Candice Imbimbo 5300 Proper Evaluation Procedures for Students
with Learning Disabilities
Slide 2
Definition of a learning Disability according to IDEA 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 an imperfect ability to listen, think,
speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. This
term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain
injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental
aphasia. This term does not include children who have learning
problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities; mental retardation; or environmental, cultural or
economic disadvantage.
Slide 3
Common types of specific learning disabilities Dyslexiawhich
refers to difficulties in reading; Dysgraphiawhich refers to
difficulties in writing; and Dyscalculiawhich refers to
difficulties in math. Dyspraxia- Difficulty with fine motor skills
Auditory Processing Disorder- Difficulty hearing differences
between sounds Visual Processing Disorder- Difficulty interpreting
visual information 2
Slide 4
Symptoms of Dyslexia Symptoms of Dysgraphia Symptoms of
Dyscalculia Difficulty learning letter and their sounds Illegible
handwriting Difficulty in sequencing numbers Organization or Witten
and spoken words Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper Difficulty
in simple math facts i.e. add, subtract, multiply, divide Spelling
Omitting words in a sentence Difficulty with time and how much time
an activity would take Comprehending longer reading assignments
Hand tires quickly due to tight grip Difficulty number estimates
Learning a foreign language Difficulty with syntax structure and
grammar Difficulty organizing logically 235235
Slide 5
Child Find Law Child Find is a continuous process of public
awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate,
identify, and refer as early as possible all young children with
disabilities and their families who are in need of Early
Intervention Program (Part C) or Preschool Special Education (Part
B/619) services of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Slide 6
Response to Intervention- This is in response to the No Child
Left Behind Act 2004. If a student is not meeting the required
grade level, a team may have an academic intervention for the
student in question Under IDEA the student has to have quality
instruction in order to qualify for having a Learning
Disability
Slide 7
There can be many tiers in the intervention process, most
schools have three. High quality instruction in general education,
if a student does not respond adequately to tier 1 goes to tier 2.
More intense educational based instruction does not respond
adequately move to tier 3 More intense small group individualized
instruction. Referral Meeting15 days Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Special
Ed.
Slide 8
Intervention Methods for students LIPS, Ortone-Gillahan,
Megawords, Scool moves, using manipulatives for mathematics
Slide 9
An Example of an Eligibility Determination form
https://acrobat.com/#d=aWP3-MfFPKiGhoTk74dgBw
Slide 10
Process of the referral. IDEA 2004, 1414 (a)(1)(B). Request for
Initial Evaluation- Consistent with subparagraph (D), either a
parent, or a State educational agency, other State agency, or local
educational agency may initiate a request for an initial evaluation
to determine if the child is a child with a disability. Once the
referral is made for the child to be evaluated the school must get
parents consent to Evaluate. The school has forty-five days to
conduct the evaluation from the initial time of referral; the
school can receive an additional fifteen days on parents
consent.
Slide 11
To assess a student for an IEP, and be identified with a
Specific Learning Disability, they have to qualify in the required
assessments by certified evaluators. Academic Performance
Intelligence Observation Hearing Screening Vision Screening
Slide 12
Also along with the evaluations the school can use a
discrepancy test. Most schools will use this along with IDEA
approved procedure Respond to Intervention (RTI) for data to
conclude a student has a Specific Learning Disability. Two
requirements that a student needs to be in Special Education 1.The
student has documented disability 2.The student will benefit from
special education Continued.
Slide 13
Developing an IEP: The student meets the requirements for
special education, the team has thirty days to develop the IEP. The
IDEA law 1414 (d)(3)(A) states: In General- In developing each IEP,
the IEP, subject to subparagraph (C), shall consider i. The
strengths of the child; ii. The concerns of the parents for
enhancing the education of their child; iii. The results of the
initial evaluations or most recent evaluation of the child; and iv.
The academic, developmental, and functional needs of the
child.
