Hello!
Fall is finally here! That means football, the Texas State Fair, October Snapshot, more football and of course Halloween! As you continue to work at superhero speed to do this work, it is our goal here at Region 10 to provide you the supports, services and solutions you need to lighten that load wherever and whenever possible. I also want to say it has been AMAZING to see so many of you in person over the past two months! Zoom has its place, but it doesn't replace the power and energy of being in a room learning together. If I have not met you yet, I hope to see you at one of our upcoming sessions.
In this edition, I have included links to references and resources that you will want to review and bookmark including recent updates from TEA on the changes to Chapter 89, Dyslexia Handbook updates and a new on demand webinar from the Child Find Evaluation Network.
Amy
Evaluating students with low incidence disabilities such as student's who are deaf or hard of hearing can often prove challenging for multiple reasons. As an educational diagnostician you may not encounter these students often, so it makes sense one would feel at a loss without resources to guide you in this process. Below are two resources that you will want to bookmark for later use when conducting these types of assessments.
Guiding Questions for D/HH Evaluations
As you conduct an evaluation for a student who is D/HH it is important to understand and have knowledge of the answers to these guiding questions. Using the RIOT method, some of these answers will come from reviewing records, some through interviews, some through observations and others through direct testing.
The answers will inform you of:
current functioning of the student in light of the hearing loss
implications of test selection and interpretation of results
implications of the D/HH condition across multiple domains
when there is cause for consideration of other disability conditions
Essential Questions for D/HH Evaluation Teams
This document produced by Region 4 ESC is intended for use by the multidisciplinary evaluation team when reviewing the FIE to ensure all required components have been addressed.
In addition to myself here at Region 10 we have consultants who are available to consult with you on these evaluations. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are ever in need of guidance in regards to evaluating D/HH students:
Dr. Jyutika Mehta SLP and D/HH Consultant: Jyutika.Mehta@region10.org
Elaine Sveen Deaf Blind Consultant: elaine.sveen@region10.org
In Person Sessions
C-SEP Training Part 2
10/28/2021 Session ID: 2640880
The second of these three sessions will break down the process for triangulating your data in order to determine patterns using a case study approach.
Assessment for Low-Incidence Disabilities: Struggles and Solutions with Ashley Arnold
10/29/2021 8:00-11:30 am Session ID: 2640039
Decisions, Decisions: Is It a Speech Language Impairment or Specific Learning Disability in Listening Comprehension/Oral Expression? with Ashley Arnold
10/29/2021 12:30-3:30 Session ID: 2640040
LIVE Webinars
Executive Functioning and Determining Impacts on Learning with Dr. Gail Cheramie and Andrea Ogonosky
11/15/2021 Session ID: 2640856
Collaborative Evaluations for students with Visual Impairments Part 1 of 2 with Marnee Loftin, LSSP
11/2/2021 Session ID: 2640857
Collaborative Evaluations for students with Visual Impairments Part 2 of 2 with Marnee Loftin, LSSP
11/16/2021 Session ID: 2640858
Legal Session with Elvin Houston for Evaluators and ARD Managers
11/19/2021 9:00-4:00 Session ID: 2641487
Practical Solutions to Special Education Disputes and the Full and Defensible Evaluation
Description: You won’t want to miss this legal update. This session designed for special education evaluation personnel and ARD managers will be presented by Elvin Houston attorney with Walsh Gallegos. Mr. Houston will provide clarity around the requirements for a well-developed prior written notice as well as practical solutions for writing a legally defensible FIEs.
The 2021 TEDA Annual Conference Registration is now open!
Dates: Mon. Dec. 6 - Tues. Dec. 7, 2021
Location: Waco, Texas
Fee: $200 prior to November 20th
As the ARD manager you are often a key go to for parents when they have questions regarding their child's IEP. Texas Project First is an excellent resource for both you and your families for better understanding the ARD process. A project of the Family to Family Network committed to providing accurate and consistent information to parents and families of students with disabilities.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development Technical Assistance Guide
Make sure to share the above links with your special education teachers as well!
