The Referral Process 2010 and Beyond

This Includes:•Pre-Referral Process•Referring a child for evaluation•Types of plans a student may have•How a child is eligible for plans•Description of Special Education Eligibilities•Case Conference Description

Pre-Referral and Referral Process

Child is not having success in school Teacher/Parent/Counselor/Student has a concern Teacher/Parent Contact and meeting General Education Interventions discussed and documented or referral for testing discussed and documented

• More specific flow chart of information is available

Response to Intervention (RTI) Team reviews datasees consistently low scores of student refers for further evaluation and/or team member and teacher meets with parent.

Types of Plans a Student May NeedGEI Plan

Child needs additional classroom supportsChild does not have handicapping conditionPlan is NOT lawNo standardized testing accommodations allowedClassroom accommodations at teacher discretion

504 PlanChild needs additional classroomsupportsChild has a handicapping conditionPlan is lawClassroom and standardized testing accommodations allowedSpecial education interventions unneeded

IEPChild needs additional classroom supportsPlan is lawClassroom and standardized testing accommodations allowedSpecial education interventions needed

Why a Child Needs a PlanGEI PlanChild shows need for

different strategies and/or accommodations to help them demonstrate their understanding of material or demonstrate appropriate behaviors

Teacher agrees

The Plan informs parents of what is being done to help the student.

504 PlanChild demonstrates a

“disability” which is defined as “ a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities." This can include physical impairments; illnesses or injuries; communicable diseases; chronic conditions like asthma, allergies and diabetes; and learning problems.”

(See ADA Section 504)

IEPChild demonstrates a

disability as defined in 504 block

AND this disability “adversely affects educational performance“, which means that a student's disability has a consistent and significant negative impact on the student‘s academic achievement and/or functional performance”

(See Article 7, p1)

Ways to get a planGEI Plan

Meet with student’s teacher or counselor

Discuss needs and what teachers will do to help

Write Plan

504 PlanMeet with 504 Plan coordinator, (usually counselor) and see if child qualifies for a plan

IF CHILD QUALFIESDiscuss needs and what teachers will do to help

Write Plan

Plan is law, teacher must follow

IEPMeet with school counselor and request evaluation

Child MUST be evaluated according to ELIGIBILITY requirements defined in special education law (Article 7)

Meet to discuss results and eligibility

IF CHILD QUALIFES:Discuss needs and what teachers will do to helpWrite planPlan is law, teacher must follow

Referral ProcessParent or Teacher has concernMeet to discuss how to help with concernIF evaluation is necessary

Counselor meets with parents to review referral form and procedural safeguards.

Counselor and School Psychologist explain evaluation procedures and obtain permission to evaluate

Evaluation Process

Student is evaluated by a multidisciplinary team that must include School Psychologist (unless eligibility of LSI or DD) and another educator or member of Evaluation Team

Case Conference is held within 50 school days

Report provided to parents prior to conference upon request

Case Conference ProcessResults are reviewedParent and teacher input is gatheredThe eligibility criteria for the areas of suspected disability are reviewed and discussedEligibility is determined by the Case Conference CommitteeRegardless of eligibility, SOME sort of plan may be discussed to better help student (GEI, 504, IEP)

Regardless of plan, strategies for home and school are discussed

If student is eligible according to Article 7 rules and regulations as well as case conference participants’ decisions…

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developedThis is considered a legal documentIf IEP is not being followed, parents/teacher should contact the Teacher of Record and notify of concerns

There will be a yearly Annual Case Review (ACR)

Additional meetings can be requested as needed.

If student is not eligible for an IEP…

Child may still need a plan to help address his/her needs:

504 Plan • IF student requires accommodations for specific disability

General Education Intervention Plan • IF student has benefitted from interventions or accommodations

and committee agrees to continue, plan notifies teacher/parent of what has worked best. This is not a legally binding document.

Behavior Plan • IF student needs behavior support

CONFIDENTIALITYTEACHERS: Know the laws

pertaining to confidentiality. Use records properly.Share information only with people who have legitimate need for accessDo not discuss confidential matters in the presence of other students.Do not discuss confidential matters outside the school.Contact the Teacher of Record about any situation you do not understand

PARENTS: Talk to your child’s Teacher of Record if you have a concern about this area.

IEP EligibilitiesNote: These are not DIAGNOSES

Autism (ASD)Language/Speech Impairment (LSI) (formerly called Communication Disorder or “CD”)

Deaf-Blind (DB)Developmental Delay (DD)Emotional Disability (ED)Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH)Learning Disability (LD)Cognitive Disability (CD)

3 Levels: Mild, Moderate, Severe(MI/MO/SEV)

Multiple Disability (MD)Orthopedic Impairment (OI)Other Health Impairment (OHI)Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Visual Impairment (VI)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)AutismAsperger’s SyndromePDD-NOS

These are lifelong disabilities characterized by impairments in communication, learning and reciprocal social interaction generally evident by age 3

Other characteristics often include marked distress over trivial changes, persistent occupation with an object or part of an object, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences

Language/Speech ImpairmentOne or more of the following characterizes an LSI eligibility:

1. Articulation disorders that are incorrect productions of speech sounds (such as substitutions or additions)2. Fluency disorders that are disruptions:

• in the rate or rhythm of speech• that occur frequently; and• that are markedly noticeable to the student or listener

3. Voice disorders that are abnormal productions of pitch, intensity, resonance or quality4. Language disorders that are impairments in the comprehension or expression of spoken or written language5. A severe communication deficit which may require the use of an augmentative system such as gestures, sign language, picture/word/sentence boards or electronic devices

Deaf-BlindDeaf-Blind is a concomitant hearing and visual impairment which causes severe communication or other developmental and educational problems. Students with dual sensory impairments include:1. Those who are deaf and blind2. Those with hearing/visual impairments of mild to severe degree with additional learning or language disabilities3. Those with severe multi-handicaps due to central nervous system dysfunction.

