Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

C.2 Identification/Assessment

Early identification is an essential element of successful program planning for students with special needs. Students may be identified before they enter the school system. In such cases, existing assessment and programming information should be requested without undue delay to permit planning.

In cases where students with special needs have been identified prior to enrolment, or when students have obvious and severe special needs, which have not been previously identified, the school-based team should respond promptly to a teacher's request for a determination of the need for assessment, planning and intervention.

Pre-referral Activities
For most students, the identification/assessment phase begins in the classroom, as the teacher observes exceptionalities in learning and behaviour. The teacher responds by entering the first phase of the process, initiating in-depth, systematic classroom observation and evaluation. Further, while beginning a comprehensive assessment of learning needs, the teacher should also introduce variations in instructional approaches, evaluating the success of using such teaching techniques and instructional materials with the student.

The teacher should consult with the parent and, when appropriate, the student regarding concerns and progress. The teacher should discuss with the parent the appropriateness of a referral to a physician for a comprehensive medical examination to exclude the possibility of a medical basis for the concerns.

If these efforts prove insufficient to meet the student's educational needs the teacher should embark on a process of consultation and collaboration with the school-based resource personnel. This may take the form of classroom observation, additional assessment, the consideration of additional classroom intervention strategies, and implementation of those strategies.

For many students, such collaborative planning and the resulting interventions will successfully address the student's needs. However, if this is not the case, the teacher can approach the school-based team for further assistance.

Referral to the School-Based Team
The school-based team can provide:

• extended consultation on possible classroom strategies;
• planning for and co-ordination of services for the student;
• access to additional school, district, community or regional services; and
• planning for and co-ordination of services in the school.

What is a school-based team?
A school-based team is an on-going team of school-based personnel which has a formal role to play as a problem-solving unit in assisting classroom teachers to develop and implement instructional and/or management strategies and to co-ordinate support resources for students with special needs within the school.

Who is on the team?
The school-based team includes a small group of regular members, usually including a school principal, a learning assistance or resource teacher, a classroom teacher and a counsellor. On a case-by-case basis as needed to plan for individual students, the team should also include the student's referring teacher, and involve the parent, the student, and, as appropriate, district resource staff, and representatives from community services, regional authorities, or from other ministries.

What does the team do?
Upon the request of the referring teacher or parent, it provides support through extended consultation on possible classroom strategies, and may become a central focus for case management, referrals and resource decisions. It should appoint a case manager, identify the need for additional services and/or initiate referrals to access other school, district, community or regional services. The school-based team can also initiate or facilitate inter-ministerial planning and service delivery.

Referral for Extended Assessment
When extended assessments (e.g., psycho-educational, behavioural, speech and language, orientation and mobility) are requested, the goal is to better understand the student's strengths and needs in order to plan more effectively for that student.

School districts are advised to ensure that:

• where required, informed, written consent for the assessment is received from the parent and, as appropriate, the student;
• specialists are sensitive to cultural, linguistic and experiential factors when selecting assessment procedures and interpreting assessment results (The use of interpreters may be necessary to facilitate the assessment and planning process;
• information gained is readily usable for purposes of planning, and easily integrated into the student's Individual Education Plan;
• specialists communicate and interpret assessment findings to the parents, the student and staff; and
• the written report of the assessment is made available to the parents, the staff and, when appropriate, the student, in accordance with the provisions of the “Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act”.

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