provide two text books, one for home and one for

school.• Use word for word sentence fill ins

Math• Use graph paper• Highlight key words in directions• Use consistent math terms• Group problems of same process• Copy problems for students• Read story problems• Use calculator• Use number line• Use multiplication chart• Shorten assignments• Use manipulatives• Provide practice• Review concepts frequently• Use pictures or graphics

Handwriting

• Use worksheets that require minimal writing

• Use fill in questions rather than short essay questions

• Photocopy teacher or other students notes

• Provide a print copy of assignments or directions

• Omit assignments that require copying, let student dictate answers

Instructional Approaches• Multisensory presentation of content• Speak slowly• Reinforce instruction with learning centers• Use cooperative learning strategies• Use technology• Clear corrective feedback• Write directions of board or provide copy• Limit number of steps in directions• Have students repeat directions• Provide wait time• Provide visual aids• Stand near the student when giving directions or

presenting a lesson

Other• Shorten assignments• Shorten spelling list• Modify expectations based on students needs• Give alternatives to long written reports• Use post-it notes to mark assignments• Check progress in first few minutes of assignments• Sequence work with easiest first• Break long term assignments into small, sequential

steps, with daily monitoring and frequent grading• Assignment notebook• Grade work based on students needs• Please refer to the Prereferral Intervention Manual,

check with your building principal on its location.

SERVICES

RTI

Response to Intervention is a Federally mandated program which will greatly affect this process. In the future the emphasis will be on classroom modifications under the direction of the Resource Room rather then relying on pull out services.

RTI training will begin in the next calendar year. The goal of RTI is to meet every child’s needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

RTI methodology is conceptualized within a three-tiered model of prevention across all

students in a school, general education and special education students. If you could

place all of the students in your school into a triangle, the three-tiered model of

prevention will look like this:

Cont….

http://www.lehigh.edu/collegeofeducation/mp3/rti/rti.htm

Handout

Flow chart of special education process

Referral Process for Initial Evaluations

SAT

Student concerns

Teacher discusses with parent

Teacher discusses with Principal and Special Education Staff

Teacher fills out SAT form

Discuss with SAT

Interventions attempted for 6 weeks

Successful – no further action

Unsuccessful –Pink Referral Form Completed

Cont. Referral Process for Initial Evaluations

SNTData and file reviewed

Evaluations recommendedPrior Notice and Consent for Evaluation

sent to ParentsTests Administered – 25 school days

Functional assessment and observation completed

Results to SNTMeeting Prior Notice sent to teamTeam meeting (including Parents)

Review Evaluation resultsIf student qualifies – write IEP

If not – discuss modifications and/or alternatives

Infinite Campus

• On the 2007 edition of Infinite Campus, teachers are able to pull up the child’s file and see an IEP marker. Clicking on it will take them to the IEP to preview or review during the year.

Team EffortEvery child’s education is the

responsibility of an entire team – parents, teachers, administration, counseling and special education staff. No one entity can do justice

to the entire process. Success depends on how well we work

together.

Resources

• http://www.lehigh.edu/collegeofeducation/mp3/rti/rti.htm#RTI

• http://doe.sd.gov/

• http://www.aberdeen.k12.sd.us/dsc/departments/sped/specialed.htm

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions,

please seek out your school’s special education staff.

Thank you!