Special Ed Diagnosis

The steps that need to be taken to get a child diagnosed with a learning disability and then enrolled in a tailored-made educational program is a long and twisted path.  Making heads or tails of it can easily lead a person to think they've fallen down the rabbit's hole after Alice.

Thankfully, there are numerous resources online to help offer thorough explanations about what will take place, what does take place, and what follows after all is said and done.  Therefore you can comfortably feel that you understand an RTI (Response to Intervention) or an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and that the Rabbit isn't taking you down the wrong path.

Brief Background:

RTI - Response to Intervention:

• Based on a child's classroom performance he or she will initially be evaluated based on their ability to learn and keep up with the information and materials that is being taught.  If he or she falls behind or has difficulties with certain learning aspects they are provided with additional assistance or altered learning methods in class.  However, if a significant amount of improvement is not seen (typically by the end of a grading period) the child will be classed as Tier 3 and require even greater assistance.
• This video gives you a nice understanding how how the tiers break down.

Student who fall into Tier 3 and are unable to make improvements are then referred for special education.  The referral can be made by a general education teacher/homeroom teacher or the parent(s).  Once the referral is made a number of tests are conducted to determine what factors are disrupting the child's learning.  The family will meet with any number of individuals to discuss that test results, such as: school psychologist, speech language pathologist, social worker, ESL teacher, special education teacher or in some cases a doctor may even been included in symptoms are severe. 

Once the tests are concluded and results are determined, those involved will meet to establish and IEP.

IEP - Individualized Education Program: 

• If the student qualifies for special education they are required by law (IDEA) to have an IEP made for them.  The IEP tells: what the child's learning needs are, what the school will offer/assist with to aid the child in their learning and how they are going to measure the learning development of the student.
• The student will have an IEP team 
• It will state how much time and participation is required of the student in regular/extracurricular classes 
• The IEP will acknowledge if aides (human or machine) will be supplied to the child
• The team will set goals that are measurable with details on how they will be measured
• and the date for when the IEP will go into effect

Fair isn't everybody getting the same thing... Fair is everybody getting what they need in order to be successful.