1. OCD OT SLP OED WJIII ADA RTI WPPSI EVT LD ODD SED PPVT4 LRE DAB IEP
KTEA
PDD/ASD
BASC
WISC
IDEA
PAT
SPED
OHI PT
TOPL
ESY
ADHD
TOLDI:3
Developed by Dawn Rux, Cynthia Red Hill and Roberta Yeske

2. 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.

3. Confused???
Let’s Explain…

4. Special Education Process

5. 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.

6. 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??

7. Referrals First: SAT – Student Assistance Team
Second: SNT – Special Needs Team

8. 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…..

9. Meetings are held every other Wednesday.
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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. SNT Procedure Procedure 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.

23. Beginning the Special Education Process
Referrals
Beginning the Special Education Process

24. What constitutes a special education referral?
A parent calls the teacher about their child’s inability to get along with others.
A parent s 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

38. 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.

43. 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.

44. These evaluations will show the student’s intellectual ability at that time. Scores range from:
85-90 Low average, Average
All other scores will be compared to these scores.
Cont……

45. Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)
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.

46. 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 Test
Reading Fluency
Cont….

47. 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.

48. Initial evaluations are completed by district evaluators.
Re-Evaluations are completed by special education staff.

49. 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…..

50. 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.

51. 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……

52. 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

53. 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.

54. 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)

57. 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

58. 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.

59. Qualifying Areas Disability Areas: Deaf-Blind Emotionally Disturbed
Cognitive Disabilities
Hearing Loss
Learning Disabled: Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression, Basic Reading Skills, Reading Fluency Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mathematic Calculation, Mathematics Problem Solving
Multiple Disabilities
Continued……

60. Orthopedic Impairment Vision Loss Deaf Speech/Language
Continued…..
Orthopedic Impairment
Vision Loss
Deaf
Speech/Language
Other Health Impaired
Autism
Traumatic Brain Injury
Developmentally Delayed (ages 3-5)

61. 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.

62. This discrepancy scale is required by the federal government.

63. Scenarios
# 1 “Jacob”
WISC – IV
Verbal comprehension 96
Perceptual Reasoning 90
Working memory 94
Processing Speed
Full Scale IQ 91
South Dakota Discrepancy score: 76 or below in one or more of the following qualifying academic areas.

65. Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify under?

66. Answer: Child does not qualify for special education under LD category.

67. #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.

69. Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify under?

70. Answer: Child qualifies for special education under LD category.

71. #3 “Betty” WISC – IV Verbal comprehension 98 Perceptual Reasoning 92
Working memory 86
Processing Speed 97
Full Scale IQ 91
--through academic testing child did not qualify under LD category.
South Dakota Discrepancy score: 76 or below in one or more of the following qualifying academic areas.

73. Would this child qualify? What would the child qualify under?

74. Answer: Child does not qualify for special education under Other Health Impaired – ADHD

75. Re-Evaluation
A child is re-evaluated every three years or if their situation has drastically changed.

76. Meeting Time!
Meetings are set up by each school’s secretary who will then 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.

77. A Multidisciplinary Team Assessment Report Determination of Eligibility/ Continued Eligibility form is used as a team decision making tool.

85. Individualized Education Plan
Once a need category has been determined and services are recommended, an IEP is developed.

86. 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.

90. List of Accommodations
Behavior
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

91. 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

92. 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

93. 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

94. 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

95. 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

96. 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.

97. SERVICES

98. 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).

99. 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….

101. Flow chart of special education process
Handout
Flow chart of special education process

102. 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

103. Cont. Referral Process for Initial Evaluations
SNT
Data and file reviewed
Evaluations recommended
Prior Notice and Consent for Evaluation sent to Parents
Tests Administered – 25 school days
Functional assessment and observation completed
Results to SNT
Meeting Prior Notice sent to team
Team meeting (including Parents)
Review Evaluation results
If student qualifies – write IEP
If not – discuss modifications and/or alternatives

104. 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.

105. Team Effort
Every 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.

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

107. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please seek out your school’s special education staff.

108. Thank you!