3.7: Identifying Students with Learning Disabilities

Students are identified for special education and related services through a system of referrals beginning with the pre-referral process previously discussed in Chapter 1. The pre-referral process is part of a larger schoolwide system called response to intervention (RTI). RTI is a proactive instructional model or framework for preventing academic issues in the early elementary grades and a remediation framework for improving outcomes in academics and behavior in upper elementary and secondary grades. The components of RTI include the following.

• Universal screening refers to academic and behavioral assessments administered to all students two to three times throughout the school year.
• Progress monitoring refers to more frequent assessments given to students to determine which strategies or interventions are most effective.
• Tier 1 includes research-based whole-class instruction. Tier 1 strategies meet the needs of most students, but if a student is not making adequate progress, they will receive Tier 2 interventions.
• Tier 2, or secondary, interventions are for students who are not making adequate progress under Tier 1. These students receive additional academic instruction or behavioral interventions.
• Tier 3, or intensive individualized, interventions are for students who did not make adequate progress under Tier 2. These students receive additional academic instruction or behavioral interventions that occur more frequently and for longer periods. At this point, if students continue to fail to make adequate progress, their parents will be contacted to consent to the special education referral process.

If the interventions fail, a formal referral is made for evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and related services. The IDEA includes regulations that guide the identification of students with specific disabilities, including learning disabilities. The RTI process helps educators and clinicians identify students with learning disabilities before they experience significant academic setbacks. However, it is important that students receive a comprehensive evaluation conducted by a multidisciplinary team, utilizing multiple measures and assessments, as part of the referral process to rule out other possible reasons for lack of academic progress.

Activity \(\PageIndex{1}\): IDEA Regulations: Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities

Directions: Read the IDEA Regulations for the Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities. Identify who needs to be involved in the identification process and what data needs to be collected.

Illinois’ Identification Process

“In accordance with 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.130, Illinois districts are required to use a process that determines how a child responds to scientific, research-based interventions as part of the evaluation procedures, as described in 34 CFR 300.304, to determine special education eligibility under the category of specific learning disability (SLD). While this requirement is specific to SLD, districts also have the option of using such a process as part of the evaluation procedures for other disability categories. The documents below address Illinois’ procedures and criteria for special education eligibility and entitlement decisions in an RTI framework” (Illinois State Board of Education, 2022).

Illinois Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement Procedures and Criteria within a Response to Intervention (RtI) Framework: A Guidance Document

Frequently Asked Questions about Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement within a Response to Intervention (RtI) Framework

The multidisciplinary team might include teachers, audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, and speech–language pathologists. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation must be based on multiple reliable and valid data sources, including information related to the student and the learning environment (Smiley et al., 2022).

For example, a student may take intelligence tests (e.g., Wechsler Intelligence Scale), achievement tests (e.g., Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Achievement, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, and Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement), visual–motor integration tests (e.g., Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual–Motor Integration), or language tests (e.g., Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals). An observation of the student in their learning environment must also be conducted. The multidisciplinary team may also consider districtwide or statewide standardized achievement test scores, observational data, portfolios of the student’s classwork, and transcripts from interviews with the students’ caregivers before making a determination.

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Illinois State Board of Education. (2022, September 1). Special education disability areas. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Special-Education-Disability-Areas.aspx#:~:text=Specific%20learning%20disability%20means%20a,do%20mathematical%20calculations%2C%20including%20conditions

Smiley, L. R., Richards, S.B., & Taylor, R. (2022). Exceptional students: Preparing teachers for the 21st century (4th ed.). McGraw Hill.