Making Sense of Special Education

Every child has difficulties in school at some point in their academic career. Perhaps there is a year that they struggle in math; at other times, writing may become a major stumbling block. However, there are significant differences between students that are experiencing temporary academic trouble with students who are found to have learning disabilities in one or more academic areas. Learning disabilities are usually lifelong challenges which students may eventually learn to work through with specific strategies in order to be successful. At times, it may be difficult for parent to understand the difference between a student who is temporarily struggling and one who has LD issues. Parents, teachers, or administrators cannot simply qualify a student as "learning disabled" in order to receive additional academic assistance. Rather, there is a specific process by which students with LD issues are identified and their needs are met.

Many students who come to be diagnosed with learning disabilities have a pattern of academic difficulty. This is often observed by classroom teachers, parents, or others and may occur over a period of more than one year. Through these observations and after a number of intermediate interventions, specific educational testing may be recommended for the student. If a parent consents to the testing, a qualified examiner will give the student a number of achievement tests and other measures in order to assess the student's abilities and performance in key educational areas. In students diagnosed with learning disabilities, their scores on this testing will show that they are performing at a level significantly lower than would be expected for their cognitive ability level. If the difference between the expected performance and ability of a child is great enough, special education services may be considered.

Special education services, by definition, are specialized instructional services which are designed to help the student reach their maximum potential. These services are not designed to make school easy for students; rather, part of the goal of these services is to help students learn new strategies to meet their personal academic goals. Depending on the needs of the student, services may be planned in one or more academic areas; however, because a student qualifies for special education in one subject area (such as reading) does not mean he or she automatically qualifies for the same services in other subjects (such as math). Students may be found to have learning disabilities in specific academic areas, depending on their testing results, and those results will help to determine the services provided. The details of the services to be provided will be identified on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is written specifically for the student.

Students may also be found eligible for special education services if they have health or emotional issues which interfere with their academic progress. For these diagnoses, the child's physician and/or a licensed mental health clinician may need to be involved in order to make a specific referral. These individuals may give targeted assessments and make classroom or home observations in order to make an informed decision about the child's diagnosis. In some cases, medicines or therapies may be suggested in order to help the child meet greater academic success.

Regardless of the root cause of the child's disability, there are also many different levels of special education services. Some schools provide all services within the classroom environment. In these settings, special education teachers will work with regular education teachers and students in the classroom in order to provide necessary accommodations in testing, classwork, and other requirements. Other times, students may get more intensive services in small groups or in individualized sessions with a special education teacher or specialist. Nevertheless, the goal of all services is to provide the necessary learning environment for students in the least restrictive manner possible. In most places, a team of people including parents, teachers, evaluators, and sometimes the students themselves will meet to discuss the best placement and services.

However, not all students who struggle academically meet the requirements for special education services. Some students are working at their personal ability level but are still struggling to master material at the same rate as their classmates. Some students naturally work at a different pace, while other students will always have more difficulty in one subject than another. While these students may benefit from additional time with the teacher or tutoring services, they will not necessarily qualify for special education services. In these instances, it is especially important for families to remain in close contact with the teacher in order to know how they can help their child at home and what skills they can reinforce through extra practice.

Exact requirements for special education testing, evaluation, and services vary. If you have specific concerns about your child, the first contact you should make is with your child's teacher. By opening a clear line of communication, you will be able to monitor your child's progress in all of their academic areas. If you have further concerns, you can contact the special education department of your child's school or district; these professionals can help give you information on the processes involved in evaluating students. However, be aware that embarking on this process is often a lengthy and time consuming endeavor. Completing the referral, testing, and evaluation schedule requires the coordination of a number of individuals, and though there is generally a timeline for completing each phase of the process, it is still quite long.

If you feel that your child may have a disability that may qualify them for special education services, contact your local school or district for more information on how the determination process works in your local area.

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