Specific Learning Disabilities Evaluations at MAES and SES

Specific Learning Disabilities Evaluations at MAES and SES
Specific learning disability (SLD) means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or perform mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, motor disabilities, cognitive disabilities, emotional disturbance, cultural factors, environmental, or economic disadvantage. When someone suspects a student has a SLD, a referral for a special education evaluation is made. A team, which includes the student's parents, conducts the evaluation and decides if the student meets state and federal eligibility criteria for special education.
Wisconsin’s SLD eligibility rule was revised effective December 1, 2010. Before an IEP team can determine a student has a SLD, it must document the student, after intensive intervention, demonstrates inadequate achievement and insufficient progress in one or more of the following areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading fluency skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation, and mathematics problem solving . The IEP team may not identify a student as having SLD if the student's achievement problems are primarily due to one or more exclusionary factors. If the SLD criteria are met, the IEP team goes on to determine whether the student needs special education (see PI 11.35) For more information you can go to: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/ld.html
We have adopted this RTI for SLD model at MAES and SES starting on September 1, 2012.  We will have ongoing trainings in this area to help implement this model during 12-13.  MAMS and MASH will adopt this model starting on September 1, 2014.  Primary changes include: two evidence based interventions, weekly progress monitoring, analyzing of data, classroom achievement delays based on standardized testing, and in depth discussion on how students respond to interventions based on obtained data.