Raven's Guide to Special Education: Evaluations

Evaluations

School districts are responsible for locating, identifying, and evaluating all children with disabilities within their jurisdiction. The purpose of this "child find" process is to create public awareness of special education opportunities and to advise parents of the rights of children with disabilities. Preschool children referred by parents and agencies and new students entering the public schools are screened to identify possible problems in the areas of vision, hearing, academic skills, psychomotor skills, communication, and social-emotional development. If screening results indicate a possible disability, the student will be referred to determine if a comprehensive evaluation is needed.

The referral process

Many schools have a committee, often referred to as a "student intervention team," that responds to referrals from teachers and parents about students who are not making satisfactory progress in school or preschool children who may have disabilities. This team assists classroom teachers with alternative teaching methods and classroom management techniques to accommodate the individual educational needs of at-risk students. The team also assists teachers and parents in deciding if a child should be referred for a comprehensive evaluation. All students considered for special education services must receive an evaluation to help determine whether the student is eligible for those services. The evaluation must be conducted by a multidisciplinary team including at least one education specialist in a field relevant to the student's suspected disability.

Kinds of evaluators

Special education teachers conduct educational evaluations of students with suspected disabilities in specific categories. For example, a teacher of the visually impaired will evaluate the academic as well as mobility and orientation skills of a referred student.

School psychologists and psychologists in private settings evaluate and diagnose students with a wide range of learning, social, emotional, or developmental problems. They also consult with parents and teachers to help develop the most appropriate educational programs for students with disabilities and other problems.

Speech pathologists also are evaluators. They assess the needs of students with speech and language problems, and they provide direct therapy services for these students.

Physical therapists evaluate students with motor, coordination, and balance problems, and provide therapy to help students who have difficulties in these areas. They also help students who need special equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, and braces. The work of occupational therapists is similar to that of physical therapists. Their emphasis usually is in assessing and providing therapy for students who have difficulty performing self-help, play or perceptual-motor skills such as paper and pencil use and eye-hand coordination.

Medical doctors assess students with physical handicaps, health problems and multiple handicapping conditions. Psychiatrists are physicians who diagnose and treat students with psychological, emotional, behavioral and developmental or organic problems. They can prescribe medication. They usually do not administer tests.

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who evaluate and treat students with vision problems. They may, for example, perform eye surgery, prescribe glasses or medication, or suggest special modifications in teaching, classroom materials, and seating arrangements.

Audiologists screen and diagnose hearing problems, and they may recommend hearing aids or accommodations for students with hearing impairments.

Evaluation procedures

Schools must explain and give written information to parents about their procedural rights when requesting their consent for an initial special education evaluation. The written request to evaluate a student must be in the primary home language. The school must complete the evaluation (and conference to determine special education eligibility) within 60 calendar days of the date of consent.

An educational specialist in a field relevant to the student's suspected disability must evaluate the student. A multidisciplinary evaluation team, including the parents, will review the evaluation results to determine if the student qualifies for one or more of the state or federal special education categories and requires special education services to benefit from an educational program.

Evaluation components

Evaluations should include the reason for the evaluation and background information about the student's health, development, and educational history. The evaluator should collect information about parental concerns, efforts made to help the student in the regular classroom, and the student's participation in the general curriculum.

The evaluator must select appropriate tests and assess the student's educational skills in all areas of suspected disability. In addition, the evaluator must adapt and interpret the tests considering the student's sensory, motor and communication skills; racial and ethnic background; and language background. A variety of assessment methods should be used to collect functional and developmental information that will help determine the student's educational needs.

If the student has limited English proficiency, the evaluator should either be fluent in English and in the student's language of proficiency, or should use a qualified interpreter. The evaluator may, however, assess the student with tests that minimize the need for spoken language. If English is not the primary language of the student's home, the evaluator must make a visit the student's home and conduct an adaptive behavior assessment.

Using the assessment results, the evaluator will prepare an evaluation report that includes recommendations about the student's educational needs, as well as goals and instructional objectives based on the student's current levels of performance.