Initial Referral Overview

It is important to identify students who are having difficulties as early as possible in order to help them succeed to their optimum potential. Often teachers, who are exposed to many students with a wide range of ability levels, are the first to notice that a child’s behaviors or skills are significantly different from those of other students his/her age. When this happens, the teacher will usually discuss his/her observations with the parents, counselor, and/or administration to begin the intervention process. The intervention process is better known as the Pyramid of Intervention. Interventions are provided in addition to the core instruction that the student is already receiving in his/her regular education classroom(s). Through the Pyramid of Intervention, a student can be referred to Tier III, also known as a Student Support Team (SST). The SST is a team of members who are actively involved in the child’s education progress.  The team meets regularly to discuss concerns and implement interventions specific to the child’s needs.

Although SST is a regular education procedure – not a special education process – special education personnel are sometimes consulted to suggest modifications and share their expertise about specific academic and behavioral areas. State rules and regulations require that multiple, research-based interventions be provided to the child through the SST prior to a referral for a special education evaluation.  In some cases this can be bypassed when the need is apparent and justification is submitted. When problems are identified, students may be referred for evaluation to determine if they are eligible for special education services.

If the problem has a medical basis, a physician may alert the parents to irregularities that cause problems that might affect educational performance. A wide range of difficulties from developmental, physical (such as vision, hearing, attention, or motor problems), emotional, or cognitive differences might signal the need for an evaluation.

If parents suspect that their child may be having problems at school, they should contact the child’s teacher or counselor at the school he/she is attending to explore options to help the student succeed.

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How to tell if a child may have a physical, emotional, or mental disability

To help you recognize if a disability might be present in a child you know, the following checklist of common early signs has been compiled. However, it is not a complete list, nor is it a professional evaluation. It is only a guide.

 
Early signs that a child may have a problem

The Child’s Sight

·         Child’s eyelids droop

·         Child frequently complains that eyes hurt

·         The eyelids are red, watery, puffy, and encrusted

·         There is a crossing of the eyes: one or both eyes may be affected

·         At age 1, child cannot focus on small objects in order to pick them up

·         Child frequently rubs the eyes, as though they itch or hurt

·         Child holds head in awkward or tilted positions when looking at something

·         Child moves eyes excessively

·         Eye pupils are of uneven size

The Child’s Hearing

·         Child talks very loudly, even shouts during normal conversations

·         Child speaks very softly, almost in a whisper

·         When called from another room, child does not respond

·         Child complains that one or both ears ache, or that a liquid “runs” from the
       ears

·         At age 6 months, child does not turn toward the sounds of voices or noises

·         When there is sound, the child always turns the same ear in the direction of
       the sound

The Child’s Speech

·         At age 1, the child is unable to say such basic words as “mama” and
       “dada”

·         At age 2, cannot give the names of toys or members of the family

·         At age 3, is unable to repeat simple rhymes or common television musical
       jingles

·         At age 4, speaks in sentence fragments, cannot say short, complete
       sentences

·         At age 5, cannot be understood by people outside the immediate family,
       only those “used to” the child’s speech habits

The Child at Play

·         At age 1, the child does not respond to a call by looking directly at an
       adult; and cannot figure out simple problems (finding objects hidden
       under (cup)

·         At age 2, cannot identify body parts or match like objects, does not
       recognize self in mirror

·         At age 3, cannot recognize own name or understand use of familiar objects

·         At age 4, unable to name colors, tell the action in a picture or count to 2

·         At age 5, cannot make simple comparisons such as which is prettier or
       heavier, count up to 4 or understand “yesterday”, “today”, or “tomorrow”.

·         At age 6, unable to distinguish left from right, understand size and weight
       relationships, count to 6 or understand numbers to 10.

The Child in Motion

·         At age 1, the child cannot sit without support, pull self to standing position,
       reach for objects or pick up objects with a pincer grasp

·         At age 2, is unable to walk alone, kick a large ball, scribble or build a
       tower with 2 or 3 blocks

·         At age 3, cannot walk up or down stairs, pedal a tricycle, run without
      falling, turn the pages of a book, copy circles or draw a cross-mark

·         At age 4, cannot balance on one foot, jump from bottom step, catch a
       bounced ball, close a fist and wiggle a thumb or trace a diamond shape

·         At age 5, unable to turn somersaults, pump his/herself on a swing, fold a
       paper triangle from a 4-inch square, print a few capital letters or cut with
       scissors on a straight line

·         At age 6, cannot skip on alternate feet, jump rope, throw a ball 10 feet
      away so it can be caught; print his/her name, draw a person (including
      head, trunk, arms and features) or lace shoes

For additional information, please call the Special Education Department at 229-482-3966.