Developmental Delay (DD)In INDIANA this category is for students ages 3-5 not eligible for kindergarten A delay that adversely affects daily life or educational performance of either two standards deviations below the mean in one of the following developmental areas or one and one half standard deviations below the mean in any two of the following developmental areas:1. Gross or fine motor development2. Cognitive development3. Receptive or expressive language development4. Social or emotional development5. Self-help or other adaptive development

Emotional Disabilities (ED)An emotional condition that, over a long period of time and to a marked degree, consistently interferes with student’s learning progress. Emotional conditions include, but are not limited to the following:

1. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems2. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression3. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors4. An inability to build or maintain interpersonal relationships5. Inappropriate feelings under normal circumstances

Deaf or Hard of HearingChild has a documented hearing loss that:

1. with or without amplification adversely affects educational performance and developmental progress;2. may be permanent or fluctuating;3. may be mild or profound in nature;4. may be unilateral or bilateral; and5. may also be referred to as hard of hearing or deaf

Audiological evaluations shall be conducted annually for all students with hearing impairments enrolled in special education

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

A disorder in one (1) or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that adversely affect the student's educational performance, including conditions referred to, or previously referred to, as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. As follows, a specific learning disability: (1) Manifests itself when the student does not achieve adequately for the student's age or to meet state approved grade level standards in one (1) or more of the following areas, when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for: reading (reading fluency, reading comprehension, basic reading skills), written expression, math (calculation or problem solving), oral language (oral expression or listening comprehension).(2) Can be evidenced through either of the following: (A) Insufficient progress to meet age or state approved grade level standards in one or more of the areas when using a process based on the student's response to scientific, research based intervention. (B) A pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance or achievement, or both, relative to: (i) age; (ii) state approved grade level standards; or (iii) intellectual development; that is determined by the group to be relevant to the identification of a specific learning disability. The multidisciplinary team is prohibited from using a severe discrepancy between academic achievement and global cognitive functioning to meet this requirement. (3) Does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of any of the following: visual, hearing, motor, cognitive, emotional, disability or is a result of cultural or experiential factors.

Cognitive Disability

Demonstrated by significant delays in intellectual functioning and adaptive functioning and adversely affects educational performance.1. Mild is generally 2 standard deviations below the mean. (IQ 50-70).2. Moderate is generally 3 standard deviations below the mean. (IQ 30-50)3. Severe is generally 4 standard deviations below the mean. (IQ < 30)

Multiple Disability (MD)

A multiple disability is two or more disabilities interacting and resulting in learning needs so complex that a single disability cannot be identified as primary. The term does not include deaf-blind.

Orthopedic Impairment(OI)An orthopedic impairment is a physically disabling condition which is determined to be a serious impairment of a student’s locomotion or motor functions and which adversely affects educational performance.

The term may include impairments caused by congenital anomaly; disease such as muscular dystrophy; or impairments from other causes such as cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures.

Other Health Impaired (OHI)A medical condition that adversely affects a student’s performance and is manifested by limited strength, vitality, and alertness due to chronic or acute health problems.It may also be manifested by heightened alertness to environmental stimuli that results in limited alertness with respect to educational performance.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic Brain Injury is an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external force, resulting in total or partial functional

disability or psychosocial impairment or both, that adversely affects a student’s

educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas such as:

Cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and

motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing and speech

Visual Impairment(VI)A vision loss that, even with best correction,

adversely affects educational performance. A student is considered blind when they cannot successfully utilize vision as a primary channel for learning and exhibits such a low degree or amount of visual acuity or visual field that vision is not considered as a primary mode of learning.

A student with low vision exhibits a reduced visual acuity or limited visual field that inhibits optimal processing of information through the visual modality and requires modification to enable the student to benefit from the educational program.

Zionsville Community SchoolsSpecial Services/Evaluation Services

Cathy Fuelling, DirectorDonna Hudson, Program DirectorJoni Golde, ManagerEvaluation Team

Judy Foote, School Psychologist for ZCS MS and HSEmily Duhn, School Psychologist for ZCS ElementaryRhea VandenBerg, Ed. Specialist for Eagle, Stonegate, ZWMSLisa Wagner, Ed. Specialist for PVE, Union, ZMSCarol Foulke, SLP Lead SLP for Evaluation Services of ZCS

Resource Teachers/SLPsTherapists (OT/PT)Contracted PsychologistsInstructional Assistants

You can reach all staff via email. Example: jgolde@zcs.k12.in.usOr call Joni for more information 873-2858 #11260

The Sea StarEarly one morning, on a long beach, and adult decided to go

for a walk and came across a young woman, throwing something into the sea. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Pretty soon, the sun is going to come out and dry up all these sea stars, so I am throwing them back before they die.” “But there are millions,” the man pointed out. “What difference do you think you can really make?” The young woman considered his question for a moment and surveyed the long expanse of the beach, which was indeed filled with sea stars washed up on the shore. She bent down and picked up a sea star, resuming her efforts. “Well,” she said, “I’ll make a difference with this one.” And with that, she tossed the sea star into the sea.