In order to get a better understanding of the Special Education referral process, I watched a couple of videos made by parents/teachers who have gone through this process and I read Jamie Tardif's very informative blog post for further info that I could not have obtained here in South Korea.
The first video was created by Ashlie Belnap (a parent of disabled children and a consultant for the IEP program) and it was titled Referral, Evaluation and Eligibility for Special Education Services (you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8eG66Mzo5M)
She discusses several aspects to the Special Ed. process, starting with how a referral is made by teachers, principals, parents, social workers, doctors, or other friends or relatives closely associated with the child (eligibility ages from 3 to 22).
An evaluation, at no cost to the parents, is then made. It is a "structured gathering process that leads to decisions and classification labels" for children. It also deals with educational placement, specific interventions, and a way to measure the progress of the student. Students are referred if they meet the criteria of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the school then has 45 days to complete the evaluation but only after a written request has been made and the parents have consented to the evaluation and the services it provides.
Time and again, as I learned about this process, I was impressed that parents were at the center of most of the decision-making pertaining to their child's educational path.
Some basic requirements involved in the evaluation process are that a written notice must be given to the parents, the test must be given in the child's native language (even if that is sign language, Braille, etc.). The test is a comprehensive assessment of all areas of a child's ability and behavior, not just the one that initially triggered the referral. Finally, the test must be given by trained and knowledgeable personnel.
If the parents disagree with the results of the evaluation, I was again impressed that they have reasonable recourse: they can be provided with an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), which is also free, and it requires a separate evaluation by different professionals. An agency then holds a hearing to determine the findings of the IEE. if the Parents still disagree with those findings, they can get another IEE, but must pay for it.
The second video (find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0H8uKJ3Ig0) deals with a real-life typical situation involving teachers discussing how to handle a student that they are considering for referral. I think it honestly portrays the teachers as concerned, but busy and somewhat uninformed as to how to handle the situation. It is easy to see that, before the IDEA and IEP were established, many conversations like this may have happened and nothing more was done to foster a disabled student's education.
As far as identifying a child for Special Education, as Jamie's interview explains, teachers can identify the patterns of their students almost as much as parents can. If the pattern is one that is negative in the context of learning (just as squinting is an obvious sign that an eye exam is appropriate), the teachers then gather a team so that they can discuss their opinions and experiences regarding the performance of the student. A referral may then be made, with the parents approval.
In summary, I found this to be a very reasonable approach to what is often a very difficult time in the lives of everyone concerned. As stated previously, I was happy to see so much involvement by the parents and that there was no financial burden placed upon them while they were trying to provide the best education possible for their children.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
The Special Education Referral Process
In order to get a better understanding of the Special Education referral process, I watched a couple of videos made by parents/teachers who have gone through this process and I read Jamie Tardif's very informative blog post for further info that I could not have obtained here in South Korea.
The first video was created by Ashlie Belnap (a parent of disabled children and a consultant for the IEP program) and it was titled Referral, Evaluation and Eligibility for Special Education Services (you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8eG66Mzo5M)
She discusses several aspects to the Special Ed. process, starting with how a referral is made by teachers, principals, parents, social workers, doctors, or other friends or relatives closely associated with the child (eligibility ages from 3 to 22).
An evaluation, at no cost to the parents, is then made. It is a "structured gathering process that leads to decisions and classification labels" for children. It also deals with educational placement, specific interventions, and a way to measure the progress of the student. Students are referred if they meet the criteria of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the school then has 45 days to complete the evaluation but only after a written request has been made and the parents have consented to the evaluation and the services it provides.
Time and again, as I learned about this process, I was impressed that parents were at the center of most of the decision-making pertaining to their child's educational path.
Some basic requirements involved in the evaluation process are that a written notice must be given to the parents, the test must be given in the child's native language (even if that is sign language, Braille, etc.). The test is a comprehensive assessment of all areas of a child's ability and behavior, not just the one that initially triggered the referral. Finally, the test must be given by trained and knowledgeable personnel.
If the parents disagree with the results of the evaluation, I was again impressed that they have reasonable recourse: they can be provided with an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), which is also free, and it requires a separate evaluation by different professionals. An agency then holds a hearing to determine the findings of the IEE. if the Parents still disagree with those findings, they can get another IEE, but must pay for it.
The second video (find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0H8uKJ3Ig0) deals with a real-life typical situation involving teachers discussing how to handle a student that they are considering for referral. I think it honestly portrays the teachers as concerned, but busy and somewhat uninformed as to how to handle the situation. It is easy to see that, before the IDEA and IEP were established, many conversations like this may have happened and nothing more was done to foster a disabled student's education.
As far as identifying a child for Special Education, as Jamie's interview explains, teachers can identify the patterns of their students almost as much as parents can. If the pattern is one that is negative in the context of learning (just as squinting is an obvious sign that an eye exam is appropriate), the teachers then gather a team so that they can discuss their opinions and experiences regarding the performance of the student. A referral may then be made, with the parents approval.
In summary, I found this to be a very reasonable approach to what is often a very difficult time in the lives of everyone concerned. As stated previously, I was happy to see so much involvement by the parents and that there was no financial burden placed upon them while they were trying to provide the best education possible for their children.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment