This article will help you determine if any students in your class
need to be referred for special education testing. Before we go any further, let me tell you one
thing – none of your fellow teachers think you are qualified to refer a student
for testing. I know…it’s harsh, but it
is the truth. If you suspect that a
student is a candidate for special education testing, you need to convince one
of your veteran colleagues that testing the student is a good idea. In fact, the veteran teacher should be the
one who refers the student. Now that we
have the inconvenient truths out of the way, let’s get down to business. Here are some examples of “red flags” that
may alert you to a possible problem with a student:
*A student is not
successful in your class. (Yes…obvious!)
*A student is
scoring well on assignments, but flunking tests.
*A student is
scoring well on tests, but flunking assignments.
*A student is not
completing assignments.
*A student is not
able to complete tests during a class period, but what he/she completes is done
correctly.
*A student reverses the
order of numbers and/or letters in written work.
*A student stares
off into space instead of listening to what you or her classmates are saying.
*A student’s quality
of written work is well below that of his classmates.
*Other signs (and
there are many others) include:
Difficulty following directions, clumsiness, difficulty manipulating
small objects, impulsive behavior, sudden and extreme mood changes, difficulty
staying organized, and a tendency to misinterpret the behavior of peers and/or
adults.
Some districts use the Response To Intervention (RTI) model to
identify candidates for special education testing. The procedure outlined by Fuchs (2003) is as
follows:
*Students receive
generally effective instruction from their classroom teacher
*Progress is
monitored
*If they are not
successful, additional or different support is provided in the general
education program
*Their progress
continues to be monitored
*If they still do
not succeed, they may be evaluated for special education services or assigned
to receive these services
So, basically the theme of this article is that you should exhaust any and all interventions you can think of for your unsuccessful students before you begin to contemplate referring your student for special education testing. Other articles in this section of newteacherhelp.com will spotlight the testing process, specific learning disabilities that your student may have, and interventions you can use to assist these students.