Slide 14
Accommodations v. Modifications IEP Accommodations Extended
time on test and quizzes Having an instructor read a test Books on
tape Having a calculator Having graph paper Lap top used in class
Note taker Provide visual quos Remember an accommodation does not
affect the students general education curriculum. IEP Modifications
Special education support pull out The test are to the students
reading level Reducing the work assignments Math is to the students
level Remember a modification is a change in the curriculum to the
students ability and grade level.
Slide 15
Court case: Florence county School District Four v. Shannon
Carter Shannon was in the ninth grade when she was diagnosed with a
learning disability, the school held an IEP meeting under the IDEA
Law. The IEP the school had developed had Shannon in regular
education classes, but would be pulled three periods a week for
individual instruction. The school projected Shannon would have a
growth of four months, in reading and math, by the end of the
school year. The parents were displeased with the schools proposed
IEP and went to both local and state educational officers, who
agreed the school had provided an adequate IEP. The parents then
went to district court who agreed with them. Shannon experience the
Trident school was appropriate under IDEA due to the fact she made
significant progress of three grade levels within the three years
she attended. 6
Slide 16
Cleveland Heights School District v. Sommer Boss 144 F.3d 391;
1998 In kindergarten Sommer was held back, during her second year
she was referred for an evaluation. The school identified Sommer as
having a speech and language difficulty. In first grade Sommer
received Chapter 1 to improve her reading, when she took the state
test she scored in the 15 th percentile. Again, in second and third
grade Sommer received Chapter 1 intervention to improve her
reading, also during the summer she received a private tutor.
During these grades Sommer again took the state test in second and
third grade, she dropped from the 8 th percentile to the 5 th
percentile by third grade. Her parents put in a referral for
Evaluation for specific learning disability. The school did not
test Sommer by the end of her third grade year; she then could not
receive services from the school provided during summer.
Slide 17
Case continued The parents researched and found a private
school for children with learning disabilities. Since the school
district did not test Sommer the school could not act on a waiver
for tuition. The public school stated Sommer could still be tested;
she was found to have a learning disability. The parents went to a
hearing officer who was in favor of the parents because the school
failed to Child Find, the school was ordered to reimburse for the
two school years at Lawrence School. The state level hearing
officer disagreed with the independent officer citing Sommer made
progress with the Chapter 1 program. Although the State Hearing
Officer stated the IEP was inadequate, the school did not have to
reimburse the parents for the year the IEP was appropriate. 4
Slide 18
Court Summary In both cases the schools failed to provide
adequate IEPs. Also in one case the school neglected to identify a
student. One of the cases the school failed to provided appropriate
goals in the IEP. When writing IEP make sure the goals are
appropriate and supply the child with a learning disability
progress throughout their school years. If a school fails to
provide F.A.P.E. then the parents have a right to move their child
to another school setting, if there is tuition the school may have
to pay under the IDEA and F.A.P.E. laws.
Slide 19
What to learn from the court cases Always test if there is any
indication if a student might have a learning disability. If the
school can not provide a proper IEP, then through IDEA a parent can
send their child to a school that will provide adequate learning
environment. A students IEP should reflect their full potential in
their goals. When a school receives a referral they must do an
evaluation within 45 days of such referal.
Slide 20
Recourses 1. 20 U.S.C. 1414 Evaluations and IEPs. (n.d.).
Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from Wrights Law:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/law/section1414.pdf 2. Association,
I. D. (2006). Dyslexia basics. Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from LD
Online: http://www.ldonline.org/article/Dyslexia_Basics 3.
Association, I. D. (2007). What is Dysgraphia? Retrieved 7 22,
2011, from LD Online: http://www.ldonline.org/article/12770 4.
Cleveland Heights University Heights school district v. Sommer
Boss. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from Wrightslaw:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/6th.cleveland.boss.htm 5.
Disabilities, N. C. (2006). Dyscalculia. Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from
LD Online: http://www.ldonline.org/article/13709 6. Florence County
School IV v. Shannon Carter. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from
wrights law:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/ussupct.carter.htm 7.
Learning Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 22, 2011, from Help
Guide: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities.htm
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities.htm 8. All
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