The Referral Process
Step 1: Recognition
Although it may only be the first step, step one is also possibly the most important step in the entire process. During step one, teachers identify students who may be in need of special education services. There are some important concepts to remember during step one of this process. One of those concepts to remember is that before referring, a teacher should discuss the referral process with their student's parents. Parents/guardians should be a key aspect of the process the entire step of the way.
Step 2: Pre-Referral
Sometimes the second stage is thought of as a temporary accomodation put in place to assist the student temporarily. While that is a part of the seconod stage, it is not the full extent of what should be accomplished during this stage. This is also the stage where a pre-referral team should be working to identify what assists can be implemented to benefit the student in the future.
Step 3: Referral for Special Education
After establishing a plan during the pre-referral stage, it is during this stage that the plan is set into motion. Once again, a key aspect of this stage is participation by all-general education teachers, special education teachers, school counselors, principals, parents/guardians, and even the students if they are old enough.
Step 4: Special Education Evaluation
Even though there has been a referral, there is still more evaluation necessary. Everyone who was part of the referral stage should still be part of the evaluation stage, but more professionals may be brought in as well. Students should be evaluated on their intelligence, achievement, medical, and behavioral issues. This would also be the appropraite time for informal observations and anecdotes of the student's behavior to be presented to the group.
Step 5: Determining Eligibility
This is the stage where the evaluation is analyzed to ensure that the student is indeed eligible for special education services. There are 12 different conditions (autism, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, severe disability, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment) for which students can be found eligible. If the student is found to be ineligible for special education services then the process is essentially over. However, if the student is eligible under any of these impairments, then it is time to begin developing an IEP for the student's future.
Step 6: Developing the IEP
The last sentence of step 5 is an excellent segue into step 6 which is where the IEP (Individualized Education Program) is actually developed. The referral team and evaluation are more thoroughly analyzed to determine what assists should be put into place in order to benefit the student the most. The IEP will include information on what assists will be implemented, how long will those assists be in place, and where will the student's assists occur, as well as much more. It is an extremely important process during which many people are involved in order to benefit the student.
Step 7: Implementation of the IEP
Once the IEP has been created, it is time to ensure that all facets of the program are being carried out. It is the responsibility of everyone on the IEP team to ensure that happens. An important part to remember is that the IEP can be altered at any time when everyone on the IEP team is in agreement. That way, if one assist which everyone thought may be of assistance is not working, the IEP team can turn to a new assist.
Step 8: Reevaluation
Once the student is operating at school under the IEP, it is important to constantly keep checking the student's progress. Every year, a new IEP will be developed-unless the student has benefited to the extent where having an IEP is no longer necessary. It is the important that everyone on the IEP team understands the student's strengths under the IEP and where change still may be necessasry so that the next IEP will be even more beneficial to the student. A note on reevaluation--while an IEP is developed every year, it is not necessary for all the assessments to be conducted every time.
Although it may only be the first step, step one is also possibly the most important step in the entire process. During step one, teachers identify students who may be in need of special education services. There are some important concepts to remember during step one of this process. One of those concepts to remember is that before referring, a teacher should discuss the referral process with their student's parents. Parents/guardians should be a key aspect of the process the entire step of the way.
Step 2: Pre-Referral
Sometimes the second stage is thought of as a temporary accomodation put in place to assist the student temporarily. While that is a part of the seconod stage, it is not the full extent of what should be accomplished during this stage. This is also the stage where a pre-referral team should be working to identify what assists can be implemented to benefit the student in the future.
Step 3: Referral for Special Education
After establishing a plan during the pre-referral stage, it is during this stage that the plan is set into motion. Once again, a key aspect of this stage is participation by all-general education teachers, special education teachers, school counselors, principals, parents/guardians, and even the students if they are old enough.
Step 4: Special Education Evaluation
Even though there has been a referral, there is still more evaluation necessary. Everyone who was part of the referral stage should still be part of the evaluation stage, but more professionals may be brought in as well. Students should be evaluated on their intelligence, achievement, medical, and behavioral issues. This would also be the appropraite time for informal observations and anecdotes of the student's behavior to be presented to the group.
Step 5: Determining Eligibility
This is the stage where the evaluation is analyzed to ensure that the student is indeed eligible for special education services. There are 12 different conditions (autism, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, severe disability, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment) for which students can be found eligible. If the student is found to be ineligible for special education services then the process is essentially over. However, if the student is eligible under any of these impairments, then it is time to begin developing an IEP for the student's future.
Step 6: Developing the IEP
The last sentence of step 5 is an excellent segue into step 6 which is where the IEP (Individualized Education Program) is actually developed. The referral team and evaluation are more thoroughly analyzed to determine what assists should be put into place in order to benefit the student the most. The IEP will include information on what assists will be implemented, how long will those assists be in place, and where will the student's assists occur, as well as much more. It is an extremely important process during which many people are involved in order to benefit the student.
Step 7: Implementation of the IEP
Once the IEP has been created, it is time to ensure that all facets of the program are being carried out. It is the responsibility of everyone on the IEP team to ensure that happens. An important part to remember is that the IEP can be altered at any time when everyone on the IEP team is in agreement. That way, if one assist which everyone thought may be of assistance is not working, the IEP team can turn to a new assist.
Step 8: Reevaluation
Once the student is operating at school under the IEP, it is important to constantly keep checking the student's progress. Every year, a new IEP will be developed-unless the student has benefited to the extent where having an IEP is no longer necessary. It is the important that everyone on the IEP team understands the student's strengths under the IEP and where change still may be necessasry so that the next IEP will be even more beneficial to the student. A note on reevaluation--while an IEP is developed every year, it is not necessary for all the assessments to be conducted every time.