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development Technical Assistance Guide
Make sure to share the above links with your special education teachers as well!
upcoming sessions for ARD Facilitators
ARD Manager: Before During and After the ARD Meeting
This session is intended for new personnel assigned to the role of ARD manager or facilitator. In this session participants will receive an over view of the IEP process including systems for organizing and preparing for ARD meetings, ARD membership, parent participation, how to write meaningful deliberations and determining when a revision to an IEP is needed.
10/22/2021 9:00- 4:00 Session ID: 2638284
TEA Standards-Based Individualized Education Program(IEP) Process Training
Fall Session: 11/29 and 11/30 9:00-4:00 (Session ID 2623055)
Participants will learn how to gather meaningful data to develop Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statements and write measurable annual goals aligned with grade-level academic content for students receiving special education services. By using the strategies presented, participants will be able to determine the critical area(s) impacted by disability (academic and/or functional) and determine the disability-related need(s) of the student. The information provided in the training meets accountability mandates of IDEA to improve the achievement of students with disabilities.
Gimme a Break: Incorporating Sensory Breaks to Improve Classroom Behavior
Date: 10/22/2021 9:00-12:00
This session will focus on how to support students with sensory needs and challenging behaviors. If this is an area where you need to grow your knowledge either to support your teachers or for your own classroom you will want to register for this session! Participants will be provided at least one Break Box Sensory Tool Kit and learn how to use the materials, paired with evidenced-based behavioral strategies, to help students channel their energy, regulate their emotions, minimize disruptive behaviors, and improve concentration.
REPRINTED FROM JIM WALSH’S “DAILY DAWG” WITH PERMISSION FROM THE WALSH GALLEGOS LAW FIRM.
TOOLBOX TUESDAY!! TOOL #3: EDUCATIONAL CHANGE OF PLACEMENT WITHOUT PARENT CONSENT…
Our firm’s Toolbox Training presents ten “tools” that school personnel can employ to address challenging behaviors presented by students with disabilities. Tool #3 involves a change of placement for behavior that is a manifestation of disability. If the behaviors of the student arise directly from the disability the district should not pursue a disciplinary change of placement. Those are reserved for behaviors that are not a manifestation of disability. But when a student’s behavior is disruptive in the classroom, there comes a time when a move to a more restrictive environment may be the right thing to do.
A recent decision involving Comal ISD provides an excellent example. The school district recommended a change to an MRE (More Restrictive Environment). The parent did not agree. The case ended up in a due process hearing. The hearing officer ruled in favor of the district, and now the federal court has affirmed that decision.
The move to an MRE was based on both academics and behavior. The court’s lengthy decision provides a good review of how the student progressed from first, to second, to third grade. As she did, the gap between what the student could do vs. what the rest of the class was doing was widening. This was not due to a lack of effort by the district, as the court noted that “this case presents no doubt that the District has taken steps to accommodate [the student] in regular education.” The court endorsed the district’s narrative of the case:
The story of [the student’s] education so far is one of a student continually struggling to make adequate progress and a district continually responding by increasing her special education supports and lowering her goals.
When it reached a point where the supports the student needed were more than could feasibly be provided in the less restrictive environment, the school called for an ARDC meeting and proposed a change of placement.
The case provides an excellent example of the three things that the school has to prove in a Tool#3 case. First, the current situation is not working. Second, we have given it a good faith effort. Third, this move will be beneficial for the student.
It’s H.W. v. Comal ISD, decided by the federal court for the Western District of Texas on August 31, 2021. We found it at 2021 WL 3887696.
DAWG BONE: TOOL #3: IT’S NOT WORKING. WE HAVE TRIED HARD. THIS WILL HELP THE STUDENT.
Subscriptions to the Daily Dawg are available at www.edlawdawg.com
Amy Smith, Evaluation Consultant
Email: amy.smith@region10.org
Website: https://www.region10.org/programs/evaluation-special-education/overview/
Location: Region 10 Education Service Center, East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1784